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MG MGA - Brake lines

I am restoring my engine compartment of my 1958 MGA 1500 and would like to know what the proper color is for the brake lines? I have cleaned one of them up and it is a bright silver finish. I guess these are steel lines. Just wondering how they came from the factory? If they are meant to be unpainted does anyone recommend clear coating them? Thanks.

Stephen in Simi Valley
58 MGA 1500
Stephen Lofaro

If you use cupro-nickel lines, no need to coat with anything.
Who is looking anway?
Art Pearse

Art,

What is the likelihood that the lines I have are cupro-nickel?

Steve
Stephen Lofaro

Zero. Cupro-nickel pipes are sort of copper color, but someone who has seen them can easily tell they are not copper tubing. The silver color pipes are galvanized steel, as original.
Barney Gaylord

Barney,

So, did the galvanized steel lines go in plain and unpainted?

Steve
Stephen Lofaro

Yes.
Barney Gaylord

The first place I worked after leaving school (1965) was a factory making air braking systems for trucks. Mild steel components there were electroplated with zinc rather than galvanised. At that factory, the components were then "passivated" by dipping them in a chromate solution. This gave them a yellowish coloration.

http://www.zink-nickel-kft.com/yellow-zinc-plating.html
Geoff Ev

Stephen, the lines I have bought from Moss have been cupronickel, mostly. They should have an etched marking "CN102" (UK) or ATM 706 in USA.
Art Pearse

This thread was discussed between 20/03/2013 and 21/03/2013

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.