Go to a decent factors and they will sell you a set of ready made up brake pipes for a Micra that should fit with no issues. Normal materials are plastic coated steel or Kunifer (copper/nickel alloy). Kunifer is easier to bend, with steel you really need the correct tool to avoid kinking. Whilst you are at it replace any flexibles as well, they degrade and crack with time.

Problem you will most likely find is getting the old threaded fittings to come out. Wheel cylinders are alloy and over the years the alloy and the fitting will have welded themselves together. Its much easier to simply fit new wheel cylinders at the same time which will also give you nice new bleed nipples.

You will also need some brake fluid. Don't be tempted with the expensive silicone or synthetic stuff. DOT 4 is adequate for just about every car on the roads.

The stuff you want used to be called Kunifer pipe (it might still be so but its years since i needed to change a pipe because i grease them up), its a copper alloy of some sort and lasts forever, its also very pliable so you can buy a pre cut length of straight pipe with the correct ends and bend it into shape.

Hopefully there is a flexible rubber pipe just before the pipe(s) that need changing, if so grip it closed gently with mole grips preferably wrapped in rag of some other proetection so the grips don't cut the pipe, if you don't do this its likely the fluid will drain out of the mastere cylinder.

Then remove the offending pipe and take it to a factor who will make the right pipe up for you while you wait, i suggest you do it this way because you might find the pipe nuts won't come undone and you can end up replacing slave cylinders or the next pipe along the line till you reach a joint which does come undone.

You will probably need to buy a brake spanner of the right size, a claw type ring spanner with a suitable sized slot cut so it can slide over the pipe and onto the nut, 5 sided as it were, don't be tempted to cut a suitable groove in a normal ring spanner the chances of it being strong enough are minimal.

Don't forget to check the bleed screws come undone before toddling off to the factors, and that you have a jar of suitable brake fluid and an assistant to help with bleeing unless you happen to have a one man brake bleeding kit lurking about.

If you have access to a Ginsons or similar one man bleed kit, and the top fits the master cylinder, i would be inclined to use it, one such an old car its entirely possible two man old school bleeding will see a master cylinder seal fail because the seal is touching surfaces it hasn't been anywhere near for 20 years, if you have to do it the old way take great care.

Would be a good opportunity to bleed the whole system at the same time but be gentle with the bleed screws because if any sheer off its new caliper or slave cylinder time.

Edited by gordonbennet on 25/02/2018 at 13:20

I wouldn't even start it until I'd put a blow torch on the bleed nipples.

You shear the ones off on the front callipers and they'll need renewed.

And the break a lot!!

If they free off what I do is cut the pipe as close t the fitting as you can get,

Both ends then remove the pipe and use this as a pattern for length and bends.

Buy a roll of 6 mm pipe from your factors and new ends too.

A brake pipe bend pliers is a good investment for neat as O/E bends.