On Wed, 8 Apr 1998, Rod Knox wrote:
> I hadn't been worried about quality as there must be some DOT requirements,
> so why are people buying stainless steel? I won't be racing and looking at
> the originals, can't imagine the system producing enough pressure to blow a
> hole in one.
-Stainless steel looks pretty
-It also tends to expand less under pressure than plain rubber
> There also seems to be an inordinate number of people replacing steel lines
> as well? How much rust can there be in a system with little O2 getting in.
> I imagine you can tell if you take one out and bend it in half but I would
> rather not.
My lines rusted through from the outside. If you're a clean fanatic (or
have a nice dry garage) then the steel lines should last a long time. My
clutch line had an obvious hole in it (and no fluid!!), and I blew the
brake line right after I got the car... it broke at the flex-hose
connection for the rear axle. (the metal burst, not the rubber)
So I didn't have much choice over replacing the metal lines :-)
BTW, there is some O2 in the brake fluid, especially old stuff...
DOT3/DOT4 brake fluid bonds with water... and DOT5 just moves around it.
That's why we gotta flush the fluid every so often, to get rid of "bad"
fluid.
I also replaced my metal lines where someone had 'patched' behind the
battery using compression joints. Long ago the battery blew up as a
result of a bodged hot-wire, and I guess it corroded the brake line there.
-Malcolm
'62 TR4
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