Line Flares

So I have never done brake or fuel lines on a vehicle before, but the Scout 800 I am working on now needs everything. In looking at tools it looks like there are several types of flares and I want to make sure I get the right tool. There are single, bubble, double, mushroom, 45 and 37 degree, etc.

What kind of flares does my truck have for brake and fuel lines? Also any recommendations on tools? I've heard I must have a mastercool, but damn they are spendy. I want a good one that works but was hoping to stay under $200.

 

They should be double flares. Eastwood has some nice tools for this. I have been getting by with one I bought cheap at Autozone.

 

Seen a video of eastwood on FB. Really nice tool. Friend has 1 about like it. Put it in a vice to hold it. Makes perfect flares. I think the whole kit with many different adapters etc was like $300.

 

You can also just buy premade lines. They come in several different lengths, and by combining them with couplers you can often get exactly what you need as far as length.

 

The factory brake lines will be 45 degree double flare. I like the Ridgid 33927 kit.

 

If you are considering stainless lines, most entry level tools won't work. Stainless is too hard.

 

If you're looking to replace all your brake lines I just installed the pre-made kit from inline tube. It's great fit and quality and very well priced. Personally I'd have to value my time at about $0.50 an hour (or $0.50 a curse word) to justify bending the lines myself. If you just need to replace a few short sections parts stores do have pre-cut and flared lines in various lengths with the fittings already installed which can be a good option. I hate using the auto part stores flaring tools other than in a pinch to make like one line. Fuel lines aren't so bad as they're single flaring and under a lot less pressure so don't have to be as perfect.

 

I just did a bunch of brake lines. They are not hard, if you have a good tool The ones from the parts stores and the cheap ones from HF are just garbage. They dont hold the tube well and they have too course of thread on the bolt so it takes excessive effort to flare the tubes. I borrowed an old one that someone thought was the "loaner" that they would not care about losing vs their shiny new craftsman. It was an old Imperial 93FB, made in the USA. It was night and day. I never realized what a proper flare tool should actually work like until I had used that one. (I told him, under no circumstances loan that out again, because you might never get it back) I went out and bought one on ebay for 20 dollars, missing the dies, and bought a set of gear wrench dies on Amazon that fit it for 15 dollars. Id never use anything else. They are still available new, but I bet the old ones are better. (they certainly look it). If go that route, look at what your buying carefully though. I noticed that many of them have only one peice of the tool ,the part that grips the tube , original, and the other half is actually some no name part. Both parts, the one that grips the tube, and the part with the screw that flares the tube, should be marked imperial. It probably would not be a bad way to go to buy a brand new one. A google search shows that they are highly regarded. Im cheap though, and I like old tools.

The way a double flare tool works is that you cut the tube with a tubing cutter, then remove the burr. There is often a part of the tubing cutter for that. I prefer I file. Then you clamp the tube in the clamp part of the tool,and use the edge of the die to measure how much is protruding. Then you put the pin of the die in the tube. The die has a tapered dimple in it for the cone shaped end of the other part of the tool. You place that over the clamp and use it to crush the end of the tube into something that looks sort of like the bubble flare on foreign cars. Once you have that done, remove the die and then run the cone into the bubble flare to create a conical flared seat. If you dont do the first step you wont have a good seal and its likely to fail under use, sometimes catastrophically under the pressure in a brake system.

You also need a decent tubing bender. I actually liked the "OEM" brand tubing bender that autozone rented me. It seemed to work quite well. It was one of the one that has grooves for each size tubing and supports it all around, like this one
https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/loaner-tube-bender/oem-heavy-duty-tubing-bender/391367_0_0

and not one of the worthless ones like this one
https://www.autozone.com/loan-a-tools/loaner-tube-bender/oem-tubing-bender/48587_0_0

 

I agreed with you until I used a good flare tool. Then it was a breeze. I usually use the premade sections for those lines that are short enough. Then I cut them down to the exact size and only have to flare one end. I find it a good compromise between being cheap and being a perfectionist. I dont like splicing lines if I can avoid it. I was going to go with the cupronickle lines, so I ordered a kit from amazon that had all the flare nuts and 25' of tube. It was garbage. I could not get it to bend properly. So I sent it all back and bought steel lines from napa. I got the flare nuts from Amazon in bags of 10 for something like 5 bucks. That saved a lot of money vs 2 bucks each from the parts store or whatever they charge. The nuts were fine. I suspect that the cupronickle line was just crap. It seemed that the walls were way to thin. Next time I do brake lines, I may go to napa and buy a 1' premade line and try bending it to see how it goes and see if its better. One of the problems with Amazon or ebay is , when you get a product that does not seem to work, its hard to tell whether its you or the product that is the problem. I know that Napa is unlikely to sell me a dangerously bad quality brake line. On the other hand, I KNOW that an Amazon or Ebay seller just might.

 

I've found slight chamfering the OD of the tube is key to getting consistent double flares.

 

I have the eastwood flare tool...money well spent..caught it on sale..about $150 I think
a good quality bender is also nice..i have rigid for those....
and a good tubing cutter..also rigid...
a deburring tool that does inside and outside is good as well..

 

I got nicopp lines from Amazon for fuel and was very happy. 5/16" and 3/8". Easy to work with.