Build a hydraulic brake line flare tool?

[great white]

Apologies if this is in the wrong forum, I didn't see a better place to post it.

I'm at the point where I need to run all the fuel and brake lines for my 83 mustang.

Suffice to say, using the "standard" type flare tool for that many flares isn't really an option:



They're good for a couple flares, but do a lot of them and you get pretty sore hands and eventually it starts slipping and just generally destroys itself with lots of use. It also doesn't help that every day I'm a little bit older and that means....ahem.....weaker.

The screw you see in the clamp portion is steel and the casting is soft iron, so it just eats itself up after a certain amount of use and plain wears out. I've got to plumb every single brake and fuel line on the car, so I need a better way than the hand operated brute force "crush" type flare tools.

I'd like to pick up a bench mounted unit or the hand held hydraulic unit, but they're hella expensive. You'd be lucky to get a tool like those for under 500+bucks Cad and you're more likely to spend 700 cad once you get it shipped, pay the duties, taxes, etc. That may not seem like much considering the job I'm looking at, but its a scootch more than I want to (actually it's a lot more than I have to) spend. The hydraulic units all look like a variation of this:


It's basically just a small hand pump and ram that pushes a couple forms together and forces the tube into a flare.

The key parts are the die sets, which hold the tubing and form the flare. The dies look like this:



The blocks you see are actually split so you can put the tube in and then remove it after the flare is formed. They're held together by a screw/clamp arrangement in the housing assembly.

The hydraulic part of the tool just applies the force, the dies do the important work. Here's a vid on how it work if you are interested:

So, cash poor means I have to get "creative".

I'm thinking about making a brake flare tool using my porta-power ramset.

It would, obviously, be bench mounted so size isn't a factor. I don't need to use it "on car", so that's ot a factor either.

Making the housing to hold the dies shouldn't be too hard, just a bit of work on the mill and some 1018 (which is probably stronger than the "bought" tool, as it's a cast assembly).

It's the dies that I'm wondering about. They're not cheap either, just over 200 cad for that set in the pic above. But that's a bit more manageable than 500-700 Cad. Should I try to make the dies or just suck it up and buy a set?

I do have several of the crush types that are in various stages of worn out/broken, I suppose I coudl always sacrfice a couple broken ones and cut out the parts I need to make a hydraulic flare tool. I don't need many different sizes, so I probably have lots of pieces to build from.

As mentioned, I've got several of the "tube crusher" flare tools, so geometry is something that I can measure off what I have here. The dies themselves look like pretty simple thing to make.

I guess I'm looking for input on how I may machine out a set of dies and perhaps the holder for the hydraulic portion.


Again, I dont have the money to just "suck it up and buy one", so please don't suggest that. If I had the money, I'd have already bought a set.

 

[Truckmannorth]

So I don't post often but I have run miles of brake line using the hydraulic flaring tool you show. I don't see why you couldn't make your own. The dies would be a little fiddly but if I was doing it on a budget I would use what you have and adapt it to the Portapower and be done. My only other thought is have you looked into premade/prebent line sets. I know they have them for a lot of the classics. Just a thought.

 

[Chewy]

I bought the Blue Point version of the hand tool maybe 40 years ago. I don't know how many hundreds of cars that I used it on, but several were complete redos like you are doing. When the body gets a little bowed out and doesn't grip the line tight enough, use a C clamp. Also hols the body with a big pair of Vice Grips for leveage. I added a cheater to the T screw and it helps because I have hand problems. Starting to loose my grip. I last used the tool two weeks ago on 1/4 steel line. If you can afford to buy or build a better hydraulic version, go for it. For one car I would save my money. On a whole redo, working with store bought lengths, you have, what, 20 flares? If the tool you bought was a cheap Chinese knockoff, toss it and buy a real one. My two cents after doing this for years.

You might want to check that your car doesn't use the "button" type flare. It is an entirely different flare end. I had to buy that because I was getting surprised on the different models of cars.

 

[Chewy]

So I don't post often but I have run miles of brake line using the hydraulic flaring tool you show. I don't see why you couldn't make your own. The dies would be a little fiddly but if I was doing it on a budget I would use what you have and adapt it to the Portapower and be done. My only other thought is have you looked into premade/prebent line sets. I know they have them for a lot of the classics. Just a thought.

The only problem with prebent lines is installing them. The lines on many vehicles are attached to the body behind the engine and sometimes the frame and fuel tank. I went this route on a 2000 Impala and had to cut the lines in 2-3 pieces to install anywhere close to original locations and holders. I use the hand tool described above. From firewall back I just bent the lines to match and snaked them in. I got 6 years on the car sitting in the driveway. If you are doing a restoration where you lift up the body or pull engine and transmission, then prebent would be my choice.

 

[Winegrower]

This seems like a great project. I would probably clamp two blocks together and on the parting line, drill and taper them in the lathe, then put it in a bench vise and use the HF hydraulic press.

 

[pontiac428]

I have and have seen a number of setups for hydraulic swages that are more robust and don't damage the lines when clamped into a block. I bring it up because they use a split fitting to go around the tubing that has a taper on the OD, which is inserted into the body of the supporting piece. This type of fitting can be made to very precise tolerances, preventing crush damage while providing a good hold for the ram die. I assume Ford only used one size of tubing in 1983 (probably metric, right?) so you'll only need one clamp fitting and one die for the whole job.

The dies probably have springback and tapered draft built in to their geometry, so measure carefully for best results.

Do not use 1018 steel for a tool like this. It's the wrong stuff. For a press die, you need some molybdenum for toughness, so get some 4130/4140 or 4340 for this one. Alloy steel is all over the junk yards.

 

[FOMOGO]

I bought one of the hydraulic ones when the first came out years ago. Very handy tool to have, and does a great job on brake, and fuel lines. wouldn't want to go back to the old style. I agree With pontiac428 on the material choice for the dies. Will be interesting to see how you make out. Keep us posted. Mike

 

[K30]

To make your life generally easier, consider cupro-nickel brake line and aluminum fuel line. I don't know why the US makes insist on sticking to steel brake lines, the rest of the universe went to the copper/nickel ones a long time ago. They are way easier to bend and flare, and don't rot out on you. Same reason I like the aluminum fuel line, it's just easier to work with.

 

[brino]

I am watching this thread.

Years ago I had finally had enough of the "standard" type of tool you show above and I bought the Mastercool set.
What an amazing upgrade!

Immediately my flares went from an off-centre "wilted daisy" (a description from a friend, that fit perfectly) to something I am proud of, and that seals first time.

I know you said:

Again, I dont have the money to just "suck it up and buy one", so please don't suggest that. If I had the money, I'd have already bought a set.

If you were local, I'd say come and take my set for a month or two.
....alternately, perhaps there is a way, it's gotta be cheaper than a full purchase to just ship it to you for use, right?
If you're interested just PM me here and I can find the shipping costs.
The less pieces of the kit you need the cheaper it should be.

Brian

 

[lordbeezer]

You need to double flare brake lines.