braided steel fuel hose.

[steve_k]

afternoon folks,

got a bit of a dilemma, the time has come to replace the hard fuel lines under the car on the e30.

here's the dilemma i know i can either replace the lines like for like with the pre made one's from the dealers, or use kunifer, or there's a third choice.

braided steel, i know where i can get over 6 meters of braided steel fuel hose/line rated at 40 bar (580 psi ),

thing is the price i've been quoted for the braided steel in a third of the price for both kunifer & lines from the dealers.

so, would it be ok to use the braided steel fuel lines??

[Satan]

Go for it, what can go wrong ;o)))))

[Gavla]

I would go with kunifer as it is completely rust proof...apparently...

[Jesus325iTouring]

Braided steel will rust fairly quickly in my opinion having seen them used in bathrooms. Would not use them on a car mate.

[martauto]

Braided steel will rust fairly quickly in my opinion having seen them used in bathrooms. Would not use them on a car mate.

Nice to know that! I assumed they were stainless

Mart.

[Jesus325iTouring]

I dare say you can get stainless braided pipes but they would be bloody expensive I would have thought.

[steve_k]

Rog, i've had braided stainless steel brake lines on the car as long as i've had it & they ain't gone rusty in nearly 12yr's,

also, as for price? speedflow do the hose for £8.29 P/M so 6M is £49.74, more that enough for what i need plus i've already got the connectors.

[steve_k]

https://www.speedflowshop.co.uk/teflon- ... 2459-p.asp

check out that pressure rating

[martauto]

Rog, i've had braided stainless steel brake lines on the car as long as i've had it & they ain't gone rusty in nearly 12yr's,

Should hope not and the pressure rating (next post) is epic

Mart.

[flybynite]

EDIT due to not reading thread title!

Thought you were using braided steel hose for the length of BRAKE pipe. DOH

Would it need clipping better, more chance of rubbing/chafing with the movement of a length of flexible pipe

[steve_k]

EDIT due to not reading thread title!

Thought you were using braided steel hose for the length of BRAKE pipe. DOH

Would it need clipping better, more chance of rubbing/chafing with the movement of a length of flexible pipe

tempted to see if i can do a full length brake pipe in braided steel (already have them fore & aft)

as for the clips? have a pare length of braided steel clutch hose, tried it in the factory clips underneath & so far t fits just fine, if it needs any extra clips i'll install them.

[steve_k]

Rog, i've had braided stainless steel brake lines on the car as long as i've had it & they ain't gone rusty in nearly 12yr's,

Should hope not and the pressure rating (next post) is epic

Mart.

the one's for the brakes are plastic coated

did you see what the burst pressure was?? 12000psi

[flybynite]

What i said before the edit was my concern for braided hose for the full length for brakes would be the slight expansion giving spongy brakes.

Although it says "little or no expansion" it will probably expand more than Kunifer when used for brakes. You only have to look at the change in feel from one hose to another on the short flexible section to think it may give more than the Kunifer and along the whole length it may change the feel on what are already fairly vague brakes

[steve_k]

What i said before the edit was my concern for braided hose for the full length for brakes would be the slight expansion giving spongy brakes.

Although it says "little or no expansion" it will probably expand more than Kunifer when used for brakes. You only have to look at the change in feel from one hose to another on the short flexible section to think it may give more than the Kunifer and along the whole length it may change the feel on what are already fairly vague brakes

i totally understand your point, thats why i have decided to replace the hard brake lines with kunifer,

as for vague brakes? the fronts are 4 piston calipers with 280mm (soon to be 300mm ) with braided steel lines, fed by a 25mm M/C & clio servo, with an adjustable brake bias valve on the rear line. & they work sooooo well

[flybynite]

Ha Ha didn't realise you had that setup, I just find the linkage to the servo from the pedals makes it a bit vague compared to LHD cars I'd driven in the past

How do you find the clio servo handles the 25mm master cyl? It was the setup I was looking to use with E36 M3 calipers to stiffen it up a bit

[steve_k]

i find it just right (for me) had to adjust the bar from the peddle to the linkage to get the peddle to the right height.

it's a massive improvement over stock. but what didn't help was the diaphragm in the stock servo had popped so out it came, the 25mm M/C just seemed to make sense while i was there.

[martauto]

did you see what the burst pressure was?? 12000psi

If that had to go then I hope to be no-where around !!!
Proberbly cut the bloody car in two !!!

Mart.

[steve_k]

did you see what the burst pressure was?? 12000psi

If that had to go then I hope to be no-where around !!!
Proberbly cut the bloody car in two !!!

Mart.

Very true, like you I wouldn't want to be around when it went

[Jesus325iTouring]

Rog, i've had braided stainless steel brake lines on the car as long as i've had it & they ain't gone rusty in nearly 12yr's,

also, as for price? speedflow do the hose for £8.29 P/M so 6M is £49.74, more that enough for what i need plus i've already got the connectors.

Ah braided stainless, not braided steel then. It was more of an observation of braided hoses I have seen all rusty and knackered. Stainless is a good price though I must say.

[martauto]

I`m an engineer and mostly do surgical stuff (when I`m not in dock) and stainless is what I do best.
Do not buy from China !!!!!
Please please please check where this has been manufactured before buying and only buy from a really good outlet and if they dont know then please dont buy.
There are soooo many grades of "stainless" which do not comply with what we agree is good.
You only have to buy bad once !!!

Mart.

[steve_k]

I`m an engineer and mostly do surgical stuff (when I`m not in dock) and stainless is what I do best.
Do not buy from China !!!!!
Please please please check where this has been manufactured before buying and only buy from a really good outlet and if they dont know then please dont buy.
There are soooo many grades of "stainless" which do not comply with what we agree is good.
You only have to buy bad once !!!

Mart.

mart, the hse i've bought is from speedflow, i've used their hose before to make braided stainless stee brake lines & they've been on the car over 10 yr's, i've also used it on other cars i've had over the last few years.

forgot to add, i went to them after a recommendation from my ex father in law who's a rally driver & uses their hoses on both his rallycross car & tarmac rally car for brakes, fuel & oil.

brakes & fuel are two things i will never scrimp on.

[Brianmoooore]

I just find the linkage to the servo from the pedals makes it a bit vague compared to LHD cars I'd driven in the past

Your's is a pre facelift, IIRC? BMW added a bracing piece across to the tunnel from the bracket that holds the bell crank to the servo on later models, to help with that problem.
Still not as good as direct, but a marked inprovement.