C531XHO

Hi All

So trying to sort a few jobs to get an MOT on my S2, usual stuff, tyres, brake pipes, fuel lines. I need to replace both the flex and hard lines at the rear because of corroded fittings that won't undo. Finally managed to wrestle the 3 way brake union off the rear bulkhead thinking I would "just" replace the whole line front to back but it now seems as if to get the pipes out of the clamps one needs to undo the screws from inside the car....under the seats... and carpet...and sound deadening.... For brake pipes and fuel lines it also looks like it's "easier" if I drop out the rear axle assembly. Anyone got experiences to share - I am wary of getting sucked in to a full resto via WYAIT hahaha..

D

dr bob

On my S4, I was able to remove and refit the right hand side hard pipe without dropping the gearbox or suspension. I had it apart for some other work during a whole brake system refurbish project.

The hard pipes themselves are CuNiFer as supplied on the car. The tubing itself won't normally rust, but the fitting nuts, as cadmium-plated steel, certainly seem to in some climates. The dry desert southwest of the US, where my car lived, is among the kindest to metal parts. So I'm spoiled. Getting the steel nuts loose can be a challenge if they are corroded. The nuts don't do the sealing however, so the condition of the end of the tube and the fitting that receives the nut is more important. The flex sections include the female side into which the pipes and their nuts connect. I added a bit of the Teflon thread sealing paste that plumbers use, in the female threads of the fitting and flex hose ends, and on the threads of the nuts and the tubing that fits inside the nut. My speculation is that this will keep moisture out of the connections and the inside of the nuts, so they will come apart more easily in the future. I reduce the torque applied to the nuts by one finger on the little tubing wrench. I could use my smaller torque screwdriver with a crowfoot tubing wrench on it for the connections at the hoses, but not for the 3-way splitter connections on the mid bulkhead.

I have no easy answer on the hold-downs for the pipes from inside the car. I only removed that one short section and the few clamps that hold it in place. Count your blessings on those, because it's MUCH easier to undo the screws from the cabin side than they would be if from the outside. On my car, the pipe was sprayed in place with cosmoline after factory installation; would have been fun getting that out of screwheads blindly reaching over the gearbox.

Did I mention that I did mine on the lift? Less body convolutions trying to access fittings and fasteners.

Hymodyne

Just collected a roll of cunifer fuel line today in the mail. going to remake both long hard lines; some bad kinks and corrugation along both lines at a bend. I've been sending flex fuel lines to my machine shop to be remade a few at a time. By the time I'm ready to install the engine, they should be all completed.

James

Mrmerlin

pictures or it didnt happen

skpyle

C531XHO: I recently replaced all the rear lines on my 86.5. I did all the work on Liftbars and jack stands. As well, I did have the exhaust system removed for better access during other work.

My lines were OK, but the steel tube nuts were rusted to uselessness.
I bent my own rear lines using the old ones as templates. I didn't have much trouble with the line going over the transaxle.
I got lucky that the steel tube nut was serviceable on the supply line to the brass TEE at the back.

Good Luck!

C531XHO

Hi All

Thanks for the incites and the encouragement, it gets lonely and scary sometimes working on these great cars. Whether I pull the axle or not is still going round in my head. The current "deal" I have with myself is not to start cleaning and stripping if I actually go that route as it looks relatively easy and all the nuts seem willing...

In relation to the hard brake lines I am tempted to cable tie new lines to the old ones until such time as I do work on the interior and can to the transfer to the proper fittings.

Photos later, you won't like the ones of the fuel lines but I guess that's what happens to them when you live in Scotland

D

Kiwi'79

Och aye the noo!!!

Ok weak, but meant as respect not offence!!!

Coming from Dunedin, NZ, with a strong Scottish influence down here I am sure you will afford me the humour!!

It should not be lonely nor scary with this group, that is why you posted, right?

But pictures speak a thousand words and from my short time with this crowd, I have learnt that it certainly gets the attention, along with the comments.

YES, I for one, do want to see pics of the fuel lines!!! as I know it will get a response on how to repair it, and for me, that is priceless/knowledge, it is not a reflection on you!!!

