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MG MGF Technical - New Exhaust = New Brake Hoses

I am a clumsy sod.

Fitted new X-power exhaust at the w/end, whilst grinding off the old nuts I nearly cut through NSR brake hose!
Needless to say it's an MoT failure so I'm ordering some braided hoses and fitting them this w/end (no angle grinders this time).
Could someone please advise me of the correct brake fluid to use (my handbook is packed up pre-house move)?
If I'm in your area and you need help with fixing your car, for the sake of the vehicle avoid my offer of service!

Tool-Time-Tim :-)

PS, exhaust is lovely and spine tingling!
Timmeh

PPS, Brake Fluid done at last service- what did MGR put in and what should I use now?
Also, to flush, or not, to flush?
Timmeh

Changing the hoses will mean that automatically you will be flushing the system. Use either DOT 5.1 or the OEM DOT 4.
Blue Pocket Rocket

Agreed - although if just being used on the road, use DOT4, which is perfectly adequate for purpose. If planning a track day or two, take the opportunity to go for DOT 5.1 as BPR suggests :o)
Rob Bell

Hi Timmeh,

Unlucky! Mind you, braided hoses are definitely a Good Thing, you'll notice much more directness in the brakes.

If your car has ABS, check the small print on the packaging of any fluid you buy that it's suitable for use in ABS systems.

At the front, the bracket that secures the slack of the rubber hose to the suspension is part of the hose, so you'll need a few sturdy cable ties to achieve the same result with the braided lines. Also, the ends of the braided lines may be slimmer than the OE ends so have a hacksaw handy to shorten the banjo bolts accordingly.
Mike Hankin

It's a 160 with big brakes, make any odds?
Timmeh

All common brake fluid is compatiable _except_ for DOT5, which is silicon based and won't need replacing so often but is more compressable (so negating the point of fitting SS hoses and then some).

Roveer will have used nice clean DOT4, I would advise you to furnish yourself with an ezbleed kit as it will make the process 100% ez-er. Also before you start remove the cap and fit a clingflim cap instead, this will prevent all the fluid draining out when you remove the hose and make bleeding far easier.
Will Munns

Will, did you buy a special adapter for Ezbleed or did you make one? None of those supplied when I bought mine would fit.
Ken Waring

I made one, but I was targeting a diffrent car which had a cap for the 70's so I didn't expect any of the supplied to fit.

I'm surprised that none of the caps fit - there were at least 6 (IIRC) in the box.

Scrap the eazibleed idea then. The thing to remember is to let the bubbles settle from the pouring of the fluid into the master cylinder, else you are feeding bubbles into the pipes and will never be free of air.
Will Munns

Thank you, One and All!
Timmeh :-)
Timmeh

This thread was discussed between 26/09/2006 and 27/09/2006

MG MGF Technical index

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