Failed Mot - :(

Conor_3

sturll wrote: »

Exactly mate. Some people have money to blow on dealer parts. Others dont. Im one of those others. And in years of using scrap yards ive yet to have much of a problem.

BRAKE PIPE IS NOT A DEALER PART. You can buy a reel that's enough to do the entire car for under £30.

And you're not "one of those people who doesn't have money to blow on dealer parts" but are "one of those !!!!!! WILLING TO RISK THE LIVES OF EVERYONE AROUND THEM by using second hand brake parts. What's even worse is that you're so clueless that you don't even realise that you're probably being charged MORE for that manky brake pipe off that scrap car than it would've cost you for a new one. Do you flush them out to clean out all the rust, crud and old brake fluid before you fit them? Somehow I doubt it.

BRAKES ARE THE ONLY THING STOPPING YOU FROM PILING INTO THE OBJECT IN FRONT. To skimp on them is pure lunacy. There are four things you never skimp on with a car because your life depends on them:

Brakes
Suspension
Steering.
Tyres.

The other week, I got a brake pipe made up for my Capri rear axle at my local motor factors. 6ft long with new unions on either end. Total cost? £5. If I had a brake flaring tool, I'd have made my own up but I consider a fiver a reasonable charge.

Wig

Conor wrote: »

Because you can tell if they've gone brittle from vibration and how much corrosion is on the inside from looking at it from the outside can't you? You are aware that they can rot from the inside out aren't you?

Another !!!!!! who is willing to risk the lives of the rest of us to save a tenner.

How do you know that the brake pipes on your car are not corroding on the inside? Or are you a !!!!!! for not renewing your brake pipes every 6 months?

Wig

Conor wrote: »

Do you flush them out to clean out all the rust, crud and old brake fluid before you fit them? Somehow I doubt it.

You wouldn't have to, you do that by bleeding when you fit it.

BRAKES ARE THE ONLY THING STOPPING YOU FROM PILING INTO THE OBJECT IN FRONT.

That's why it's important to do it right. And check it afterwards, you're such a drama queen.

The other week, I got a brake pipe made up for my Capri rear axle at my local motor factors. 6ft long with new unions on either end. Total cost? £5. If I had a brake flaring tool, I'd have made my own up but I consider a fiver a reasonable charge.

Yes it makes sense to shop around. But if you want one already bent in the correct shape, and it only costs a quid or 2, there's nothing to worry about if you do it right.

jeannieblue

No need to have a 'spat'.

Lets agree that brake pipe is inexpensive and no need to go grovelling around a breakers yard to save 10p....

I'd be more concerned that it is a front to rear pipe that may or may not need the fuel tank dropped to fit it.

I don't know re the MX5 whether it will need this or not.

Wig

Unless you want one perfectly shaped for your car in good condition.

jeannieblue

Wig wrote: »

Unless you want one perfectly shaped for your car in good condition.

You still don't have to get it from a dealers........

Its not hard to bend it - its working out what is involved and I don't know the pipe or the lay out under the MX5 - hopefully someone on here does and can stop the scrapping!

Wig

A dealer sells them straight, I was referring to sourcing them from a scrap yard

You said " Lets agree that brake pipe is inexpensive and no need to go grovelling around a breakers yard to save 10p...."

I replied "Unless you want one perfectly shaped for your car in good condition." referring to a scrapyard sourced one. If we can agree on that we'll be fine.

ABN

Had my car fail for the same problems. It was my front offside brake pipe was excessively corroded, so much shorter than yours. The garage that failed it wanted £160+vat to do the repairs. It's a fair garage so not a rip off merchant, assume that would have been for a "quality" weld job and perhaps complete replacement of the pipe.

Took it around to my local one man repair shop and got a basic weld (left to me to tidy up as a when) and he just replaced the corroded part of the pipe. Total ddamage came to £50 including vat. It passed the free retest the next day

Note to those talking about just getting a length of new pipe. It's not quite that simple, as well as bending it to shape you also need to make safe, sound leak free flanges where the new pipe joins the old pipe.

jeannieblue

No one said it would be simple - some are very straight forward. Which is why I query as to what would be involved doing a front to rear on an MX5. But no one seems to know.

I don't hold with getting one from a scrap yard - either way, it stll has to be fitted, bent already or not.

Wig - if it was my car, I would get new pipes fitted. But then, where I work, that would be ok for me.

Lets help the OP out. Someone must've had front to rear done on an MX5 (is there one or two pipes?) What year is it? Bit more info from the OP? If had more, I could find out tomorrow at work.

BigBouncyBall

thanks for comments - i'm going to a bodywork specialist tomorrow (family friend too) to get him to look at the welding and what can be done about the pipe - i think just about 30cm of it can be replaced so not a huge front to back job. I'll take his opinion and hopefully look to part with about £50 for the repairs.

cheers (i might report back tomorrow)