Brake Flairing Guide

[baz-r]

sealey do a cheap one that works fine for me on softer pipes like copper
can be used to do the ends of your fuel pipe too.

top tip is to make sure the end is square and the amount of pipe your flairing is right

[robo]

On the subject of brake pipe tools, every now and then decent gear pops up on fleabay. I got a rothenberger pipe bender for £25 http://www.rothenberger-tool-uk-sale...ges/R24112.jpg Makes a really neat job of bends in small diameter pipes and can be used in position as you go. Never knew I needed it till I owned it for a few years and now dont know what i would do without it.

Also picked up one of these for about £50 http://www.aircraftspruce.co/catalog...parkerbead.jpg , same thing again has proved bloody handy .

Bob

[leroybrown911]

I echo previous comments, a decent flaring tool will pay dividends. I borrowed one once and did a great job.

I then tried another job with a shoddy tool and was a nightmare!My solution was the garage down the road flared the ends for me. Turned out it wasnt worth the effort for what they charged, even with a good tool that would cost £100plus the time it would have took me was not worth the £15 they charged me!

In my experience, if this is the only brake pipes you will do, then get the local garage to flare them! Just cut them to length and slip the unions on first.

[baz-r]

i worked in a garages and have used posh swage/flairing tools and i also have a cheap £15 tool from sealy for home use both work if you know what your doing
cheap one takes more time thats all
pure copper pipe is a dream to work with as its soft and froms nicely
i have even tried to work galv steel brake pipe thats not nice

[danilo]

That Inside flaring tool is Marvelous. Admittedly a limited use item But it's certainly tempting. Apparently I've never looked deeply enough at Aircraft Spruce although I've bought from there in the past.
I discovered Cheap flaring tools made a complete mess of double flares in steel lines. Erm Would one use any thing other than steel for a brake line?

Paying a shop for their time and skills is often the cleanest solution.

[baz-r]

steel brake pipe is only std fitment to prouduction cars realy as cheap hard and rusts. almost all is copper or cupro nickel as it can be formed into bends lasts longer and swaged easly.
i dont know if you can get replacment steel pipe anymore?

[rapidtornado]

Think I'm gone mock mine up in the plastic coated stiff wire you get from garden centres then take my fittings and pipe down the local garage where I get all the cars MOT'd and ask them if they can do it.... think it will be cheaper than buy expensive kit and they are less likely to balls it up than me

[AnguS]

i have a snap-on one that must be nearly as old as me, used to be my dad's, and after using it last night i can confirm it still works as good as it did when he had it....

half the battle with these tools, is cutting the pipe square, and deburring it the same every time
that and propper placement of the pipe before you start winding

the other half is remembering to put the nut on first!