Brake Lines Part 4 - Front Brake Lines and Fittings

So with elementary bending and flaring mastered, knocking out the front brake pipes for the Cobra should be a doddle right...?

I started by marking out the positions of the mounting clips and the position of the 3-way brake union on the offside inner chassis rail (all based on my CAD brake pipe routing).

Fixing points for brake clips/unions marked using masking tape

I started with forming the short pipe that runs from the front off-side brake Flexi to the 3-way union.

I realised at this point that my brake-bending tool was completely useless for this pipe as it is impossible to form a bend on the pipe anywhere closer than around 50mm away from the flared end of the pipe; any closer and the brake fittings get in the way and prevent alignment of the pipe within the bending tool.

I resorted to using a couple of offcuts of nylon sheet with a 3/16 hole drilled through them to hold the pipe in the vice and using a piece of 25mm dia steel bar stock cut down with an angle grinder to bend the pipe around.  I checked my bending against a 1:1 drawing of the pipe from my CAD model (sad, I know) and the result was surprisingly close and with the pipe screwed to the Flexi and to the 3-way union the centre of the mounting hole was bang on with my mark on the masking tape.  Result!  Although this turned out to be a bit of beginners luck...

Forming bends close to brake fitting using a 12.5mm radius former

Checking the bending against CAD drawing

Pipe in place...

...and mounting hole aligned perfectly with planned position

Next was the longer pipe run from the 3-way union round to the nearside brake Flexi.  This was a step-up in difficulty level from the previous pipe, being just under 900mm long and needing 8 bends of varying angles (from 30 to 90 degrees).  This is where being able to position the bends exactly where you want them on the length of the pipe becomes important and brings into play those additional marks on the bending tool.

And just to complicate things, when you form a bend in the pipe, it actually stretches along the outer side of the bend, so the pipe actually gets longer - which of course you need to take account of, to be able to position the bends accurately! 

By way of example, the sketch below shows an example length of pipe.  Taking the dimensions between the vertices at each bend (the intersection of the centre line of each leg of the pipe) would suggest that the required length of pipe would be 100 + 100 + 70.71 + 60 = 330.71mm.

However, this would not take account of the pipe stretching when forming the bends so the final pipe would not be the exact dimensions required.

There is some complicated method for working all this out but I stumbled across a table in the owners manual for the extremely expensive Swagelok pipe bender on the internet, which has a handy table of bend gain adjustment factors for pipes from 1/8" (3mm) to 1/2" (12mm).  Basically, this all boils down that for 3/16" pipe, the adjustment factor for a 90-degree bend is 7mm, for a 45-degree bend is 1mm and for a 30-degree bend is basically insignificant.

Measuring out for the above example would then result in the following:

• P1 would be measured 100mm from the Start of the pipe
• P2 would be measured 100 - 7 = 93mm from P1 (allowing for the previous 90-degree bend)
• P3 would be measured 70.71 - 1 = 69.7mm from P2 (allowing for the previous 45-degree bend)
• The End of the pipe would then be 60 - 1 = 59mm from P3 (allowing for the 45-degree bend as before) 

So actual length of pipe to be cut to achieve the final dimensions in the above sketch would be 100 + 93 + 69.7 + 59 = 321.7mm.

(NOTE -  that this assumes that the pipe is bent from left to right i.e P1, then P2 then P3 - if you were to bend the pipe in the reverse sequence you would actually have different lengths for various sections -  End-P3 (60mm), P3-P2 (69.7mm), P2-P1 (99mm) and P1-Start (93mm) - although the overall length of pipe would be the same at 321.7mm)

So with this exciting theory all worked out, I could take the dimensions of the brake pipe from my CAD model, work out the overall length of pipe needed and mark out the positions of the individual bends making due allowance for the bend gain.

