HEL Performance Upgrades Explained: Brake Lines, Oil Coolers & Catch Cans Guide

HEL Performance Upgrades Explained: Brake Lines, Oil Coolers & Catch Cans Guide

When it comes to fluid transfer and stopping power, cutting corners is never an option. Whether you are attacking a twisty B-road on a Sunday or diving into the braking zone on a track day, you need absolute confidence that your car will perform exactly as expected.

HEL Performance is a UK based manufacturer renowned for its precision engineered stainless steel braided brake lines, oil coolers, and catch cans. Founded on a commitment to safety, performance, and innovation, HEL designs and produces all its products in house at its advanced facility in Exeter.

Their components are trusted worldwide across the highest levels of motorsport, from grassroots road racing all the way up to Formula 1. Because of their bulletproof reliability, extreme corrosion resistance, and ability to deliver consistent performance under massive thermal stress, HEL Performance has become the go to upgrade for enthusiasts building fast road and track cars.

Stainless Steel Braided Brake Lines

If your car still runs the factory rubber brake lines, you are losing braking performance. Under heavy hydraulic pressure, rubber hoses physically expand and balloon outward. This absorbs the energy meant for the brake calipers, leaving you with a spongy brake pedal and vague braking feedback.

HEL Performance brake line kits replace these expanding rubber hoses with a PTFE inner core wrapped in a tightly woven stainless steel braid.

  • Firmer Pedal Feel: Because the stainless steel outer layer cannot expand, all your pedal pressure transfers instantly to the brake pads. This delivers a rock solid brake pedal and incredibly precise modulation.
  • Zero Corrosion: Unlike some budget brands that use mild steel fittings prone to rust, HEL lines use high quality stainless steel for both the braided hose and the machined end fittings, guaranteeing lifetime durability even on salty UK winter roads.
  • Direct Fit: Every HEL brake line kit is manufactured to the exact specifications of your vehicle for a perfect bolt on installation.

HEL Braided Brake Lines - Montreal MK1 Cobra - 4 Line Kit

High Performance Oil Cooler Kits

Pushing a tuned engine hard generates massive amounts of heat. As engine oil temperatures spike, the oil breaks down and loses its protective viscosity, leading to severe engine wear or catastrophic bearing failure.

HEL Performance oil cooler kits are designed to keep oil temperatures perfectly stable under extreme driving conditions. These kits utilize highly efficient multi row cooler cores and come supplied with HEL's signature braided hoses and anodized aluminum fittings. By increasing your oil capacity and introducing dedicated air cooling, a HEL oil cooler is a mandatory supporting modification for track driven cars or high horsepower builds that see sustained high RPM use.

Baffled Oil Catch Cans

Modern direct injection engines (like the BMW B58 or VAG EA888) are notorious for carbon buildup on the intake valves. This happens because hot oil vapor and blow by gases from the crankcase are routed back into the air intake by the factory PCV system.

A HEL Performance oil catch can intercepts this vapor before it reaches your intake.

  • Internal Baffling: The catch can features a specialized internal baffle system that cools and separates the heavy oil droplets from the air.
  • Engine Protection: By trapping this sludge in the can, you prevent it from coating your intake valves, intercooler, and turbocharger. This maintains your engine's power output over time, prevents misfires, and keeps your combustion chamber clean.

HEL Performance Platform Spotlights

Find the exact HEL precision engineered hardware designed for your vehicle by linking directly to your filtered category pages:

BMW M & M-Lite: Protect your B58 or S55 engine with baffled oil catch cans and eliminate brake fade on heavy M cars using full stainless steel brake lines here:

VAG (Audi RS, VW Golf R, Cupra): Maximize the bite of your factory calipers and keep your EA888 intake valves free from carbon sludge here:

Ford ST & RS: Improve braking confidence on the Fiesta ST and Focus RS with abrasion resistant braided lines and keep track day oil temps down via the links below:

Honda Civic Type R: Match the incredibly sharp chassis of the FK8 and FL5 with equally precise braking response and fluid transfer here: 

Shop the full catalog of genuine, UK manufactured HEL Performance Parts at JXL Performance to bulletproof your fluid systems and transform your braking confidence today.