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Build a hydraulic brake line flare tool?
- Thread starter great white
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 14, 2020
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- 1,739
I think you could finish the job with a manual flaring tool before you finished making and debugging a tool.
If flaring is such a big issue buy flared tubing and that will elimate at least half of your flaring.
If flaring is such a big issue buy flared tubing and that will elimate at least half of your flaring.
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2014
- Messages
- 8,852
Their prices initially looked a little high, but then I realized they were i) a full vehicle set, and ii) stainless steel!
With free two-day shipping....... maybe I should sell my flaring tools!
Thanks for posting that!
Brian
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Not an option. This is a custom install and OEM lines won't work. They need to be both custom bent and some may have different fitting styles on either end....
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
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310 after taxes and whatnots.....Trudeau's gotta get his cut to pay for his families next trip to where ever.....
But still a bit too high. Around 200 out the door and I would have jumped at it. Still, lowest price I've seen so far....
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- Joined
- Jan 1, 2018
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- 1,156
I get the impression that the Great White wants the challenge and feeling of accomplishment of making his own flaring tool???
He will probably spend more making his own BUT I have gone down this road with several different projects and the knowledge gained was always worth the time and money spent.
Personally, I say GO FOR IT!
He will probably spend more making his own BUT I have gone down this road with several different projects and the knowledge gained was always worth the time and money spent.
Personally, I say GO FOR IT!
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
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- 2,558
Not so much. If I could buy it at a reasonable (to me that is) price, I’d just buy it and be done with it.
Can’t ignore the skills gained attempting to build one though…
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2015
- Messages
- 359
I have used a friends mastercool several time as it has the dies for HP fuel line quick connects but all the hydraulic ones have a flaw, eventually they will leak at the pump. His and another coworkers has had the pump replaced.
I personally like the Sykes Pickavant style flaring tools.
I have the Eastwood version and its great. Another thing that no one mentioned, get some Cunifer/copper nickle brake line. Its wonderfull compared to steel to work with and will not rust nor work harden and crack like stainless steel. Its what volvos have had since at least the 70's. Personally I think it should be criminal to put steel brake lines on a vehicle from the factory. They have to put stainless mufflers on vehicles now, but not the brake lines? Napa stores can order copper nickle in rolls, I don't know about nova scotia.
Get an imperial bender in what size tubing your using and with some practice the lines will look factory bent.
You can also purchase a die head/set to do 37 degree AN/JIC hydraulic hardlines.
Also note, if you do use stainless steel, do NOT use a tubing cutter. Use a hack saw(I use a portaband). Then use a file and deburr knife to clean up/square up. Using a tubing cutter will work harden it and it will crack in the flare either during the flaring or sometime down the road.
I personally like the Sykes Pickavant style flaring tools.
I have the Eastwood version and its great. Another thing that no one mentioned, get some Cunifer/copper nickle brake line. Its wonderfull compared to steel to work with and will not rust nor work harden and crack like stainless steel. Its what volvos have had since at least the 70's. Personally I think it should be criminal to put steel brake lines on a vehicle from the factory. They have to put stainless mufflers on vehicles now, but not the brake lines? Napa stores can order copper nickle in rolls, I don't know about nova scotia.
Get an imperial bender in what size tubing your using and with some practice the lines will look factory bent.
You can also purchase a die head/set to do 37 degree AN/JIC hydraulic hardlines.
Also note, if you do use stainless steel, do NOT use a tubing cutter. Use a hack saw(I use a portaband). Then use a file and deburr knife to clean up/square up. Using a tubing cutter will work harden it and it will crack in the flare either during the flaring or sometime down the road.
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- Joined
- Jan 25, 2015
- Messages
- 2,558
Well, heres the problem with using copper nickel lines.
Straight copper is illegal here (for good reason) and we have inspections every 2-5 years (depends on age of vehicle). Every tech in the province knows copper lines are an immediate “rejected” sticker.
Now, every tech worth his salt knows about copper nickel lines.
But some will see anything that has a copper hue and bam! Rejected. They just don’t want to take the chance of having it come back on them if anything happens, which means they loose their provincial cert. I’ve had a couple freinds that ended up in that boat.
Then theres others that are a little…shady…and will reject on what looks like copper, knowing that most people will just pay to have them replaced and get that “pass” sticker.
So its a complete crap shoot if your car will pass or not with copper nickel lines. Depends on whether you get a nervous guy, a shady guy or just an unknowing guy.
Now, if you do happen to get rejected for CuNi lines you can dispute it, but thats a long, bureaucratic, PITA process. One I just don’t want to evr go through again. I’ve disputed things before that were wrongly rejected, but even when you win, you still loose.
Long story short: I’m just sidestepping the whole issue and using steel.
Straight copper is illegal here (for good reason) and we have inspections every 2-5 years (depends on age of vehicle). Every tech in the province knows copper lines are an immediate “rejected” sticker.
Now, every tech worth his salt knows about copper nickel lines.
But some will see anything that has a copper hue and bam! Rejected. They just don’t want to take the chance of having it come back on them if anything happens, which means they loose their provincial cert. I’ve had a couple freinds that ended up in that boat.
Then theres others that are a little…shady…and will reject on what looks like copper, knowing that most people will just pay to have them replaced and get that “pass” sticker.
So its a complete crap shoot if your car will pass or not with copper nickel lines. Depends on whether you get a nervous guy, a shady guy or just an unknowing guy.
Now, if you do happen to get rejected for CuNi lines you can dispute it, but thats a long, bureaucratic, PITA process. One I just don’t want to evr go through again. I’ve disputed things before that were wrongly rejected, but even when you win, you still loose.
Long story short: I’m just sidestepping the whole issue and using steel.
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- Joined
- Jan 20, 2015
- Messages
- 359
Wow, they throw true safety out the window in the name of safety inspections?
Sounds like a lot of similar stuff is going on up there.
The above bender still works well on steel. When I have a lot of hydraulic tubing to run it so much faster and easier on the hands than my ridgid or imperial roller flaring tools, which are night and day above the type you posted in pic one.
The syke pickavent style is a simple pull on a long lever. very quick, dies don't mar the tubing either, very similar dies to the mastercool/clones.
The hydraulic ones are not bad, but it still a lot of pumping and it can get tiring if doing a lot.