VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc New Brake Lines

Has anyone had any success with making new steel brake lines? I remade all the brake lines on my 36 1/2 ton with the exact bends and all connections double flared. I have a snap on flaring tool, but the steel did present a challange since it is very hard material. I got the kit from Eastwood. After I got it hooked up I bleed it with silicone fluid and it leaked at EVERY connection. I have flared lots of materials, but never steel. Is it me, the silicon or is it not possible to get a good double flare on steel unless it is done by machine? This is VERY frustrating. Any thoughts guys??
Richard

I have made up new brake lines for several cars.Never had a leakage problem with double flare tool.The tool is designed for steel tube flaring.Did you get stainless tubing by mistake??I buy the pre-flared lines (from parts stores) - get them extra long and cut off one end to correct length and reflare.Or get a real long line and make several short lines from it.

There are flareing tools and then there are GOOD flareing tools, the one used by GM dealer shops is a GOOD tool, I have found those sold by most parts houses are ok for copper and steel fuel lines but don't work so good on brake lines. That may be why a set of brake lines sell for big money.

Over the last 27 years I have sold hundreds of flare tool sets.Most on the market are made by Old Forge and sold under Snap On (Blue Point).Mac,Matco and many other "brand" names.These are the ones , purchased and used by mechanics in GM and all other dealerships.Flaring brake lines is what most are used for.I never had any complaints.The GM Kent Moore set is also made by Old Forge.The SnapOn set you have should do well if its for double flaring and used properly.Do you have the instructions for how far to extend the tubing thru the tool when flaring etc....

I do have the instructions and am following them, however the clamp has difficulty holding the tubing as the flare is made. I think this is the root of the problem. It looks like a good flare, but must not be. I have tried three flaring sets. My SnapOn set, a set from Eastwood and a Craftsman set, all with leaks!

I successfully made a rear brake caliper pipe for a '76 Corvette and a rear brake line for a '72 1/2 ton last week using my Old Forge double flare tool. I used steel brake line material purchased from the local auto store (not stainless). It's important that you remove the pipe inner burr caused by cutting the pipe in two with the tubing cutter. I also take a flat file and true up the surface where the tubing cutter pierced its way through the pipe and lightly chamfer the outer corner of the pipe as well. Keep the cut off end square with the pipe. Once you have the correct amount of pipe protruding above the flaring tool using the gage portion of the stemed button, tighten the clamp with a pair of pliers and then place the unit in a bence vise and squeeze it as tightly as you can. Put a little chassis lube on the end of the pipe at the area to be flared before inserting the stem of the button used to form the first upset in the end of the pipe. Add a little more lube when making the final flare with the tapered wedge. Good Luck!

Dick, that is a good tip, I never saw this in the instructions supplied with my flareing kit, I think it is an Imperial.

The Imperial was also made by Old Forge.Some had the instruction sheet pasted to the inside of the cover-some were loose.

I have had this set for about 35 years and I can't find the case nor the instruction sheet, so I am thankful for any instructions you guys come up with. That idea of useing the vice really helps.

Using a vise may be more difficult than its sounds. By the time you have the pipe secured in the tool. Both wing nuts of the tool to contend with and a need to be able to still use the flarring clamp devise, finding a place to grip the tool in a vise may be a problem. Any additional grip you can achieve on the pipe is a plus.

Something no one else has alluded to yet is the use of the silicone fluid. This stuff seems to find a way to leak. When I did the brake system on my 51 and used silicone, I also had leaks everywhere. I ended up having to tighten the fittings so tight, I was afraid of breaking them. I eventually got the lines sealed up after several tries and did get a good pedal. But I did end up tearing apart and cleaning everything up again and going with regular brake fluid. The wheel cylinders seeped with the silicone, not a big deal but it did kinda make a mess.

From what experiance I have had, and not too much either, I understand silicon fluid was formulated for the military and was designed to be used in a closed system. Not in an open (vented to the atmosphere as in the older Chevys (those without the rubber bladder above the fluid reservoir. In an open vented system water condenses in the system and is assorbed into the DOT 3 and Dot 4 fluid rendering it fairly inactive as per it's hydraulic performance. The water is not absorbed into the silicon fluid and that water contaminates the silicon Dot 5 fluid and gathers in drops and modules and when it encounters enough heat in a wheel cylinder to boil causes steam to form and the pressure from the steam can cause a wheel cylinder to lock up and the pressure does not bleed off as soon as the other cylinders without any steam. That makes sense to me. I don't know why the silicon fluid would tend to leak any more than the standard Dot 3 & 4.