flaring brake lines

[Hobo,NC]

Lets face it that type of tool is not the best for the job. Its all we had for years so we made the best we could do with it. One thing that helped me was to use a larger press tool from a different set. It has guides and is easier to use.

I got some more pix gotta go for now

 

[560Dennis]

Good photo , post them I like to see them

 

[circus]

My home made clamp helped. Clamp halves bend from all those holes in it. Guess it's a clamp clamp.

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This post was edited by circus on 01/28/2023 at 01:29 pm.

 

[showcrop]

"I don't have the flare" Yes you are bad. For punishment, as others have said pick up some copper-nickle and practice with it until you get it right, then post pics of FIVE perfect double flares.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I pulled my old flare tool out its been years since I used it. Yes a flare would go wrong every now and aging you just hoped it was not in a critical area.

I went at it with all original tooling the first flare was like the one posted. I then got serious and made sure all was aligned even the clamps in parallel. The flair was useable but not to my liking. I then used the press tool in my first fix I got a nice flair using nicoop line.

Those with a Mastercool set I hade an adapter to set the height of the tube when installed in the die.

I had one more pix, its better to be short on the tube sticking out than to long.

 

[tractorguy2]

I have dads flaring tool. Can't say what the brand name is. It's in an orange metal box was made in the 60's. It doesn't always make a perfect flare. Seems like the flare always has a high spot where it rolls the tube over and inside.

 

[Hobo,NC]

I am gonna put my tools up, what I have found out.

Make sure you deburr the line good the first die needs to float so it will self center while being pressed. While pressing it in from a side view you can tell if it walks off center.

The height of extending the tube sets the O.D. of the flare. Try lowering it, by lowering the height the shorter length keeps the die from walking off center.

I measured the O.D. of the flare both ways their was no difference in the O.D. (.001) :shock: Truth be know the flare came out better using the tube sticking out shorter.

In the past I have broke a die because I did a pizz poor job deburring : ( The die should never hang up.

 

[miangus]

My friend has this setup and I use it all the time a coil of that Nickle/copper line and you are good to go. It can also make the lines used on GM fuel tanks. Worth every penny. It makes perfect brake flares. I have had issues with the green painted line sliding in the clamp.

 

[jimg.allentown]

Now that I read this about flaring brake lines, I just had to replace a rusted out brake line on my daily transportation. One day, the brake pedal went down too far. I knew something was wrong, so I checked the fluid - it was nearly empty. I shrugged it off to brake pad wear and refilled the master cylinder.
About a week or so later, same thing happened. Fluid was nearly empty. Checked underneath, and found a rusty brake line that was wet. So, I went to work replacing it. took the bad one off, bent a piece of bulk brake tubing something like the one that came off, and proceeded to flare the ends.

I have an old Blue Point double flaring tool set. It handles tubing from 3/16'' to 1/2''. As usual, the button for the one I needed had the pin broken off of it. I guess I will have to catch the Snap-On guy and get a replacement. Anyways, Harbor Freight to the rescue! I have a ''backup'' set from HF. It had a good button in it for the one I needed. I survived the ordeal and gravity bled the new line, and the brake pedal is now high and tight.

 

[560Dennis]

Dont throw your die away , try this , drill it out and go to hardware store and get .093 steel dowel pin . Use loctite red to seal it in ,youre back in business for next time .
The pin always break on the 3/16 die with the cheaper sets Ive rented.

Tube angle isnt true cut off surface or clamps are off ,ping ,broke ,happen s ,got be precise ,

 

[Hobo,NC]

If you look at my snapon set the 1/4" die looks newer. I broke it because I did not deburr the tube good. I thing the part number on on the box for 3/16" is TF-5-1

I got the mastercool set because I had a metric job to do that's when I found out standard and metric line is the same. I pulled out my old snapon set once I got reacquainted with it I can do a flare just as fast are faster on the old set.

 

[Two0aks]

Just saw this topic
Jubilee had mixnmatch gas line. I want original type so bought 3/16 brake line I think. I understand double flare for brakes OK, but wonder why NAA uses steel against brass fitting and or is double flare ?

All small engines I've worked on including Graham Paige tiller were copper. Dad's single flare tool would/will work great for copper but unsure if I should single flare steel ? Plus until I put gas in it I won't know if it will work.

I tried a many test flares with a junk double flare tool and heated the tube end before flare. All were sadly less than perfect. Ugh!

Broke down and bought YT store preformed gas line $52. Ugh Arg!

Why didn't ford just use copper ???
Bill

 

[M-MAN]

Pre-made brake lines are cheap and
available in most any length at any
decent automobile parts house. They
work fine for gas also. Put one on
my International this past summer.

Copper isn't used because it is
prone to cracks at the flare from
vibration.

 

[ASEguy]

Good Dad joke. When my students do them, and they are offset a bit, it is usually not clamped tight enough, sits up too high or the lead screw is off center.