I am slightly nervous at the cable tie, to the old line trick, as for me, it would more than likely just stay that way, as other things occupy my time.

Do it once, do it right I recon.

Look forward to the photos

Oh, ps, I loved my time in Scotland, beautiful

Kiwi

dr bob

The fuel lines are a separate bit of fun, especially where they've been physically damaged (errant lifting of the car) or are rusting especially in the rear wheelwells and up the right side of the engine bay.

As far as half-fasting the rear brake pipe with cable ties to the existing, take a minute now to remove the rear seat bottoms and the carpet in the front of that bulkhead to do it right the first time. I put the seat bottoms back in with Velcro strips glued down with contact cement. the carpet can be pulled from the bottom almost to the top, leaving the top glue surface still attached to the floor. After you are done with the brake pipe replacement, a mist of consumer-grade spray brake cleaner (mostly acetone) will soften the existing glue enough to get it stuck back in place.

----

I'll warn you of a very slippery slope. The glued-in carpet pieces throughout the interior deserve serious cleaning. I put mine in the washing machine on the "hand wash" cycle with some Woolite (gentle detergent made for the most delicate fabrics, but most importantly it rinses out very completely). I let the pieces soak for a while in the machine, then ran the cycles. This takes some babysitting, so I could place each wet carpet piece face-out against the basket prior to the spin cycles. What's the slippery slope? You can't clean just one or two pieces of the carpet this way. The refreshed pieces will cause all the other pieces to disintegrate and rot, at least appearance-wise, when yopu put them back. Very slippery slope. Great results, but takes a long day to do a full R&R of the glued-in bits.

C531XHO

Hi people

So grabbed the bull by the horns this weekend and set to with renewed vigour! What I learnt:
Brake lines - removing the rear exhaust and driveshaft give good enough access for brake pipe changing (everything is relative). I managed to unscrew lines at callipers but resorted to cutting the flex/hardline interface bracket off the bulkhead as it was just a congealed mess. Brake pipes can be unclipped from mounting points even though it looks as if the are attached clampwise with a screw from the inside of the car - but then those of you that have done this already know..




Decided not to remove the rear axle for brake and fuel lines as there is enough access and I am not sure that disturbing the exhaust and axle won't throw up further work. The plan is to get an MOT on it and get it running to assess next steps. Full rear axle overhaul looks like a nice contained project for next winter maybe..





Also took the grinder to the right hand sill which was part of the last MOT failure. Removed a section of the outer and inner but whilst there is welding to do it's not bad. Worst bit was where the plate sits between the inner and outer sill - going to send it to my local shop for the work.

SwedeInSiam

Every time I see pictures with rust like this I'm happy my car left UK early

C531XHO

Hi all

DrBob - yep I can see a slippery slope in the interior but so far mine looks very straight. It's a low mileage car but will get a bit of interior TLC once I have it up and running and have fixed essential running issues. I was disappointed in it originally as it didn't smell "right" - there is a 928 smell that I think is due to old sound deadening/carpet and probably a bit of damp. Since removing the tree air freshener the old car smell has appeared - that makes me happy!

Kiwi 79 - Haven't posted picture of the fuel lines yet. Need to be careful which bits I photograph as some of it just isn't there hahaha. Have cut it all out now and planning to replace with Krontec hardline from Demon Tweeks. This is a motorsport grade line that looks ideal for the job. DT also sell a good range of flex tubing which I have ordered. Planning to get engine bay lines made up by Pirtek - remove old line, cut the end crimp, recover the fittings, fit into new lines, recrimp. My biggest fear is getting stuck with poor quality rubber as this seems to be a big problem in the UK and I suspect elsewhere, but then again I think the quality of parts generally has gone down massively since I was last mucking around in classic cars ~20 years or so ago

SwedeInSiam - yes getting away from the UK wet environment is a good idea but I am stuck in wet Scotland for at least a couple more years until my daughter leaves school. The S2 will just have to take what's thrown at it for a while but it will get some major TLC at some point. I do like the look of stripping everything off underneath an going through it but that will have to wiat until I have my dream garage...I get round the weather problem by keeping 2 other P cars down South where it is much drier...

D