Triumph TR7 Rear brake pipes

[johnnyj]

Hi folks

I have just started fitting new brake pipes to my restoration and it is going ok. However, I don't have any patterns to use as templates for the rears (the set-up from the drums back to the central flexi-hose), so am a bit lost.

Would anyone have any photos of how the pipes are installed along/by the rear axle, which they would like to share? Mine is a 4-speed car, by the way.

Many thanks!

John

[Hasbeen]

No photos, but a suggestion.

The stock system runs direct to the right brake cylinder. There is no bleed nipple on this cylinder. A pipe runs from the bleed nipple socket to the left cylinder, & the whole rear system is bled through the bleed nipple on the left cylinder.

I have always found the stock system very hard to bleed to a good high firm pedal. It always takes 3 bleeds with some driving between bleeds to get a pedal I am happy with. When I fitted discs on the back of the 8, I went to the two pipes from a distribution block, & found it easier to bleed, doing it at each wheel. It still took a couple of bleeds, but much better.

I then fitted a distribution block & separate pipes to each wheel to the 7, & again found bleeding much easier & more quickly effective. This & extensions fitted to the hand break lever, effectively making them longer, giving more leverage are the best mods I have made on the 7.

Hasbeen

[busheytrader]

I found this photo after a google. Zooming in reveals rusty brake pipes on a rusty 4 speed.

http://irestorationtr7.blogspot.com/sea ... 20assembly


The rimmer bros website uses the images / exploded drawings straight out of the factory TR7 parts book. Sometimes it's better than working from a photo, sometimes not.

[johnnyj]

Thanks Hasbeen, really useful. I had been pondering whether to do that modification and I think I will give it a go, if I can find somewhere to mount the T-piece without too much drilling (do you mount it to an existing fixing?)

Cheers

John

No photos, but a suggestion.

The stock system runs direct to the right brake cylinder. There is no bleed nipple on this cylinder. A pipe runs from the bleed nipple socket to the left cylinder, & the whole rear system is bled through the bleed nipple on the left cylinder.

I have always found the stock system very hard to bleed to a good high firm pedal. It always takes 3 bleeds with some driving between bleeds to get a pedal I am happy with. When I fitted discs on the back of the 8, I went to the two pipes from a distribution block, & found it easier to bleed, doing it at each wheel. It still took a couple of bleeds, but much better.

I then fitted a distribution block & separate pipes to each wheel to the 7, & again found bleeding much easier & more quickly effective. This & extensions fitted to the hand break lever, effectively making them longer, giving more leverage are the best mods I have made on the 7.

Hasbeen

[johnnyj]

Perfect, thanks Bushey. That is super helpful! I should have looked there, as I do sometimes have a look through Kent's blog and I believe he follows mine!

All the best

John

I found this photo after a google. Zooming in reveals rusty brake pipes on a rusty 4 speed.

http://irestorationtr7.blogspot.com/sea ... 20assembly


The rimmer bros website uses the images / exploded drawings straight out of the factory TR7 parts book. Sometimes it's better than working from a photo, sometimes not.

[Hasbeen]

I found a hose to fit from the pipe through the tunnel, with a block with pipe sockets on each side, & lugs which allowed me to clamp it to the inboard end of the axle tube with stainless hose clips. This works fine in dry Oz, but may induce rust in damper climates.

Hasbeen

[Beans]

A few pictures from my blog (https://tr7beans.blogspot.com/) of a 5-speed back axle

[busheytrader]

Several decades ago I couldn't get the air out of our Mini Clubman's brake lines using the traditional pump the pedal method. Minis are pigs for this. I bought one of those Gunson Eezibleed that work off the reduced pressure from a spare tyre and problem sorted.........

The old brake fluid and air bubbles just fly out the wedge's single rear brake bleed. A solid pedal first attempt. I must use 3 times more fluid using this gadget. I don't remember them being so expensive for what's basically some plastic tubing and a plastic bottle Even Screwfix sell them.

[johnnyj]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. In the end I decided to go for the standard set-up, mainly because (a) that's how it left the factory and (b) right now I only had the parts for that. My thinking was to try it as-is, and if it is a pig to bleed then I can always do the T-piece mod later.

Gotta admit that I hated this job, even though I am pleased with the results. Putting shiny stuff on should be fun, right? It wasn't as I bought a dedicated kit of pre-cut and terminated brake lines ("...easy to fit..." ha!) and a cheap pipe bender. Getting the bends in the right places was a nightmare and the pre-cut nature of the lengths left no room for error. If I did it again, I would buy a big roll of brake pipe and make my own.

Cheers

John