Position of bends marked out

Depending on the required angle of bend, the pipe is positioned in the pipe bender, with the bend position mark aligned with the respective bending mark.  The photo below shows a pipe set up for a 90-degree bend - the start of the pipe is to the left side of the tool, so the position mark is aligned with the 'L' on the rotating arm.  (If the pipe is inserted into the tool with the previous bend or position mark on the right-hand side of the stop edge then the position mark would be aligned with the 'R'.  

Pipe positioned in bending tool - the start of pipe is to the left of the rotating arm so the 'L' mark is used to position the pipe for bending

Perfect 90-degree bend - note I could not perform the first bend using the pipe bender due to the small distance from the pipe fitting

One section of pipe with perfectly positioned bends (except for the last bend close to the pipe fitting on each end)

OK, it wasn't as straightforward as that. 

On the first attempt, I failed to follow BRAKE PIPE TOP TIP 1 and produced a perfectly bent-up length of pipe with a brake fitting missing off one end...

Which brings me to BRAKE PIPE TOP TIP 2.  Make sure before bending any section of pipe that the brake fittings are on the correct side of the bend as they will not pass over the bend once it is formed - again, you may ask me how I know this...

Hmm...something's missing...

I think it took about four attempts to get this pipe right and I wasn't helped by my beginner's luck deserting me when trying to form the tight bends needed at the ends of the pipe adjacent to the fittings.  My subsequent attempts to form these bends using the method I described above resulted in the bends being too large a radius or just in the wrong place which completely cocked up the alignment of the fittings on the pipe with the fittings to which they were supposed to attach to!

In the end, I had to bite the bullet and bought another set of pipe bending pliers from Frost.  These are supposed to form neat bends with a radius of around 15mm with just a twist of the wrist!  Well as usual - not quite.  You can form bends by gripping the pipe with the pliers and giving it a twist, but it does tend to distort the section of pipe ahead of the bend so rather than being straight, the pipe ends up with a distinct curve in it. Also where the pliers grip the pipe, they left a quite deep gouge which didn't look very professional at all.

Eastwood Brake Pipe Pliers - with channels for 3/16" and 1/4" pipe

Form a nice bend and distort the adjacent section of pipe with a flick of the wrist!

My solution was to hold the pipe in the pliers and with both thumbs push the pipe around the bending channel.  Hard work on the thumbs but it gave the desired result.  A bit more geometry was needed as well to work out the actual start point of the bend to know where to grip the pipe with the pliers.

With this section of pipe now bent up to my satisfaction I could check that the positions of for the brake mounting clips were in the correct place and then drill and tap the chassis to allow clips to be fixed in place.  The eagle-eyed will notice that I have powder-coated the backing plates of my brake clips - well I needed to do something to stop them rusting!

Final Brake Mounting Clip

Backplate fixed to chassis with M5 x 8mm Cap-head bolt

Pipe and Clips in place - nearside...

...and offside

The 3-way union was bolted to the chassis using an M7x30 bolt.  The union needed to be spaced off the chassis slightly.  Most people seem to use a number of washers to do this but I made up a small spacer from some 12mm dia stainless steel bar, which I drilled a concentric 7mm dia hole down the middle of, and cut off the required spacer thickness.

12mm dia stainless steel bar stock

Pilot hole drilled down the centre of bar stock...

...before opening up to 7mm dia

3-way union bolted in place with spacer

The final step to complete the front brake lines was to make up the short length of pipe running from the 3-way union to my fabricated bracket.  This turned out to be the most awkward section of pipe to make, although if I wasn't so fussy about how neat it should look, it possibly wouldn't have taken so many attempts...

The main issue was trying to form the two 90-degree bends back to back (with one at 90-degrees to the other) adjacent to the 3-way union.  The first bend needed to be very close to the union, with the second needing to be right at the end of the first bend.  Despite several attempts (more than two but less than fifty...) I couldn't get the two bends to look neat and or get the overall pipe length at both ends.  

The purchase of the second set of pipe bending pliers helped somewhat but in the end, I settled for angling the pipe slightly coming out of the 3-way union and making the second bend a 45-degree angle which made things slightly easier to bend.

