How do the Brake Lines run?

[WilST]

I also wanted to publicly thank Andrew for PMing me a set of really nice photos of his engine bay with the engine out--perfect. Thanks Andrew!

[fjrtel]

Hi guys, my brake line question deals with the other end...the back of the car. I am ploughing through a full resto on a very early S2 Elan (RHD - I'm down under in Oz!), and thought I'd taken enough pictures.... I have bought a full Kunifer replacement set of brake lines from Kelvedon in the UK, shaped them to a close approximation of the steel originals I took off last year, and then tried refitting. The front end is no problem, but I cannot, for the life of me, remember the placement of the 3-way union at the rear. Does it bolt to the bottom of the RHS chassis leg, the inside of it?? Does the long run from front to back go through BOTH top holes in the chassis "bulkheads", with rubber grommets in both?? Help!

BTW, a little dodge I use when bending copper or Kunifer pipes is to thread whipper-snipper (strimmer/hedger??) nylon cord down the pipe. It prevents the pipe kinking!

Thanks in advance
Terry

[oldelanman]

The rear three way is fitted on the underside of the RHR chassis leg. The long front to rear brake line runs on the underside of the chassis backbone, secured by welded tabs, then up through the hole and on to the three way...it's awkward to fit and if you don't have a vehicle lift it's best done with the chassis bare and upside down.

[pharriso]

Ran new lines on my Sprint Chassis last year:

Rear T on bottom of rear flange

"Does the long run from front to back go through BOTH top holes in the chassis "bulkheads", with rubber grommets in both??"

As OldElanMan says the main fron / back leg runs under the main chassis section then to the rear T through a grommet:

Be careful with the run to the rear left corner, there's a right way & a wrong way:

The right way, under the Vee both sides

The wrong way!

[fjrtel]

Guys, I can't thank you enough! The pics you both have sent are absolute gold. Yesterday, I did crawl under a local car (an S4) but, with 50-odd years of grime and a dodgy jack to contend with, the pics I took are not nearly as good as yours. Yes, my chassis is relatively bare (but I have front and rear suspensions already installed, so upending it would be a faff...) so I will struggle through with it upright. All should be good, now that I am absolutely sure of the pipe runs.

Thanks once again! If you find yourselves able to travel down here in the future, be sure to look me up...I'll still be rubbing the body back!

Regards,
Terry

[Quart Meg Miles]

Phil, I don't recognize your pictures, is it a Spyder chassis?

A silly Lotus feature, which even caught out St Wilkins, is the position of the 4-way junction on RHD cars. If you aren't careful the body or pipework interferes with the handbrake tube and its cable outer.

[pharriso]

Phil, I don't recognize your pictures, is it a Spyder chassis?.

Oh no, not another attempt to create a multi-page Q plate discussion I hope

But seriously, no it's a Lotus Replacement chassis being rebuilt very very slowly....

A silly Lotus feature, which even caught out St Wilkins, is the position of the 4-way junction on RHD cars. If you aren't careful the body or pipework interferes with the handbrake tube and its cable outer.

Be thankful you don't have a LHD Federal Dual-Circuit car... the brake lines at the front are a mess... :

[Quart Meg Miles]

Cheers, Phil, I guess I'm not used to seeing them (the sub-frames) naked!

Of course, you wouldn't have those brake line problems if you drove on the correct side of the road.