flaring brake lines

SDE

Well-known Member
I can't help myself, I have to do it, wait for it. I don't seem to have the flare for making brake lines. I'm bad. When I am finished with the second flare and I look at it while it is still in the clamp, it isn't symmetrical. When I took the last one out of the clamp and held it up in front of me, the top edge isn't 90 degrees to the line. I have two different sets of used flaring tools that I have picked up at auctions. Is it the equipment or is it me?
TY SDE
One of my joints is leaking. Do I have too cut it back and start over or is there a way to fix it? I have tightened it twice and I don't know if I can tighten it any tighter.
 
not sure what your doing wrong, but you need the amount sticking up the same width as the button. them you tighten the clamp down and it will mush it down flat. then u remove the button and just use the flaring tool to make the double flare. show a picture.
 
Some brake line flares better than others. Ask for the easier to bend stuff and you will have better luck. The galvanized stuff from napa is one to not try and flare.
 
All the problems I had went away when I went to the copper-nickel brake line.I have a couple hundred feet of the terne finish and the green coated line I will probably never use.About 10 years ago I bought the hydraulic flaring tool,will never go back.
 
When I double flare brake lines I coat the end of the line and the double flaring tool with 90 EP gear oil. It really helps the tool slide and form the flare. Of course oil is NOT compatible with brake systems so be SURE to flush ALL oil residue away with BrakeKleen or equivalent.
 
I tried one once and found the brake line too hard to flare. I ended up buying a new length of brake line that had the flare already on it.
 
I bought the Titan tool from Amazon. It makes perfect double flairs every time. Just did a project on my 1970 Mustang. Multiple flairs and zero leaks. Well worth the investment. I was never able to make a decent flair with any other tool. Cost $46.15
 
I'll second those Titan flare tools from Amazon. Bought the 1/4 and 3/16 tools for a couple of IH trucks my boys are working on. Worth absolutely every penny. They pretty well dummy proof the job.
AaronSEIA
 
Sometimes its the tool. I bought a K-D? double flare set from NAPA. It wouldn't work for nothing. It would just push the tubing back through the clamp bar.

I complained to my NAPA parts man, He said to bring it back. He ordered another set and swapped with me, and that one worked fine.

Note: this was back when NAPA only had the hard silver lines, I think they were plated steel. Their green brake lines they have now flare much easier. I think the green ones are a copper/nickel alloy and probably don't rust like the steel ones did.

I also think you will have problems trying to put a new flare on an old line.

You also need to cut your tubing with a tubing cutter, not a hacksaw.
And if you are trying to use a copper tubing flare tool, don't trust what it makes. If it doesn't split the tubing when you form it, it will probably split later.
 
I bought an Imperial Eastman double flaring tool back in the early 90s. It's never failed to make a good flare on any line I've used it on. On the other hand, I've used others that I couldn't make a flare with to save my life.
 
Your description is exactly how I attempted the flare. The last one I tried to form was on a copper/ nickel line. It formed easily enough. If I set it straight up in the air and then put a straight edge on the top of the flared end, it would not be setting level. I am getting better at posting pictures from my phone, but I am not good at it and I am not sure it would be clear enough to tell what the problem might be.
TY
SDE
 
I have a General brand. I think it's intended for copper only. When I use it on brake lines I have to augment the clamp bars with C-clamps or it pushes the tube out. Also the flare tool's hooks are a bit out of square so I have to do it halfway then turn it to finish.
 
My last remaining piece of line is long enough to go over the gas tank and make it between the mating fittings. The problem was that I wasn't sure which line I was repairing behind the tank. When I tried to bleed the line it became apparent which wheel that I was dealing with. So I will try to slide the line into a small plastic hose and then feed the line over the tank and then it should be good.
TY
 
I went to the garage and got the line. Looking down at it from the top and then rotating it, I can see that the tapered edge is bigger on one side that the other. I don't think one picture will show it clearly enough.
cvphoto146047.jpg

I think that it will work, but I don't think that it is a top quality repair.
I told her that I got the shifter problem fixed and not the brakes. Her reply was, if you can't put it in gear, you don't the brakes. Just a little humor from her.
TY
 
Not all flaring tools are the same. Cheap ones will let the line slip a little as you flare it. You'll notice that cheap tools clamp the ends of the bars together, while good tools clamp them right where you're making the flare. Also, even good tools wear out. I have an excellent Ridgid flaring tool I bought at a yard sale that sells for about $200 new. It makes perfect flares in some sizes but not in others because the holes for those sizes are badly worn.
 
They do make a lapping tool that will take some of the imperfection out of a flare.. Koul Tools makes it

I had the same frustration with making good flares with cheap tools...so much so that I bought a Mastercool hydraulic tool... all good since then.
mvphoto101872.jpg


mvphoto101873.jpg
 
That flaring tool doesnt look like a double flare tool. That looks like for old school copper flare for gas and water lines.
 

Tom, it does both... the square dies form the 'flattened' or first part of the flare, then you use the pointed die to complete the 'double' part of the flare.
 
Youre not alone . Only make brake and gas line once in a great while , and Im not that good either till I watched some you tubes to refresh .
Biggest things I found are some tips .
1. File tube flat in clamp parallel die ,
2. Chamfer the tide inside ,I use a drill with counter sink
3. Chamfer outside of tube .I use a fine 4 inch file
4 . Reclamp it in die to first step. ,make sure dies a clampdown flat . Tighten even.
5. Proceed to bulge the tube . I use brake fluid on die . If the die does push down parallel with clamped die it will be off .got to start over if its way off .
Probably miss something ,wish I had one of those hydraulic set thou
Good luck
The cheaper OEM units for will make a double flare with practice
 

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