E30 Zone

Ok so off I trundled to the Mot station today having booked my test last week. Give the guy the keys, "come back at three" he says.
Ok
I go back at three.
Me "did it pass?"
Him "nope - it's only a simple problem though"
"Oh yeah what's that then?"
"corroded brake pipes"
"Oh right how much is that going to cos then?"
"Ԛ£200 + vat.................."
Me "WHF !"
"oh but it's fiddly mate, if it was mine I'd sell the car"
"cheers that's really useful right now"

Apparently it's the metal pipes above the rear axle beam and they are so fiddly it's two fcuking hundred bloody quid!

Problem is I'm at uni and don't actually have any tools or ramps here otherwise I'd do the job my self. Oh well at least he didn't notice the speedo isn't working, the rear tyres are practically bald and the front track rod ends are buggered.

I must say I do love it when I know more about the car than the guy in the garage!

Right next year I'm testing it in the summer so i can fix it in warm weather.

fook that id go buy a jack and stands and still do it my self

You "only" need to drop the fuel tank, where are you? find a zoner's garage/driveway near you....

gutted mate

im taking the 16 any day now
dreading any bad fails as still no garage so will be out in the cold fixing any faults

sounds like another MOT testing station on the "Lets say there's something cheap to fix, but charge them a small fortune for it, even though there is nothing wrong" story.

The more I think about this the more it annoys me cos it's such an east thing to fix. I might go back and get the car and tell them that I'm gonna get some other quotes. And find out how much the hire shop wants for some ramps for a day, haven't got any spanners though. Thing is I have used the garage before and they have always been really reasonable helpful and cheap!

Hi Widge

don't know what your views are on this but given that you have pointed out obvious fails in other areas and they have failed the car on pipes which is a pretty easy job if you have the lenghts of copper pipe and the tool to attach the unions, is it worth getting a wire brush on those corroded pipes and taking it to another MOT place? There is a risk another place will have a fetish for tyres or track rod ends but could save some grief all round.

But if the pipes are in a bad way then safety has to come first.

Cheers
lee

the only problem when splitting the rear pipes they are usaully rusted on and you crack the front pipe aswell as i found out to my dismay so it is best to just replace them all so Ԛ£200 is not to bad

I know what you mean mate, a spray of underseal and they would never have known kind of thing. But I think it is foolish to gamble another MOT fee, I think I just have to find the cheapes way of fixing it.

Bad luck mate!

It's a tricky one, my car failed last time on the rear discs one tyre and it needed some welding, to which I asked where? Around the suspension was the answer!!!??

I took it to another MOT station and it failed on one bald tyre and a CV boot! Inconsistent or what!

At least they didn't spot the nail varnish round the windscreen! Only joking

Can I just ask how many people on here have actually done a job like this?

I have and its a complete bastard job! Youve got to cut the brake lines (easy) then fit a joint and flare the ends whilst they are still attached to the car. Then you've got to copy the section you've cut off (easy if you have the right tools. Then flare the other end and connect it up.

Then bleed the whole lot which is mich easier. Unless you've got a decent flaring tool. A set of ends and joints and pipe bender. Let them do it.

I did do it on a Lancia Prisma once, and it was a twat, but that was due to inexpereince....

Any decent motor factors will sell you a brake line, cut to length (as you specify) and fit/flare the ends for you...All you need to do is extract the old line and measure the length with a bit of string.

Obviously involves doing the job in two parts:

pt1: remove all gubbins and the brake pipe

visit motor factors

pt2: return to car and refit, bleed, etc

Arse I had an MOT station fail my old Mini on the rear valance, went to get it welded and the fella said there was barely anything wrong, but added the fact the tester didnt like Mini's and there was nothing else wrong meant he did it out of spite. Cvnt

I feckin hate having MOT's round this time of year, my Touring's is up on the 11/01/06 and my g/f's shiteheap of a Corsa is up on the 20th of December, both of which need work

No garage means im getting cold

Personally i'd inspect them myself, if you've got no ramps find a local exhaust place and ask nicely if they will let you take it up on the 4 poster, at least you'll know if the garage is taking you for a fool

Matt

As other people have said, get under there, get a wire bush and paint the whole lot with hammerite and the jobs a goodun, plus it will stop them rusting any further and only costs a few quid

I will happily wire brush and pain them, but
A) Will the mot tester be suspicious if they are newly painted?
B) Will another mot station be funny cos I have tried to have it done some where else? Or will that not show up on the computer?
Any one who is working in a garage???? Inside info please?

I have just taken it to another garage and the pipes are rusty, surface rust though, and they would be a real bitch to get at and the guy said take the Ԛ£200 quote.

Just thought i'd point out that you don't need a working speedo to pass an MOT!!!!!

The same as you don't need working reverse lights!!!

I know cash is tight but have you considered the possibility of getting some stainless braided hoses made up to the right length. It would be easier to route them around stuff underneath the car and then clamp or ty-wrap them on.....