Which brings me to BRAKE PIPE TOP TIP 3 - when you have had dozens of attempts to make up a section of pipe and finally create the perfect back to back set of bends, do not rush to make the next bend in the pipe and form the bend in the wrong direction from that required...yes you may ask me how I know...

After a couple of attempts...

...finally managed to bend up final section of pipe!

Pipe route needs to allow for 1/4" clutch pipe to run between pipe and tube stiffener

So that's all the front brake pipes bent up and sorted.  I will blow all the pipes through with a compressed air line before tightening up all the unions.  Now to bend up the clutch pipe to complete all the pipework at the front end.

Engine Update

Back in my January 2020 update post, I dropped some hints about my change in engine choice.  427 cubic inch, titanium rods and, the need for a dry-sump tank...

So if you hadn't already guessed, I am now planning on installing an LS7 engine instead of the LS3.  My engine builder, Kyle, made me an offer I literally couldn't refuse.  He also persuaded me to consider dry-sumping the motor to eek out a few extra horsepowers - hence the need to try and find a location in the confines of the AK for a remote oil tank.

So the revised engine specification looks a bit like this

• LS7 Pistons - Mahle PowerPak Forged 4032 Alloy for low expansion with Grafal anti-friction skirt coating - modified wrist pins - hot washed and checked
• Mahle High-Performance Piston Rings
• Compression Ration approx 11.3:1
• Competition Cams Camshaft (guaranteed to pass IVA / MOT)
• Competition Cams reduced travel Hydraulic Lifters
• Competition Cams Rocker Trunnion Upgrade (with needle roller bearings)
• LS7 Titanium Conrods
• ARP High-Performance Big End Bolts
• Clevite H-Series Big End and Mains Bearings - 
• MLS Head Gaskets
• Double Valve Springs
• Uprated Water Pump
• New Front Damper
• LS7 Sump Pan with adaptor for -12 oil lines to remote tank
• New LS7 Intake with 42 lb per hour Injectors
• One Piece Manley Pushrods
• New Gaskets
• New Sensors
• New Oil Seals
• Fly-by-Wire Throttle Body
• Custom Corvette Front End (Power Steering Pump, Alternator, Idler and Custom Tensioner)
• Canems ECU and Wiring Loom modified to include immobiliser 
• Dyno Run and Set-up

Kyle started pulling together all the parts for the engine earlier this year but the Covid-19 pandemic caused a few delays with some of the parts coming from the States so final assembly did not begin until mid-June

LS7 Bare Aluminium Block with pressed in Steel Cylinder Liners

Cam installed and upper main bearings in place - note dowels to assist location of end caps

Forged Steel Crankshaft 2.559in dia Mains / 2.100in dia Rod Journals

Reluctor Wheel (24X) welded to Crankshaft

Pistons and Rods ready for assembly

Piston Ring Gapping

Short Block Assembly complete

Cylinder Heads - CNC Ported / 70cc Chambers - 2.205in dia Titanium Intake Valves & 1.610 in dia S/Steel Sodium Filled Exhaust Valves

Uprated Valvetrain

Fly-by-Wire Throttle Body

Sump Adaptor to connect to remote Oil Tank

Assembly almost complete - looking like an engine!

The LS7 was the largest displacement engine in the LS engine series.  It was based on the C5-R engine used in the Le Mans racing Corvettes so is purpose-built for high performance.  It found its way into a number of GM cars between 2006 and 2015 most notably the Corvette Z06.

The stock LS7 produced a respectable 505bhp at 6300rpm and 470lbft torque at 4800rpm.  Kyle built the LS7 for Apple, the AK demonstrator, which put out around 630bhp and a shade under 600lbft torque, some serious gains over stock, and I would have been happy with similar numbers from my engine.

Kyle had the engine hooked up to his dyno at the beginning of July and spent a day checking over for leaks, before a session at fast idle to run in / bed in the engine.  The plan was for Dave from Canems to come and assist with the set-up of the ECU before carrying out the power pulls proper.

