coolant pipes

[4ndee]

Ok so I'm dropping my fuel tank and uprating my fuel pump. Now I have a water leak from the pipes above it and need advice. As I remember there metal pipes. I don't know whether to replace them with rubber pipe or buy second hand pipes as I am sure there ridiculous price new. Advice please

[Draven]

I'd get some metal ones off a braker.

[alanmr2turbo]

Yes they are a ridiculous price new. £300+ each

These pipes above it always go in the same place, well 99 times out of 100. So fitting used ones may last or may not. A lot of people go the rubber water pipe route when these go.

I changed mine for the metal pipes and never again. I was using a ramp and was still a ball ache.

[4ndee]

Replacing with second hand seems a redundant task when it's such a ball ache to do. Rubber pipe it is. Does anyone know the I.d of the pipe I ned? 3/16?

[Peter Gidden]

I'd get some metal ones off a braker.

Agreed. And before fitting, resolder the one mounting braket that always goes.

[Peter Gidden]

Double post.

[blue2]

I wouldnt go second hand as its a ball ache to fit them and if they go youll have to drop everything again.
Mine were brand new but dont think I paid anymore than £200 for them and that was at toyota.

[Super_red]

They break because the pipe has a metal bracket that bolts to the body work and the pipe expands at a different rate to the body work. I plan to cut the bracket off (a good second hand set) and then use a rubber or leather strap to hold the pipe to the body work.

[mistertubby2]

Ok so I'm dropping my fuel tank and uprating my fuel pump. Now I have a water leak from the pipes above it and need advice. As I remember there metal pipes. I don't know whether to replace them with rubber pipe or buy second hand pipes as I am sure there ridiculous price new. Advice please

Got a pair of steel ones here if you go that way cheers.

[Rossi]

I've sprung a leak here too.

What's the advantage keeping the standard metal pipes over rubber pipes? I don't really care too much about keeping the car original but I do care about keeping it reliable and easier to maintain.

[4ndee]

That's the million dollar question. I'm going to use rubber hose. But need to know the sizepipe I need?

[Peter Gidden]

I've sprung a leak here too.

What's the advantage keeping the standard metal pipes over rubber pipes? I don't really care too much about keeping the car original but I do care about keeping it reliable and easier to maintain.

I've never had a replacement set fail. They fit properly, and as you say, keep the car as it was built.

Each to their own though.

[Rossi]

I've never had a replacement set fail. They fit properly, and as you say, keep the car as it was built.

Each to their own though.

Surely it's just a matter of time as the replacements will fail in the same manner as the originals? Or were the metal pipes revised at some point?

It's justifying £300 when I can pay a tenth of the cost and have pipes that will last longer... False economy surely? I don't mind splashing the cash if it's going to fix the problem for good but surely there is an inherent design flaw here and replacing the pipes with the same pipes isn't really addressing the problem?

[Peter Gidden]

I'd agree - new ones are likely to last £15 years if unlucky, a lot normal if as good as most of what is in the cars right now.

If that's not long enough, have someone who can braze re-do the suspect joint, which is what we do.

Then you can have original pipes with the known weakness removed.

[timlowthian]

I must admit while i have my engine out i have fitted rubber pipes but i really do not like them and am now going to change them back to a set of originals.

Peter can you explain more about this process to re-do the suspect joint?

[4ndee]

This is the puppy leaking. I assume it's the same pipe

[Super_red]

Yeah thats exactly where mine has gone, I am going to cut the bracket off and use a 'P' clip with a rubber inner. I will get some second hand pipes but I will pressure test them after I cut the bracket off. They are made of xxxx metal so can be welded, brazing or soldering/silver soldering are your only chance to fix a broken one.

[4ndee]

I was thinking that but need to drop the tank anyway.

[Conan]

Crap... I've a coolant leak that just went from a li'l spot here and there to a constant drip... I'm getting low on every tank of petrol now.

Really hope it's just a rubber pipe, because changing those metal pipes in this weather on my drive is not what I had in mind over Christmas...

[Super_red]

You can run in a rubber pipe quite easily under the petrol tank, will work permenantly if done well but is at least a get you out of trouble fix for a few quid until the weather warms up. A mechanic did this to my wife old MR2 before we met, saved her a fortune so she was over the moon but I was always worried about the rubber wearing away as it was just cable tied in place.