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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - It took me 3 hours!

I had made the brake lines from the differential to the rear brakes from copper because I couldn't get Cunifer for a while. Copper becomes brittle so I knew I had to replace them. The reason to do it now, was that an acquaintance of mine had to stop on the way because his copper brake line was broken!
I got to work, after 3 hours of slogging the connection was still leaking. Only then did I find out that the connection nipple was the cause. When I tightened it, the pipe wobbled! After looking very closely I saw that the hollow center of this 67 year old, not yet rusted! connection nipple was not in the middle. With a good connection that I still had lying around, it was done in 20 minutes.
Flip Brühl

People always seem to boast - "it only took 10 minutes". The real truth is as you found :)
Tim C

On the rear axle, my brake lines also appear to be wearing due to scraping... The cause seems to me that the original copper straps were not tight enough and there is a large distance from the T manifold to the first stage so that the pipe can move on the wildly moving shaft. What can I do about this?





Flip Brühl

Flip, when I make up brake pipes for vulnerable areas like that I run a length of clear windscreen washer hose onto the cunifer pipe before flaring the second end. It is barely noticeable to look at but protects the pipe from chafing and flying stones, gravel etc
Then mine are tied to the rear axle with zip ties in several places, but left free towards the end to allow for some flexing.
GuyW

a good idea Guy!
Flip Brühl

If you want to see how not to fit copper brake and fuel pipes, this midget is for sale by a classic car dealer in Nottinghamshire.

https://theclassiccarguysuk.co.uk/listing/1975-mg-midget_909







Dave O'Neill 2

Copper brake lines are banned here (Tasmania) and for good reason.
There have been plenty caught out buying brake lines from Moss etc then found they can't register their cars until the lines are replaced with steel or cunifer.
William Revit

No need to worry Dave.

The description says ---

"This charming little convertible is in excellent condition for its age, having benefitted from some restoration work and numerous new parts throughout."

Give me a brake. 🤣🤣🤣.


anamnesis

William
I have heard before that copper brake pipes are banned in Australia / Tasmania but I have had them on my Frogeye probably over 50 years, I have owned it since 69, with no problems.
Likewise my Sebring Rep but I have only had that since 2003.

At potential chafing points I take a lucar electrical bullet connector (the connector not the actual bullet ) and cut the insulation lengthways and discard the inner metal connector / conductor and wrap the outer insulation around the brake pipe.





Alan Anstead

They also seem very proud of the fact that they have fitted the brake shoes the wrong way round.

Apologies for the thread hijack, Flip.


Dave O'Neill 2

I have encountered disc brake calipers fitted upside down.
Alan Anstead

I had a copper brake line fail at the rear slave cylinder.

It was one of the few times my ex-wife drove the car (with me as passenger), she dealt with the sudden lack of brakes very well, but the three hour wait for the recovery vehicle less so!

We started divorce proceedings six months later.

It may have just been a coincidence, but not worth the risk. For the good of your marriage - use Cunifer! :-)

Cheers,
Malc.
Malcolm

Hey Malc.
She might have settled by now mate, -- not worth a knock on the door - ?
Cheers
willy
William Revit

Out of interest, is there any pressing reason that brake systems can't be "plumbed up" with flexibles?
Almost all motorcycles have them, of varying quality. Personally I replaced originals with Aeroquip or Goodrich armoured hoses on several of my bikes which resulted in better, more sensitive brake response every time since they were very resistant to expansion under pressure.
I have never known one to fail. Not once.
Greybeard

Another thread highjack, for Alan Anstead:

Any idea why the typical Sebring Sprite roof is bonded on at the front but not at the back? I can see it would be sensible at the front to support the new windscreen but I am unable to think of a good reason not to bond the roof onto the body behind the cockpit.
Karl Thompson

Karl
My rep has the coupe top attached to the front bulkhead by rivets.
Originally at the back it was attached, by Archers, with small nuts and bolts. The gap twixt coupe top and rear panel was filled: the filler kept cracking as the body flexed.
My local bodyshop removed the coupe top and fitted a rubber seal where formerly the filler had been replacing the nuts, bolts, rivets.

It has copper brake pipes since I put it together in 03 / 04. Like Greybeard I use Goodridge hoses and, dare I say it, Silicone Dot5 brake fluid.



Alan Anstead

Grey, no reason at all not to use Goodridge or Aeroquip, many competition cars do.
David Smith

Goodridge and Aeroquip can only be used here if they have compliance numbers on them , otherwise they have to be removed before a car can be registered for the road. The hose and fittings are readily available for making up hoses for competition cars but not allowed on the road.
William Revit

I use Goodrich. The only criticism I have heard is that the braided covering prevents inspection of the connection of the inner tube to the end fitting, with the possibility of catastrophic failure there.

AFAIR there was a MASC article about that, quite a few years ago. Alan will know; Alan knows that sort of historic MASC stuff!
I keep meaning to replace mine with new.

In many ways, with the prevalence of dubious rubber these days the standard hoses could be a higher risk.

GuyW

Dubious rubber?, a neighbour had 2 flexible brake hoses fail on his son's Discovery when he tried the brakes hard, the hoses came cleanly off the barb and out of the swaged end fitting, rather worrying. They were replaced and have behaved themselves since. The ones that failed didn't look in bad condition so I suppose poorly manufactured.
David Billington

Guy
I don't recall any such article. I have looked in my index of Mascot technical articles as far back as 2008 but cannot find anything that would suggest such an article.
Alan
Alan Anstead

This thread was discussed between 30/10/2025 and 19/11/2025

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.