On the dyno and ready to rumble...

About mid-day on the day that Kyle was hoping to do the power pulls, I got a phone call.  "Are you sitting down?" he said.  So down I sat, thinking the engine had blown up on the dyno or some other equally catastrophic scenario.  Turned out the numbers on this beast exceeded even Kyle's expectations; 659bhp at 6300rpm and 603lbft at 4900rpm! He was over the moon and so was I!

Dyno output...

...peaking at 658.6bhp and 602.9lbft torque!

Torque exceeds 500lbft from around 3000rpm!

While the engine was still on the dyno I took the opportunity to pop up to Kyle's workshop and check it out in action.  It also gave me the chance to familiarise myself with all the various connections from the ECU to the engine sensors and to get some guidance from Kyle for when I come to start up the engine myself.

The video above of the outside of the dyno room just does not convey the power of this engine - it was like a Force 8 gale blowing out of the exhaust pipes and the whole ground was shaking.  Absolutely awesome piece of kit and I would recommend Kyle without a doubt to anybody wanting to get some serious bang for their buck on the engine front.

I should be picking engine up in a couple of weeks time so I guess I'd better crack on with getting the rolling chassis completed!!

Brake Lines Part 3 - Going round the bend...pack the distress flares

With the brake/clutch pipe routing finalised and the bulkhead bracket in place, it was time to master the art of bending and flaring brake lines.

To form the brake line flares I have invested in a heavy-duty flaring tool from Car Builder Solutions.  This is a vice mounted tool with the advantage that it came with the dies and punches to form male and female flares in both 3/16" and 1/4" pipe.

Brake Flaring Kit from Car Builder Solutions

I also bought a Brake Pipe Bender from Frost Restoration.  There are many similar tools available but I liked the look of this one as it seems to fully support the pipe around the whole bend during the forming operation, avoiding any risk of kinking or crushing the pipe.  Again it also has the advantage of being suitable for 3/16" and 1/4" pipe.  More on this later...

Pipe Bending Tool

I also purchased a 25ft roll of 3/16" copper-nickel brake pipe from Car Builder Solutions and a slightly more expensive 25ft roll of 1/4" copper-nickel pipe from Frost for the clutch line (unfortunately Car Builder Solutions don't sell 1/4" line) and the following brake fittings from Automec.

I did a few test flares on a few short lengths of pipe to check the flaring operation.  I used a simple pipe cutter to cut the pipe to length.  I did actually buy one from Car Builder Solutions when I ordered some other bits but a plumbers pipe cutter from any DIY store will do the job.  

Standard Pipe Cutter

The cutter does leave a bit of a burr on the cut end of the pipe.  Again I did invest in a deburring tool from Car Builder Solutions but I have to admit to not being impressed - it does a nice job of chamfering the outside of the pipe but makes a bit of a ragged job of the inside which I ended up cleaning up with a countersink bit in a hand drill.  I reckon that better results could be achieved with a fine file and a countersink bit alone.

Pipe Deburring Tool - deburrs inside and outside of pipe in one operation

Pipe after cutting - raised burr visible

After Deburring tool - outside edge looks OK but inside looking a little ragged

After using countersink on the inner edge

With the pipe cut and prepped it is ready to be flared.  The end to be flared in placed on one side of the appropriate die block, the other half is placed on top and the pipe adjusted so that the end of the pipe is flush with the end of the die; I left the pipe protruding a bit and then used a steel rule to push it flush with the end of the die.  The die block and pipe are then clamped into the flaring machine (note that this does not have to be tightened up with any significant force - I have read reviews where people have split the die block by overtightening - hand tight and a bit seems more than sufficient).

Two halves of the 3/16" die block

The flaring operation is then either a one or two-step process depending on whether a male or female flare is required.  The first operation is always to form a male flare using the appropriate size OP1 punch on the flare tool.  I found it necessary to ease the punch forward slowly using the lever on the flaring tool to ensure that the pin goes properly into the hole in the pipe.  The lever is then pulled around until firm resistance is felt (again no need to exert Hulk-like force on it!).  This then produces an SAE male pipe flare (or a single flare, convex flare or a bubble flare depending on which terminology you want to use!).

