Guide - How to replace Brake Lines/Pipes cheaply and easily
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 25
Likes: 7
2002 E320 CDI
Guide - How to replace Brake Lines/Pipes cheaply and easily
Recently my E-Class unexpectedly failed the MOT on rusty brake lines. I knew they were fine, I'd checked them before I bought the car, but what can you do eh? 
Anyhoo, I've just finished ripping them out and replacing them. It took an afternoon to replace both rear brake lines and recondition all 4 calipers, an easy job really considering it's MB - my '60s 280CE was far worse on some of it's hydraulics! When I got the brake lines out they were (as expected) perfectly OK - darn MOT men
! Morale of the story - wire brush and waxoyl before an MOT test.
So here's a guide with pictures that shows you how to replace those rusty brake pipes if you have the same issue. You don't need to drop the subframe and it should cost you £25 ($50?) to £60 ($120?) depending on whether you need to buy the tools or not. Hope it helps someone!
http://www.jamesandtracy.co.uk/howto...ake_pipes.html
QX
Anyhoo, I've just finished ripping them out and replacing them. It took an afternoon to replace both rear brake lines and recondition all 4 calipers, an easy job really considering it's MB - my '60s 280CE was far worse on some of it's hydraulics! When I got the brake lines out they were (as expected) perfectly OK - darn MOT men
! Morale of the story - wire brush and waxoyl before an MOT test.So here's a guide with pictures that shows you how to replace those rusty brake pipes if you have the same issue. You don't need to drop the subframe and it should cost you £25 ($50?) to £60 ($120?) depending on whether you need to buy the tools or not. Hope it helps someone!
http://www.jamesandtracy.co.uk/howto...ake_pipes.html
QX
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 25
Likes: 7
2002 E320 CDI
Great write-up! However in the ole USA you will find that pre formed metallic brake lines with hardware are very inexpensive.
The only word of caution---remember all MB lines are metric and therefore you must use metric flare tools at joints or you will have massive leaks!!
The only word of caution---remember all MB lines are metric and therefore you must use metric flare tools at joints or you will have massive leaks!!
Not that I'm condoning any of my past my actions, but as long as you're using copper brake pipe an imperial set will work perfectly well for most metric and imperial flares. Copper is so soft (kunifer as well) that the double flare flattens well into the flatter metric shape when screwed down. I've never seen a leak this way around. Metric onto others... is not so good
As an aside, I thought all modern stuff was 45* double SAE and DIN anyhow which reduces the chances of a mix up with AN 37* etc.?
Last edited by quincross; Jan 29, 2014 at 04:01 PM.
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1996 E320, 2018 Ducati Panigale V4S, 2012 1199 Panigale
Yep, good point! and it's worse than that there are 4 standard dies which is now why I own an stupidly expensive pro set
Not that I'm condoning any of my past my actions, but as long as you're using copper brake pipe an imperial set will work perfectly well for most metric and imperial flares. Copper is so soft (kunifer as well) that the double flare flattens well into the flatter metric shape when screwed down. I've never seen a leak this way around. Metric onto others... is not so good
As an aside, I thought all modern stuff was 45* double SAE and DIN anyhow which reduces the chances of a mix up with AN 37* etc.?
Not that I'm condoning any of my past my actions, but as long as you're using copper brake pipe an imperial set will work perfectly well for most metric and imperial flares. Copper is so soft (kunifer as well) that the double flare flattens well into the flatter metric shape when screwed down. I've never seen a leak this way around. Metric onto others... is not so good
As an aside, I thought all modern stuff was 45* double SAE and DIN anyhow which reduces the chances of a mix up with AN 37* etc.?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 25
Likes: 7
2002 E320 CDI
Yup - I feel like I now have the ultimate cool upgrade, IMPERIAL copper brake pipes, not standard metric trash
Pity I had to pollute them with metric DIN flares at the ends... but what can you do eh?
@Plutoe - I've updated the guide to explain the difference between metric DIN and imperial SAE flares just in case someone gets confused - good suggestion mate. For the avoidance of doubt, you use only DIN's on the Merc brake lines unless you make my Brake Pipe End Caps tool, which temporarily seals the lines while you are replacing them using an SAE flare-->DIN flare seal.
Pity I had to pollute them with metric DIN flares at the ends... but what can you do eh?
@Plutoe - I've updated the guide to explain the difference between metric DIN and imperial SAE flares just in case someone gets confused - good suggestion mate. For the avoidance of doubt, you use only DIN's on the Merc brake lines unless you make my Brake Pipe End Caps tool, which temporarily seals the lines while you are replacing them using an SAE flare-->DIN flare seal.
