Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Brake tube lifetime?

Brake tube lifetime?
What is the recommend life time of a flexible brake tube, the looking nice, but..!

Have a look here..

http://www.arctechhydraulics.co.za/the-lifespan-of-brake-hoses/

Hi Sukram.

If you're looking for a technical answer I'm not your man, however I have had many an issue with flexible hoses on bikes, predominantly BMW's.

Flexible hoses suffer more than most through lack of fresh fluid in them. They often look perfectly normal from the outside and you should always bend them to look for cracks as I'm sure you know, but they swell and break down on the inside surface leaving the fluid to get a much smaller diameter through which to operate.

Symptoms are usually attributed to master & slave cylinder breaking down or callipers not working correctly, or even clutch plates sticking if it's a hydraulic system, whereas it's the flexible breaking down.

In real terms, they are cheap enough to replace when you change the fluid, but change the fluid regularly and the need disappears. I'd say a realistic lifespan is six years upwards on a regularly used and maintained Morgan.

Any use..?

Not sure if silicone fluid has the same effect on the hose life..but it doesn't need changing as often. Another question is whether the steel braided ones last better or are just the same on the inside?

In reality I think most hoses don't get changed until the outer casing show sign of damage or perishing, it's the only way they get checked on MOT's as far as I know.

I always changed my mog hoses to aeroquip asap. Better brake pedal and you can forget about them at mot time.

I have had hoses look perfect with no cracking, but be blocked by degraded lining rubber.

Jon the Chief

Even if you fit new rubber hoses, there's no guarantee that they've not been sitting in stores, on a shelf, for 10-12 years.

Case in point, a friend had a newly fitted hydraulic hose fail, it was a genuine part, in the manufacturers current packaging from a reputable dealer. It was sent back to the manufacturer who advised it was made 15 years before. This was sold as a new part.

I've always used Aeroqip hoses, fit and forget!

Arwyn

I agree with Deano and Arwyn, Aerquip/Goodridge type hoses, better pedal and everlasting and reasonable cost too!

MMC fit Goodridge braided hoses to new builds.

The thing which is not quite clear is whether Goodridge and Aeroquip are 'related'.

The acid test with hoses is the colour of the brake fluid when you bleed. Even after a year it can be black, so change it regularly. At least at two year intervals..............

New Brake fluid is the largest contributing factor to better feel when you replace the hoses with pretty ones! especially if you have neglected your fluid because you don't do many miles!