Punch set for 3/16" flares - OP1 for single and OP2 for double flares

Pipe installed in die block and clamped into flaring tool - punch positioned to create a single flare (OP1)

Completed Male SAE Single Flare

For an SAE female flare (or a double flare) the operation is then repeated using the OP2 punch and without removing the pipe from the die.  Again I went slowly to start and guided the pin into the centre of the hole before operating the lever again to the point of firm resistance.  After a few practice attempts, I managed to produce some very neat and consistent flares.

Completed SAE Female / Double Flare

BRAKE PIPE TOP TIP 1 - When flaring brake pipes make sure that you slide the requisite brake fittings on to the pipe before you flare both ends.  Brake fittings do not pass over the flared ends - go on, ask me how I know this...

Having cracked the flaring operation I moved onto advanced bending and discovered some issues with the pipe bender that I had purchased.  The tool is actually made by Eastwood (a US company) and is marketed specifically for bending brake and fuel hard lines from 3/16" to 3/8".  Actually, the three channels in the tool are actually sized for 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8" and the instructions simply state that for bending 3/16" to use the 1/4" channel.  All well and good but there is quite a difference in diameter between 3/16" and 1/4" (4.76mm vs 6.35mm) and 3/16" pipe sits very loosely within the bending channel and does not align properly with the 'stop edge' on the tool.  I ended up inserting an offcut of 2mm steel sheet between the pipe and stop edge while bending to get the pipe alignment correct in the tool.

3/16" Pipe does not sit square against "stop edge" (circled)

Using 2mm Steel spacer to correct pipe alignment in bending tool

Making a bend in a piece of pipe is as simple as inserting the pipe into the appropriate channel on the tool and supporting one end by the stop edge (with optional 2mm spacer...), aligning the zero degree marks on the stationary arm and rotating arm of the tool and then pulling the rotating arm around until the zero mark on the rotating arm aligns with the desired angle mark on the stationary arm.  Again when working with 3/16" tubing it is not possible to align the zero marks properly, and so bending to a specific angle actually requires a bit of guesswork and frequent checking with an angle finder/protractor.

Misalignment of Zero marks with rotating arm seated on 3/16" pipe 

Rotating arm pulled round to bend pipe just beyond 45-degree mark...

...however, bend is actually not quite 45-degrees

Now, this method is fine if you know where the start of any bend is on the pipe (i.e zero mark corresponds with the start of the bend).  But if you are measuring out a pipe run with multiple bends it is easier to measure the position of the bend vertices (the point where the two legs either side of the bend intersect) and then perform the bend utilising the other marks (R and L) on the tool.  And at this point, I have another issue with the Eastwood bending tool.

Clearly, at some point, the specification of the tooling has been changed, as the instructions show photos of a version of the tool with cast markings on the rotating arm and clearly identifying the marks to use for the different pipe diameters.  The version of the tool I have appears to have engraved marks and has no markings at all for the 1/4" channel (which in any case would still not be quite correct for bending 3/16" pipe anyway).  I ended up interpolating the marks for 1/4" by scoring a line extending from the 5/16" and 3/8" marks and using these as an approximation for bending the 3/16" pipe.

Eastwood instructions showing cast marks for all pipe sizes on rotating arm
(Photo courtesy of The Eastwood Company)

Extrapolated lines for 1/4" channel - unmarked notches are assumed to be the 45-degree mark (still needs some guesstimation for 3/16" pipe)

I suppose this is all a question of 'you get what you pay for" and let's face it, the Eastwood tool was a shade over £20 and a professional quality single diameter tube bender from an outfit such as Swagelok is way north of £100 which, for a single build, is just not a consideration.

So with flaring and bending techniques now sorted, it's time to make up all the necessary pipes for the Cobra.