Those Blue Clutch Lines

As part of my refurb on my 98 C2 I’ve reached the rear of the car and the flexi clutch hose going into the slave. It’s not in the best shape being 26yrs old , the ferrules are particularly bad and the actual hose is looking tired. So I’ve tried in vein to undo the brass connector with 15mm claw and spanner, it won’t budge. So it’s got me wondering if there’s a different way of connecting to that blue pipe they used. It’s called Hycot (R) Hydro Aluminium and a load of numbers..see photos Anyone know if this has been done ?

It's a Norwegian company, they're still in business and I've been in touch to see what they can do to help. They must have been delighted to get the contract to supply all the lines for 986/996 cars back in the late 90's. I bet they did the Cayenne too.

Personally I'd just clean everything up with a wire brush and paint it. Other option is a compression fitting on the end of the blue pipe. They're a few hundred quid each those pipes, so tread carefully.

Someone had fitted a new blue clutch pipe to my 996 before I bought it, they ran it over the top of the handbrake cable and it annoys me every time I see it, I have tried to undo the connectors a few times to run it under the handbrake cable, but I have never been able to undo them.

Yeah I'm a pretty big fella and pretty strong but could not budge the brass union. No point heating it as it has seals in there that'll melt. The company in Norway can't help but I can't leave it like that , look at the crimp ferrule in 2nd image.! The pipe is aluminium and plastic coated so a compression fitting would need OD inc. coating. I'll measure it up and see but being aluminium it might need an insert. It's 8mm OD

I've found this that should work to replace those crazy brass connectors only I've got to cut through the blue line and then there's no going back I'll get a hose tail fitted to the male threaded end and some new flexi clutch hose crimped to that and the curly pipe up near the slave.

So I bit the bullet and cut the blue pipe I also had to remove the entire slave cylinder as the flare end union wouldn’t budge (and it still won’t) I had to cut down a mini pipe cutter so it would revolve 360 and do a good job which it did. Question..anyone know if you can get a new seal for the slave ? It wasn’t leaking but I’d rather give it an extended life whilst it’s out , not looking forward to re-fitting that , apparently it’s a difficult one.

Next job is to carefully remove the ferrule from the curly pipe although I might have to make a new curly pipe because the flare nut is seized solid and won’t turn

Can you not get some heat on that?

Yeah I’ve done that and then squirted wd40 in and using the vice managed to free it up slightly

Ferrule removed from curly pipe

I guess the curly pipe is like a shock absorber and fatigue preventer ?? It’s 6mm OD so I’ll try and someone that can crimp a new flexi hose to it , then when I get that new fitting I need to find a way of fitting the new hose to that. I’m not sure whether to remove the blue plastic coating from the aluminium blue pipe or leave it on and hope the olive seals to it ..mmm

Ah, yes. I couldn't undo the blue pipe at the brass coupling either, but luckily found a blue pipe with coupling for under £100 new old stock, so had to cut off the brass coupling at the clutch end and replace the blue hard pipe, coupling and flexi hose. As a bonus, I sold the pipe only with no coupling to someone abroad who was converting a Tip into a manual. My gearbox removal, third party rebuild and refit ended up turning into quite a mission. Clutch bleeding wasn't so easy either.

I remember seeing a slave cylinder rebuild kit a couple of years ago, I can't find it to post a link, but they were out there.

Some good news. I've been in touch with (or US version..I reached out (like the Four Tops) ) to HEL down in Exeter and they're keen to help out crimping a new flexi to curly and then working a solution to go from 8mm blue pipe to 6mm id flexi...possibly using the fitting I bought above. I think they'll be able to remake the curly pipe too if needed so hoping a complete fix for this issue will be available soon and will require only a tiny pipe cutter and basic tools.