2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

Beware: Faulty Stainless Clutch Lines

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 06:46 PM
  #1  
JasonL's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 20 Years
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
From: BC, Canada
Beware: Faulty Stainless Clutch Lines

Purchased a stainless clutch line off ebay from this seller:

http://myworld.ebay.ca/eliteparts20006

After 300km of usage on a 6 puck RPS clutch, it started to leak into the rubber coating, by 600km the whole line was full.

I've emailed Eliteparts and no reply, and after seeing their feedback, it sounds like I'm not the first one to get ignored. I was stupid and left good feedback without using the product too, d'oh. Lesson learned, not to cheap out on something like this...

I took some a couple pics, beside my new oem DOT approved line, you can see the differences in the quality of crimps...


Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 08:05 PM
  #2  
InsomniacFC's Avatar
Will drive for parts
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,252
Likes: 0
From: Modesto, CA
How much of a discount did you get? I got mine shipped from mazdatrix.com for less than $25.
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 08:13 PM
  #3  
Nitrometano's Avatar
Do you feel lucky punk!!!
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Puerto Rico
I got mine from mazdatrix too. Also for the braided brake lines I got mine Russell brand. No no brand breaking stuff for my car. The one fron mazdatrix looks better that the old one that you see on the photo. I dont know if the same cheap stuff, but looks better.
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 09:51 PM
  #4  
Icemark's Avatar
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 25,896
Likes: 24
From: Rohnert Park CA
Pretty common for most SS lines to do that, and one of the main reasons I never recommend SS brake line for street use.
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 10:06 PM
  #5  
Shainiac's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member: 15 Years
iTrader: (7)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 1,584
Likes: 50
From: Lyme, CT
My Corksport SS line was like $18 and its still holding up nicely after 5000+ miles.
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 10:10 PM
  #6  
helghast7's Avatar
F yo couch!
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 2,321
Likes: 0
From: Belleville, NJ
thats why you should check the feedback before you buy, i dont usually buy from a person if their rating is under 98 percent good
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 10:37 PM
  #7  
-TAL-'s Avatar
Banned. I got OWNED!!!
 
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,199
Likes: 0
From: Brampton
thanks for the heads up, they are fairly local to me. I was going to buy the clutch line and the brake lines.
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 10:57 PM
  #8  
ZeroDrift's Avatar
Rotary Enthusiast
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 776
Likes: 0
From: Denver
I have gone thru 3 SS lines, with the same issues... I went for an OEM unit w/ no issues (7K+ miles so far!)...
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2007 | 10:59 PM
  #9  
RotaMan99's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 0
From: New Hampshire
Why did they cover the SS line with a clear rubber hose? Thats a bit chessy to me. Maybe they are worried they would fail

I bought mine from mazdatrix about 4 years ago. Over 40K miles on it so far. I only bought it for the looks. I like shinny parts more then dull black rubber parts.
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 01:15 AM
  #10  
HotRodMex's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 548
Likes: 0
From: San Luis Obispo, CA
Originally Posted by RotaMan99
Why did they cover the SS line with a clear rubber hose? Thats a bit chessy to me. Maybe they are worried they would fail
The PVC is there to keep dirt from getting into the SS braid and causing line failure. It's "cheap insurance," not just "cheap."
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 01:55 AM
  #11  
Agent_D's Avatar
rawr
Tenured Member 20 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,331
Likes: 1
From: Silver City, NM
yea, i've purchased 4 SS lines from corksport, no problems whatsoever, even after some pretty good wear and tear (forgot to unbolt when removing tranny) and they all still hold up.

had one on the vert i had for over 15k miles, no problems.
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 02:15 AM
  #12  
Node's Avatar
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,383
Likes: 3
From: Stinson Beach, Ca
I believe the plastic covering is what makes it DOT approved for SS brake lines
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 06:47 AM
  #13  
RotaMan99's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 0
From: New Hampshire
I believe the plastic covering is what makes it DOT approved for SS brake lines
I also have SS brake lines on my car from mazdatrix that are DOT approved and they don't have a plastic covering. Besides, the SS braid is woven so tight, how can this dangerous dirt get in them? Im guessing it must have happend already. When I bend my SS lines I can't see rubber, all I can see is the SS braid with no gaps.
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 08:21 AM
  #14  
NZConvertible's Avatar
I'm a boost creep...
Tenured Member 05 Years
 
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 15,608
Likes: 8
From: Auckland, New Zealand
It's a wire braid. If there were no gaps, it wouldn't be wire...
Reply
Old Jun 5, 2007 | 07:40 PM
  #15  
JasonL's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Tenured Member: 20 Years
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 555
Likes: 0
From: BC, Canada
My assumption is if it were on a stock clutch setup, it wouldn't have failed.

