NiCOP in PTFE braided "sleeves" . Opinions wanted. (1 Viewer)

[scratchhax]

As I'm working through my rebuild I've reached the part where I want to clean things up and make all the wiring and stuff look nice, so I got it in my head to run as much of the plumbing through the frame rails as possible. For some things, like fuel line, that's pretty easy but for hard lines like the brakes I'm sure it will eventually rub or at least knock against the frame since I won't be able to anchor things down to the frame interior. I had one of those 2 am ideas of taking some left over PTFE braided line and using it as a guard for the NiCOP and then running that through the frame (picture attached). I tested it tonight and it works a treat but I wanted to get a sanity check. My concerns are; Chemical reactions: This is PTFE and NiCOP, if it was any more inert I could use it as a welding gas. Kinks in the line: This is a single run, no curves and no hard bends. What if the NiCOP leaks and I don't notice: No unions to leak since this is a single run, so I suppose it would be the same scenario inside or outside the tubing of "oh crap, where did the brakes go!?" I've converted to 4 wheel disk brakes with a dual loop setup so either way it should only impact one axle. What if someone confuses it for another line: The sleeve will only be inside the frame. Once we exit the frame we're back to shiny copper. But, why: Because monkey brain likes make pretty thing. I'd love to hear any opinions or thoughts, thanks!

 

[bikersmurf]

$.02

As much as I like the idea of a clean frame without extra stuff on the outside, I have a couple concerns:

1) if sand, salt, water, or debris got inside the line, it’ll sit there and rot and wear the brake line with almost no way to thoroughly clean it out.

2) over time the 90ish” unsupported line will bounce around and everything will break… not guaranteed, but there’s a reason brake lines are secured from the factory.

3) legality? They are brake lines after all, and there are all sorts of regulations about them. Trail only maybe, but I’d hate for an insurance company to find you at fault for an accident because you had messed with the brakes. That’s coming from someone who has reinvented my entire brake system… but it works x100 better now. But I didn’t reinvent the wheel… just used much newer brakes and booster.

 

[scratchhax]

$.02

As much as I like the idea of a clean frame without extra stuff on the outside, I have a couple concerns:

1) if sand, salt, water, or debris got inside the line, it’ll sit there and rot and wear the brake line with almost no way to thoroughly clean it out.

2) over time the 90ish” unsupported line will bounce around and everything will break… not guaranteed, but there’s a reason brake lines are secured from the factory.

3) legality? They are brake lines after all, and there are all sorts of regulations about them. Trail only maybe, but I’d hate for an insurance company to find you at fault for an accident because you had messed with the brakes. That’s coming from someone who has reinvented my entire brake system… but it works x100 better now. But I didn’t reinvent the wheel… just used much newer brakes and booster.

see this is why I consult the hive mind. Dirt and water didn't even come into my head because right now everything is clean (or at least clean adjacent). Great call out!

 

[bikersmurf]

see this is why I consult the hive mind. Dirt and water didn't even come into my head because right now everything is clean (or at least clean adjacent). Great call out!

There is line protection that is like a big coil spring that fits snug around the hard line. Might be n option