Just a bit of lateral thinking........

I like the thinking, wonder what the mot guy would think, would make much more sense to have one/ well 2 really long flexis. Where is there and ex/current MOT tester on the zone when you need one? I am getting mor tempted by the paint it idea. Just want to know if it'll work before i go to the effort.

I honestly thought you had to have a speedo and brake lights. Turns out the rear tyres have loads of tread, and what I thought was the track rods is according to the mechanic misbalanced and cheap tyres.

You only need to know how fast you're going so you don't get booked!! A speedo is not considered a safety device.

No dude, thats 'reverse' lights, not brake lights!!!!

Widge I work in a Vauxhall ( oi stop laughing ) garage and we do MOT's . It wont show up that the car has been checked elsewhere on the computer . If the brake pipes are to be painted and no signs of corrosion are visible then it will pass . The test ruling basically is that if you cant see it you cant fail it . In my opinion though i would just get the pipes done . By all means shop around or get a second opinion . I have had to do a few pipes on the Sport and a couple just fracture when taking them off . Bearing in mind the age of these cars i would put safety first . Parts wise it isnt expensive but it the amount of time it takes to do them is why the cost is so high .

Thanks for the info mate. I agree with you, but at the mo it would just get me out of a pickle. I need to do som welding in the boot floor that I'm going to do over the christmas so I will do them then, and new flexis too. I just don't have the time or space or facilities to do them now or in the next 2 weeks. And I have an aversion to giving people silly money for a job i can do myself. Ԛ£55 an hour in a messy little street corner garage!!! I'm lucky if I get Ԛ£5.50 an hour!

PM me mate im from leeds and I know a great , cheap,and honest (yes that too) one man band who you can talk to.
Good luck mate!.

RICHIE74 wrote:Widge I work in a Vauxhall ( oi stop laughing ) garage and we do MOT's . It wont show up that the car has been checked elsewhere on the computer . If the brake pipes are to be painted and no signs of corrosion are visible then it will pass . The test ruling basically is that if you cant see it you cant fail it . In my opinion though i would just get the pipes done . By all means shop around or get a second opinion . I have had to do a few pipes on the Sport and a couple just fracture when taking them off . Bearing in mind the age of these cars i would put safety first . Parts wise it isnt expensive but it the amount of time it takes to do them is why the cost is so high .

Of all the posts I would go with this one: expert advice at its best Widge, wouldn't argue with that !

safety first !! - and the M.O.T on mine is just around the corner so Im no talking rubbish

Jose

The guy's probably talking about the surface rust on the unions which will have no effect on the brake line itself.Get the paint out


Ԛ£200 here you go Ԛ£4.25 with the VAT

I think Ԛ£200 is well steep myself, even for the whole lot replaced!

I feel sorry for you guys paying these rip-off garages!!

Well I'm not going to pay it.
Tomorrow I'm going to get some paint a really bright light and lie on my back like Michelangelo!

I nearly always do all my own work and I'm buggered if I'm paying when I could do it but just not right now!

Ԛ£200 pounds is a bit steep i charge Ԛ£150 you do not have to drop the tank but i lower the rear axle beam from its mountings to get at the two unions this is not an easy job on axle stands laying on your back
ring round your local garages maybe you will get a better quote but even Ԛ£200 is better than making a bollocks of it laid on your back freezing your arse off believe me

your car has already failed the mot test painting them probably wont work
take it to the test center it failed at and it will fail
take it to another one and they will want to know why they are painted even if you sand them down you will still be able to see the pitting in the pipe which is still a fail
also it is stupdity to ignore a faulty brake pipe it could cost you your life or even worse somebody elses

Ill vouch for this being a cunt of a job....


We had to drop the tank and lower the rear axle beam.
Essentially a straight forward job, but fiddly and time consuming.

Ԛ£200 is alot though....

Well at Ԛ£55 an hour it's 3 hours work and pipes + fluid for bleeding. I couldn't get it done that quickly.

Having said i would paint it and take it some where else I have just realised that they have kept my V5! Bastards, I'll have to go and try and get it back tomorrow

do it yaself I did. once it's off it's easy and pie and BM will make you up 2 l;engths for a tenner they did for me! good garage is mine. (halliwell jones, chester)

I can't honestly beleive you would consider bodging this and hoping! If you cant afford to get it done. Then stop driving the car!

Get a loan if you have to. But of all the things I would be prepared to overlook on a MOT, brake pipes corroding are not one of them. And as said above, you'll never fool an MOT tester. HE'll see the fresh paint, and he'll see the pitting and it will fail again!

Rich_W wrote: Then you've got to copy the section you've cut off (easy if you have the right tools. Then flare the other end and connect it up.
.

Don't do as I usually do, and forget to put the ends on before flaring the pipe! Start with the longer pipes first, so that you can cut the flare off, slide on an end, and still salvage most of your new pipe.
Replace all four flexis and the little U shaped clips that hold their ends while you're at it.