$12 for a stock oem rubber line, much better now. I bought DOT stainless brake lines off ebay at the same time, luckly different seller...
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2007 | 07:23 PM
  #16  
RotaMan99's Avatar
Rotary Freak
Tenured Member 10 Years
 
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,791
Likes: 0
From: New Hampshire
It's a wire braid. If there were no gaps, it wouldn't be wire...
alright smarty pants. I meant I couldn't see any gaps large enough to say, dirt could get in there. Its woven very tight.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2007 | 07:51 PM
  #17  
YaNi's Avatar
RIP Mark
Tenured Member 05 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 657
Likes: 2
From: Dublin, OH
Originally Posted by Node
I believe the plastic covering is what makes it DOT approved for SS brake lines
DOT approved means that the fittings are permanently attached, so idiots can't screw with them, and the lines passed a whip resistance test.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2007 | 08:55 PM
  #18  
djmtsu's Avatar
DGRRX
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 2,243
Likes: 0
From: Murfreesboro TN
Funny, my Mazdatrix SS line has the clear coating on it.
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2007 | 11:18 PM
  #19  
RXJIM's Avatar
Senior Member
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 327
Likes: 0
From: North Texas
I bought a mazdatrix ss clutch line many years ago, before they put the coating on it. It's worked great never leaked. As far as the clutch goes, best bang for the buck IMO.
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 08:52 AM
  #20  
classicauto's Avatar
Crash Auto?Fix Auto.
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 7,831
Likes: 2
From: Hagersville Ontario
Originally Posted by RotaMan99
Why did they cover the SS line with a clear rubber hose? Thats a bit chessy to me. Maybe they are worried they would fail
Nah, have you ever ran an exposed braided stainless line up and down your bare arm? If you did you'd find its quite abrasive. The coating is there to protect whatever is near the line from the abrasion of the stainless braiding.
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 12:39 PM
  #21  
Icemark's Avatar
Former Moderator. RIP Icemark.
 
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 25,896
Likes: 24
From: Rohnert Park CA
Originally Posted by classicauto
Nah, have you ever ran an exposed braided stainless line up and down your bare arm? If you did you'd find its quite abrasive. The coating is there to protect whatever is near the line from the abrasion of the stainless braiding.
Not only that, but uncovered SS lines, dust and small dirt particles work their way in, through the tine gaps of the braid.

Then that dust and small dirt particles start acting like sand paper between the harder braid and teflon or rubber interior. Guess which one wears out without you seeing it?

The plastic or rubberized outer coatings prevent the fine dirt from getting in through the braid.
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 03:24 PM
  #22  
slo's Avatar
slo
registered user
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,469
Likes: 0
From: San Diego
Ive run SS brake/clutch lines on 2 bikes and 3 cars over 100K miles and several years and never seen one fail.

Every bike in the club I used to be in had SS lines.

To say its common in most lines is just wrong. Quality lines and fittings such as earls properly installed will never do that.

Originally Posted by Icemark
Pretty common for most SS lines to do that, and one of the main reasons I never recommend SS brake line for street use.
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 04:34 PM
  #23  
Risky Devil's Avatar
U.S.A
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 1
From: il
Well when you buy ebay **** parts what do you expect?

Buy one of these, and call it a day. $94.00 shipped from RHD Japan

Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 07:00 PM
  #24  
clokker's Avatar
Cake or Death?
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,249
Likes: 64
From: Mile High
$94 for a clutch line?

I assume the box includes a pair of geisha to install it and then serve you tea.
Reply
Old Jun 8, 2007 | 11:25 PM
  #25  
KhanArtisT's Avatar
Former FC enthusiast
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,841
Likes: 2
From: Northern VA
um...its JDM dude, duh.
Reply



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:04 AM.