How to specify a brake hose

Old Bloke · Apr 21, 2013

I have a standard Mk2 master cylinder, and one of these :

I would like to order, from somewhere, a braided steel type hose, but do not know what type of fittings to ask for on the hose? Lengthwise, i guess is the easier part.

any advice please, anyone got nice setup?

warpedscout · Apr 22, 2013

Call Fred and Ella at Old Britts. I am sure they CNW help you. If not call Matt and his crew at Colorado Norton Works, they do a lot of modifications.

B+Bogus · Apr 22, 2013

As another NorthWesterner (and a Lancastrian at that) I recommend you go to RGM - their standard braided hose fits the Lockheed racing caliper with no mods whatsoever.

If it's a standard master cylinder you'll still have a pretty wooden brake though - get them to re-sleeve your master cylinder as well.
I'd say the master cylinder re-sleeve is far more important than changing the caliper, but doing both is definitely the right way forward.

I did both; with just the master cylinder re-sleeved I had a pretty good brake which would squeal the tyre if grabbed really hard, but with the Lockheed Racing Caliper it is far more confidence-inspiring, with much improved feel, better reserves, and - crucially - a greater choice of brake pads. My EMGO 'standard' pads were shot after 800 miles :roll:

Before....

Same hose, but with emptier pockets. A very worthwhile upgrade though.
After...

Bernhard · Apr 22, 2013

Quote; " My EMGO 'standard' pads were shot after 800 miles"

Where the pistons sticking in the calipers :?:

Old Bloke · Apr 22, 2013

Thanks all for the advice.

B+Bogus thanks for the pics, they will help with routing and working out length. Actually my master cylinder has been resleeved but never used. The bike had a Yamaha master cylinder fitted to it which worked fine, but was real shabby looking. The hose for that had a banjo on it. I'd been meaning to fit the Norton one for years, but as the yamaha one worked, and changing meant a new hose, you know.....

Well I'm taking the flat bars off and fitting standard europe bars, so the hose is too short now hence the norton cylinder going on with the need for a longer hose. I can just tell RGM it's for the standard master, and the lockheed caliper and they will be able to supply the right hose then? That sounds good.

What length hose did you need? (I'll have europe bars, and my caliper is on right behind leg)

Peter

JohnTy · Apr 22, 2013

Hi Peter
not sure if RGM do the plastic covered stainless pipe but is well worth it, otherwise that nice stainless pipe will rub through your nice paint on the headstock (triple trees)
I bought my own fittings and pipe and made my own (this was the first attempt) worked well. Make sure you get the stainless fittings as well or you will be replacing them in no time when they rust!
Venhill also do made to order pipes http://www.venhill.co.uk.
The threads on the caliper and the master cylinder are 5/16unf.
Cheers
JohnT

L.A.B. · Apr 22, 2013

JohnTy said:
The threads on the caliper and the master cylinder are 5/16unf.

It's actually 3/8 UNF.

B+Bogus · Apr 22, 2013

Bernhard said:
Quote; " My EMGO 'standard' pads were shot after 800 miles"

Where the pistons sticking in the calipers :?:

Nope - rebuilt caliper with shiny new stainless pistons. All in perfect working order.

The hose I got from RGM did have additional sheathing where it counts (ooh, Matron!) visible in the 2nd photo.

trident sam · Apr 22, 2013

Another thing to bear in mind when using Lockheed calipers is there are different types of pads, one type has the pin holes very close to the pad material and the other type has the holes further up towards the edge, as far as I'm aware the ally calipers use the pads with pin holes close to the pad material, otherwise the other type can make a ridge, as they don't cover the edge of the disc. Many dealers are not aware of any difference.
sam

Old Bloke · Apr 22, 2013

Probably safer if I buy a ready made hose for now :lol:

JohnTy · Apr 22, 2013

L.A.B. said:
JohnTy said:

The threads on the caliper and the master cylinder are 5/16unf.

Click to expand...

It's actually 3/8 UNF.

well why did you not say so in answer to the first post! or do you get more points for a correction?

You are of course correct.
JohnT

L.A.B. · Apr 22, 2013

JohnTy said:
L.A.B. said:

JohnTy said:

The threads on the caliper and the master cylinder are 5/16unf.

Click to expand...

It's actually 3/8 UNF.

Click to expand...

well why did you not say so in answer to the first post! or do you get more points for a correction?

I thought it was common knowledge-so wasn't worth mentioning-that is, until some fellow reckoned it was 5/16. :wink:

JohnTy · Apr 22, 2013

LOL
JohnT

Reggie · Apr 22, 2013

I recently got my plastic covered braided pipe from Demon tweaks (www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/). You buy it by the metre and as I had fittings already I just got some new olives from them as well.

I was going to go with Venhill and use their system, but as far as I could ascertain, they didn't suppy a fitting for the master cylinder that was long enough to fit into the taper, and the customer service help desk had no idea what I was talking about, just looking at the pictures of the fittings that were available to me to look at.

Venhill do have a video of how to join the pipe to the fittings which may be useful though.

http://www.venhill.co.uk/Hoses_-_Compon ... RHOSE_PLUS

L.A.B. · Apr 22, 2013

Reggie said:
I was going to go with Venhill and use their system, but as far as I could ascertain, they didn't suppy a fitting for the master cylinder that was long enough to fit into the taper, and the customer service help desk had no idea what I was talking about, just looking at the pictures of the fittings that were available to me to look at.

Unfortunately, the Goodridge/Earls convex seat 3/8 UNF male end fittings available now, are just a little too short, but can still be used with a copper sealing washer, or an alternative is the longer 3/8 convex bulkhead fitting. At least one end of the braided brake line should have a swivel fitting (with suitable 3/8 adaptor and copper washer).

http://www.goodridge.net/documents/down ... at_low.pdf

It can be preferable to fit a 10mm-3/8 (angled?) banjo fitting at the upper end of the brake line as that enables master cylinders with either Imperial or metric thread fittings to be used with only a change of banjo bolt.

Reggie · Apr 23, 2013

L.A.B. wrote;

Unfortunately, the Goodridge/Earls convex seat 3/8 UNF male end fittings available now, are just a little too short, but can still be used with a copper sealing washer

I thought that I could probably use a copper washer for sealing based on the fact that calipers often use this arrangement, but wasn't 100% sure. Maybe I should have asked on here first and then I'd have known. :lol: :lol: The girl on the helpdesk at Venhill was useless though....so I chucked my hand in.

How to specify a brake hose

Old Bloke

warpedscout

B+Bogus

Bernhard

Old Bloke

JohnTy

L.A.B.

Moderator

B+Bogus

trident sam

Old Bloke

JohnTy

L.A.B.

Moderator

JohnTy

Reggie

L.A.B.

Moderator

Reggie

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