Flaring Brake Lines

[Lee Ann]

I recently learned how to make two types of brake line flares: the iso (aka bubble) and the double flares.
How often do you guys flare brake lines (an average/week)?
What brand(s) tool do you use? If you have used more than one brand or type, which is your favorite?

Below is my first attempt.
We had available to us: a hydraulic type from Matco (P/N: AC71475), and 3 manual types from Matco (P/N: DFS260A), Rigid (P/N: 23332) and Blue Point.

Attachments:

• 001.jpg

Topic

[jake masters]

Well I live in the rust belt of ohio so…. At least once a week I’m running new brake lines. Flaring both types. My shop has a half full set of a Ken more flare set. I’m in the process of doing a whole truck brake lines starting today. Word of advice take your time and don’t disturb old lines or u mind as well replace everyone.learning this the hard way.

[Lee Ann]

I live in the rust belt as well.
Yeah well, it happened to me too just 2 weekends ago or so. While moving my LW300 out of the garage (where it has sat since March 6th when the serpentine belt broke and later the timing belt) so I could have a place to work, I busted a brake line…just add it to the list of things to do on that car now… :pinch:

[Douglas Haynes]

When I did automotive work here in the rust belt I would be doing brake lines once or twice a month and that was doing fleet service. It’s a good skill to have.

[Mike]

I have sworn by the Mastercool Universal Hydraulic Flaring Tool for almost 10 years. I bought it as the Snap-On TF700, and it’s also the Matco AC71475 you had available. That link is near the cheapest you’re going to get one of those things. The only piece of that tool set I’ve ever had to have warrantied was something that was bent up by some brutis I loaned the set to.

There is also a nice tool from Eastwood that mounts in a vise and makes similar production-quality flares. Problem is, you can’t use it on lines still attached to the car. You really need to be able to do that to make on-the-car repairs. The Eastwood tool is meant for when you’re making whole new lines, fitting-to-fitting, off the car. When repairing rusted out lines in the shop under the flat-rate pressure and on cars that just need to get back on the road as cheap as possible (how it usually is), you need to be able to patch into existing lines wherever there’s a clean spot.

It is also an issue of state safety inspection regulations. Some states allow the use of compression fittings, while others will fail inspection if they are found on the car. In NY, no compression fittings, so you need to have one of these tools to make repairs using a union fitting that will pass inspection.

[Lee Ann]

[quote=”Fopeano” post=141836]I have sworn by the Mastercool Universal Hydraulic Flaring Tool for almost 10 years. I bought it as the Snap-On TF700, and it’s also the Matco AC71475 you had available. That link is near the cheapest you’re going to get one of those things. The only piece of that tool set I’ve ever had to have warrantied was something that was bent up by some brutis I loaned the set to.

There is also a nice tool from Eastwood that mounts in a vise and makes similar production-quality flares. Problem is, you can’t use it on lines still attached to the car. You really need to be able to do that to make on-the-car repairs. The Eastwood tool is meant for when you’re making whole new lines, fitting-to-fitting, off the car. When repairing rusted out lines in the shop under the flat-rate pressure and on cars that just need to get back on the road as cheap as possible (how it usually is), you need to be able to patch into existing lines wherever there’s a clean spot.

It is also an issue of state safety inspection regulations. Some states allow the use of compression fittings, while others will fail inspection if they are found on the car. In NY, no compression fittings, so you need to have one of these tools to make repairs using a union fitting that will pass inspection.[/quote]

That is interesting. I would definitely like to know more about making brake lines on-car…kind of the same concept as machining rotors on-car? We have these lathes available to us at school. I hope to start learning on one of them soon.

Yep, I have known about the Eastwood Brake Line Flaring tool since watching ETCG, 1/2014. I also shared the link to Eastwood with my Bakes Class instructor. He thought it was cool. 🙂

It is on my tool wish list.

[Author]

Replies