brake line flare tool

[snag]

Just lost another steel brake line and have decided to replace all of them as well as the fuel line. They are all rusted. Last time I just used two different lenghts of finished lines and a coupler. However if i am replacing all of them i will buy bulk line and need a double flare tool to secure the ends and wondered if anyone has had any experience with one, and could suggest a kind to get and explain how to do the double flare? Thanks Mike

[mattswabb]

I bought a cheap one and it sucked. Try this one: http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog I'm sure it has to be good.

[nonamekid]

I used a set that was similar to the one in the link and had good success with it. It cost me less that $20. I ended up replacing all the solid lines behind the cab on a 1994 ranger 2wd. They were really rusted. It wasn't too bad bending and flaring. To get good at flaring just buy a long bulk length and chop off the end and start practicing. That's what I did, bulk line is cheap.

[ajb999]

sorry, stupid question. i've never heard of double flaring. how's it different than just single. thanks.

adam

[snag]

Thanks for the replies, as to the flare. Someone else probably knows better than I but in a nut shell any higher pressure lines will have a angle flare in the inside diameter, and will also have another angle on the outer diameter. The ID mates to a taper that you are bolting on to, the OD angle mates with the angle on the fitting when tightened down. Lower pressure lines will just have the inside flare. The festy lines are metric and have the double flare..
Mike

[ajb999]

sorry, didn't mean to repost. was hitting back on the browser and it said i needed to refresh the page and when i did it reposted from before.

[WmWatt]

My local mechanic say his shop likes to reuse the fittings on older cars because they get a better seal. That must mean they buy bulk brake line, cut and flare the ends.

I looks like my Festiva needs rear brake lines as well as the front ones. I notice the rear lines go up over top the fuel tank. Does the fuel tank have to come off?

[snag]

It looks like it to me, I ran the line in the void between the gas tank and the body. As rusty as my gas tank looks I figured I had better leave it alone.

[bsirvine]

The picture of the snapon one in the link above looks identical to the cheap and crappy one I bought.

[snag]

Well I went into my friendly neighborhood auto parts store Fri to get all of the bulk line for my weekend change the rest of my brake line project. They had a pretty sweet looking double flare tool set for 50 bone and 25 feet of line for 10 bone. No metric fittings. So I left and called fnaps number 2 same thing no fittings, might be able to order them in. So I ended up buying ready made lines and some couplers to join them. Took probably 5 hours to run lines to both back and drivers front brakes and bleed them all as well. I re-bench bleed my new MC as I wasn't getting fluid to the pass rear before I changed the lines. I got good fluid there but now none to the drivers front(aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh) I put it back together and decided to drive it around for a day and I will try to re-bleed the front tonight. Hope to see some fluid tonight.

[mattswabb]

Just reuse your old fittings unless they in in poor shape. I always save the good fittings when I replace them with the ready made ones. Just in case I ever need them.

[snag]

Yea, the old ones were pretty far gone. I got smart and just started to cut off the lines and then put a 6 pt socket on the fitting and that help out alot.