have you reflared a hard brake line after it is cut?

[cal]

I will probably need it when I do the brake upgrade, but maybe not.

bburge

I hope you dont plan on it in the next two weeks. As soon as word got out that I had the tool in my hand, suddenly everyone under the sun needs to upgrade their master all at once. I have two scheduled to do this weekend. I think i'm going to make everyone chip in to buy you a case of good beer.

 

[carnuck]

I do them quite often. I use 2 vise grips on the outside of a cheapie to keep it crimped down while I do the flaring on stainless Natural Gas fuel lines.

 

[3pinr]

I have found the Ridgid tool to be excellent.

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-ridgid-and-reg-flaring-tool-ridgid-no-345-23332--pi-1288861.html

 

[langer1]

I have found the Ridgid tool to be excellent.

http://www.acehardware.com/sm-ridgid-and-reg-flaring-tool-ridgid-no-345-23332--pi-1288861.html

Thats a good flairing tool but it's not for brake lines.
Brake lines are a double flare it would be good for other lines but not brakes.

 

[Kejtar]

I just did 2 ends on Tuesday with the $12 Pep Boys el cheapo and the flares came out nice and clean. While a nice tool probably makes it easier, the biggest part is how you use it and the preparation of the line: a nice clean unburred cut is very important.

 

[LazarusMJ]

I've used the Autozone free rental one and it works great. Just gotta be smarter than the tool.

Exactly, take some time and make sure the tool and dies are lined up well with the brake line, and have it clamped really tight. I used one to make a bubble flare for a customer (yeah I work at AZ) and it came out perfect.

Oh and if you rent a tool from AZ make sure all the parts are there before you leave the store. More than likely there is another one on the shelf you could take if the one your looking at is missing something.

 

[3pinr]

The Ridgid 345 I bought included the dies for doing double flares. I guesss the sell it both ways.

 

[langer1]

For those that don't know what a double flair looks like.

 

[Dirk Pitt]

Read this flaring guide

 

[ChiXJeff]

http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/...owse/s-10101/Ntk-AllTextSearchGroup?Ntt=flare is the flare tool you're looking for.

I've tried a couple of the bar & yoke style tools, and even chucking it up in a vise doesn't keep the tubing from pushing through.

 

[Jeff in VA]

Not to say flaring isn't the proper way to do it, but another option is a compression fitting and splice in a new pre-flared end :laugh3:
I've got 2 of them on my MJ now, no muss no fuss, and no leaks.
Jeff

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Harbor Freight Tools sells an acceptable flaring tool for about $12. I've found that it's not the quality of the tool, but how well it's used, that results in a good flare.

As was stated, only use a tube cutter to cut the line, making sure it's ABSOLUTELY a square cut. (Hacksaws aren't allowed). Deburr the cut carefully. Lube the flare point with a drop of oil.

I've also heard to never double-flare a stainless steel line. Stainless is harder and more brittle, and tends to crack and leak with a double flare. A single flare seals very well on stainless (or so I've heard).....
:05of5:

 

[tompatjr]

Thats a good flairing tool but it's not for brake lines.
Brake lines are a double flare it would be good for other lines but not brakes.

They make the same tool with dies, it's a 345-DL.

 

[RWKHausSupply]

well i did read somewhere, something very interesting and prob. true.

They said that to cut the tubing with a reg ole tubing cutter, that it twist and compress's the tube on either side of the actual cut and when the cut is all finished your left with a nice cut, But what it took to cut actually work hardened the end.

So your now trying to flare a work hardened piece of material. The only way I see to over come that is to use a dremal or something similer with a cutt off.

Or they said to file down the end after using the tubing cutter for better results, as you remove some of the hardened material.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Not to say flaring isn't the proper way to do it, but another option is a compression fitting and splice in a new pre-flared end

Jeff, I'm sure it's worked for you, but compression fittings aren't recommended for use on brake lines. The pressures are just too darn high for compression fittings to hold up on brake lines; they're more for low and medium pressures.

 

[Matthew Currie]

well i did read somewhere, something very interesting and prob. true.

They said that to cut the tubing with a reg ole tubing cutter, that it twist and compress's the tube on either side of the actual cut and when the cut is all finished your left with a nice cut, But what it took to cut actually work hardened the end.

So your now trying to flare a work hardened piece of material. The only way I see to over come that is to use a dremal or something similer with a cutt off.

Or they said to file down the end after using the tubing cutter for better results, as you remove some of the hardened material.

the instructions with my double flare tool specified that you must file a bevel on the end of the tube, and I would expect that this would pretty well take care of the problem of work hardening.

I have found that the care with which you file that bevel makes a big difference in how the flare seats. Also the cheap yoke that came with my set was inadequate to hold the tubing. It has to be really tight. I found an old yoke from a conventional flare set that works better.

Having said all this, I would also say that I would never bother to double-flare an old line unless it's really hard to replace the whole thing, or if it's 10PM on a sunday night or something. New tubing is pretty cheap, and so much nicer to work with. However, I have occasionally cut off and reflared new or reclaimed tubing to make up proper lengths. It's much easier to do this job in a vise than on the vehicle.

 

[langer1]

2X my experience has been that the old tube splits 9 times out of 10.