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bear100

Member Since: 22 Mar 2010
Location: South Wales
Posts: 1867

2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black

Cunifer corroded 11 months!

Hi chaps

I changed all my brake lines due to a split one and corrosion on the original back last July.
I was advised by the majority to use cunifer/kunifer pipe, had my MOT done last week and corroded brake lines were picked up

nonsense I thought.
Look under the car today and sure enough all the lines are in a worse condition to what I removed!
Put a magnet against them and they stuck so cunifer isn’t copper at all?

Click image to enlarge

Looks like I will have to do them all again! But use pure copper this time I suppose? 2016 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8
2010 110 XS Utility 2.4TDCI
2010 Range Rover Sport TDV8 (gone)
2007 Discovery HSE TDV6 (gone)
1993 110 csw 200 tdi (gone)
1994 90 HT 300 tdi (gone)
1994 discovery 300tdi (gone)
90 hybrid 3.5 v8 (gone)
Range rover bobtail 3.5 v8 (gone)

29th May 2023 5:25pm

Retroanaconda

Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2545

It’s an alloy of several metals, including copper, nickel and indeed iron - so may well be magnetic.

I’ve never had one corrode, they go a bit green but never rusty. What brand did you use?

29th May 2023 5:54pm

Mossberg

Member Since: 29 Feb 2020
Location: Lancs
Posts: 552

1993 Defender 90 300 Tdi HT Aintree Green

After seeing your post I just tried a magnet against my cunifer and there is no attraction between the two whatsoever. I don't know where you got your pipe but my thoughts are it ain't true cunifer.

29th May 2023 6:21pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16857

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

The pipe in your photo is not Cunifer, I'd say it is steel and not very high quality. Cunifer is non-magnetic.

I suspect you were sold counterfeit pipes.

29th May 2023 6:55pm

Linds Hanson

Member Since: 16 Jan 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 433

Not Kunifer it usually just goes green, we usually fit stainless unions and protect with Lanogaurd once fitted or alternativley fit the full pioneer braided stainless line kits.

29th May 2023 7:05pm

jim4244

Member Since: 13 Apr 2014
Location: Bedfordshire
Posts: 624

1998 Defender 90 300 Tdi CSW Epsom Green

Just tried the magnet test on my brake pipes. No attraction at all and in far better condition than yours even though they must be 8 years+ old?

Jim

29th May 2023 7:35pm

Mossberg

Member Since: 29 Feb 2020
Location: Lancs
Posts: 552

I would use copper with an amount of caution. A bit to easy to bend and work harden. It's not used (as in not allowed) in some countries because this can lead to failure! I think that says enough really.

Some people use copper over cunifer as its easier to form, but that is at the cost of strength. Personally I would buy another coil of cunifer from a more reputable source.

Note: when I was looking on ebay I found some brake pipe which I thought was cunifer but on reading the specification it said copper coated steel. Typically they somehow included the word cunifer in their description so easy to presume its cunifer and not the steel they actually sell!!

29th May 2023 7:47pm

Martin
Site Admin

Member Since: 02 Apr 2007
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 6477

2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red

Easy to get had by the eBay sellers listing copper plated steel pipe as cunifer

1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top

2015 D90 XS SW

Last edited by Martin on 29th May 2023 8:37pm. Edited 1 time in total

29th May 2023 8:32pm

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 16857

I replaced the brake pipes on my first 80" sometime around 1980 with Cunifer and they are still as good as new.

29th May 2023 8:33pm

bear100

Member Since: 22 Mar 2010
Location: South Wales
Posts: 1867

Thanks for the reply’s

Just looked through my receipts and it’s itemised as Cunifer copper nickel brake line, clearly not! Reputable supplier too (not EBay or Amazon) but I expect all I will get if anything is a refund!

Linds Hanson thanks for the tip I very well might go down the full Pioneer kit I have their hoses on which have had no issues with. 2016 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8
2010 110 XS Utility 2.4TDCI
2010 Range Rover Sport TDV8 (gone)
2007 Discovery HSE TDV6 (gone)
1993 110 csw 200 tdi (gone)
1994 90 HT 300 tdi (gone)
1994 discovery 300tdi (gone)
90 hybrid 3.5 v8 (gone)
Range rover bobtail 3.5 v8 (gone)

29th May 2023 9:28pm

bear100

Member Since: 22 Mar 2010
Location: South Wales
Posts: 1867

Pioneer kit arrived this week and fitting it tomorrow, plus a brake overhaul and some painting 2016 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8
2010 110 XS Utility 2.4TDCI
2010 Range Rover Sport TDV8 (gone)
2007 Discovery HSE TDV6 (gone)
1993 110 csw 200 tdi (gone)
1994 90 HT 300 tdi (gone)
1994 discovery 300tdi (gone)
90 hybrid 3.5 v8 (gone)
Range rover bobtail 3.5 v8 (gone)

17th Jun 2023 11:13pm

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