A cautionary tale: brake lines and fluid!

[MrChris]

Hi all, been away for a while but been getting my MR2 ship shape for 2025 track days.

I went to change my brake hoses recently and found they were severely rusted on to the pipes and found much corrosion on my hard brake lines... I gave in and took it to a garage. They had to chop back a significant amount of corroded brake line to splice in new. They also bled the fluid through but first they tested it and found way too much water content, failing the test.

So it was an expensive trip to the garage, but well worth it in the long run as the brakes now feel incredible.

[shnazzle]

Hi all, been away for a while but been getting my MR2 ship shape for 2025 track days.

I went to change my brake hoses recently and found they were severely rusted on to the pipes and found much corrosion on my hard brake lines... I gave in and took it to a garage. They had to chop back a significant amount of corroded brake line to splice in new. They also bled the fluid through but first they tested it and found way too much water content, failing the test.

So it was an expensive trip to the garage, but well worth it in the long run as the brakes now feel incredible.

I still have the hard line bending tool,flaring tool and about 10m of hard line from when I was going to do that exact job That was well before I even thought of selling. Totally forgot about it

[MrChris]

I still have the hard line bending tool,flaring tool and about 10m of hard line from when I was going to do that exact job That was well before I even thought of selling. Totally forgot about it

This is on the 2zz 2, not your one. Your one running no problem at all, brakes are solid!

[shnazzle]

This is on the 2zz 2, not your one. Your one running no problem at all, brakes are solid!

Really? I could have sworn they looked a little past best. Fronts I think.

[shnazzle]

I think I remember now.
Last time I had to fit the brake lines, I think driver's front, something went wrong and it's on but I knew I was going to have to replace the hard line next time.
Or something to that effect...
Maybe the fitting just rounded off? Actually yeah I think that was it. 
Too long ago and getting too old haha

[Pete McCue]

Never understood why any manufacturer uses steel brake lines, cost/profit I guess.