Mk2 Front Brakes - Repair or Replace

[WreckTangle]

So, I think I know the answer to this, but it's quite a lot of work.

Trying to complete a long-overdue flush of the brake fluid in my 1991 GT2 I encountered no difficulty at all with the small, 7mm bleed valves on the rear drum brakes. Moving to the front, neither of the 11mm valves on the front callipers would budge.

The actual flexi hoses look to be in OK condition, but the metal ends look irretrievably rusted and, to be fair, did in pictures I took when I first bought the car in 2017.

The last MOT had an advisory: "both front rigid brake pipes in wheel arches corroded". Now, I think this might have be a bit over-zealous and the small amount of surface corrosion would polish off. However, I'm starting to think the combination of these factors means biting the bullet and replacing the front hard-lines, flexi hoses and callipers.

Would this be others' conclusion? Or am I being overly pessimistic?

I'm actually pretty confident doing this work myself, having done similar on other cars. My only hesitation is that the pipe that goes around behind the engine looks a bit awkward to get at. Provided I can get the old ones out pretty much in one piece I'm fairly confident bending a new one to match and have the kit needed to do this.

Has anyone who's done this before got any helpful tips? Presumably it's 3/16" cunifer tubing with M10x1 connectors and DIN flaring?

The only "easier" short-term alternative that I could come up with would be to drill the seized valves out in situ but I expect that would go wrong and then lead to having to do the job properly anyway.

Callipers are VW II (marked AFC 5) and I guess are original.

Thoughts etc. welcome. Thanks.

[james butler]

you would only be delaying the inevitable by not changing the lot while the goings good, flexis arent expensive and neither are calipers anymore so i would certainly change the lot and have done
yup the unions/ferrules are 10x1mm and think they are din spec flares
if you need a flare tool this one i found is the best by far https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/362077328353 ... BM2uPirshk
just remember to put the ferrule on first before you flare it

[WreckTangle]

Thanks. Yes, I'm sure you're right.

I agree with your choice of flare tool. It looks very similar to the one I've got, which is this one:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01B5GJ6KW

[james butler]

thats the baby
dont forget a little grease behind the flare where the ferrule clamps down to help it bed nicely and will aid removal in future if ever you need to

[GT_II]

I wouldn't blame you for changing the calipers. I have repaired mine, and they were a pig to work on.

As you have found, the bleed screws were seized, though they eventually shifted after a frustrating week or two of spraying with PlusGas. The guide screws were equally challenging, especially with rusty allen socket heads. However, after fitting new screws, guides and sleeve kit from VW, the original calipers are working well. For brake pipes, I took the easy route and bought genuine front and rear pipes from VW Classic Parts, supplied straight, but flared to length and pre-fitted with unions. The front left and rear pipes were fractionally longer than the originals, but easily accommodated with a slight modification to shape. I have yet to renew the pipe at the back of the engine bay, which apart from the outer union, is showing little sign of ageing.