How To Flare Brake Lines Without Tool

Download Commodity

Download Article

Flaring restriction lines is one of those tasks that expect intimidating merely is actually manageable for the home mechanic. Quite frequently, you can spend less buying the equipment yourself then going to a store, and materials are inexpensive if y'all mess up the first 1-2 "practice" lines.

1. one

   Enquiry the appropriate brake line fluid, fittings, and sizes for your vehicle in either the possessor'due south manual or at a local auto store. If you've never made restriction lines earlier, you'll demand to do some enquiry to ensure you're installing the correct parts. Await in the owners manual, or bring the former brakes lines off your car and into an automobile store.^[1]

2. 2

   Buy a new set of restriction tubes, fittings, and flare basics with rust-resistant blend finish. Head to the local auto shop and grab the parts necessary for your overhaul. You should be using the old parts as a guideline for the lengths and sizes, as all cars will have slightly unlike specifications.

   • Don't forget to buy the appropriate restriction fluid as well. You lot'll demand to fill it later on.
   • Again, when in doubt, practice some enquiry. The internet is filled with specific communication for each brand, model, and fifty-fifty year of the car.

   Ad

3. three

   Know that you can buy pre-fabricated lines at about auto stores to relieve time and energy. Every bit long equally you accept the right sizes and fittings, you can buy restriction lines that are already double flared. Make sure, notwithstanding, that the pre-flared line will fit your car by comparing to the erstwhile lines.^[2]

4. four

   Buy or hire a double flaring tool kit. These devices are relatively inexpensive, and will quickly pay for themselves if you're flaring multiple lines. They come in three basic varieties:

   • Manual: The cheapest, about bones option (usually under $100), these are perfect for most non-professional mechanics and hobbyists. Can even exist borrowed or rented from many machine stores.
   • Leverage Manual: Like manual, but require less time and force for each flair. If you restore vehicles frequently or desire a consummate overhaul of your lines, this may exist worth the extra money. Usually several hundred dollars.
   • Hydraulic: Makes quick, even flares, but is likely overkill unless your making multiple flare lines a day or need to save time (similar an car-mechanic might). Can go very expensive.^[iii]

5. 5

   Purchase or infringe a tubing cutter. You need to make clean, quick cuts in the restriction tubing or else your lines will be weak and prone to leaks. Tubing cutters clamp to the tube and then rotate around the tube with a small knife, slowly cutting in a circular motion instead of pushing downwards to cutting, which could compression the tubing. They are usually less than $thirty.

   • In a pinch, you tin can use a hacksaw. If so, notwithstanding, use only calorie-free force per unit area, focusing on cutting side-to-side instead of up and down.^[4]

Advertising

1. ane

   Cut the tubing to the required length with your tubing cutter. Employ your old brake lines equally guides, cutting each line alee of fourth dimension and then that you can visualize how much extra tubing you have (or need to buy, if you're curt).

2. 2

   Chamfer the ends of the tubes that you'll exist double-flaring. "Chamfering" is simply creating a slope at the end. You desire to use a file or a bench grinder to slant roughly i/2" of the terminate. It will look a bit similar a pencil without the atomic number 82 in the centre.

3. iii

   Slide the fitting onto the line, with the threading facing the side you simply cut. Yous want to install the fitting so that it tin be screwed on over your flare. Make sure yous add the fitting now, as it can exist difficult to add together later.

   • Nearly lines are flared on both ends, and then make sure you add two fittings, pointing reverse directions, before showtime.^[5]

4. 4

   Mount your flaring base of operations in a vice. The long gratuitous slice of the flaring tool should be clamped firmly into a tabular array vice, keeping it in place as you put pressure downward to flair the line. The actual flaring tool should hang over the border of the tabular array, equally the brake lines need to drop down beneath the tool as you work.

   • You tin do this free-handed if you don't take a vice, but information technology is much easier with one.

5. 5

   Slide the tube into the appropriate sized hole on the flaring base of operations so that the chamfered end barely pokes out the summit. This is the part y'all'll exist flaring, simply you lot don't demand much exposed to make your connection. 1-2mm to a higher place the flaring base should be enough.

6. half dozen

   Tighten the flaring base around the tube, starting with the screws closest to your brake tube. Note how, in the video, the tube is in the far left pigsty of the flaring tool. Thus, the left-virtually screw is tightened offset, keeping the tube in place, before the screw on the right is tightened.

   • These only need to be hand-tightened.^[6]

7. vii

   File down the top of the tube so that information technology is flush with the flaring tool. Y'all want a dainty flat surface to create your connection. Make sure it has a nice flat top.

8. eight

   Employ a reaming tool to clean out the within edge. Take a small-scale reaming tool and insert information technology straight into the top of the line, rotating it with fifty-fifty pressure downwardly into the tube. This volition ream out the inside edge of the tube.^[vii]

Advertizement

1. one

   Adjust the superlative of the tube then it reaches the height of your flaring anvil. The anvil is round piece with a pocket-size rod sticking out the height. The bottom is made of ii cylinders, a wide i on the bottom and a thinner one on summit. You want the tubing to reach the elevation of this bottom department, as this is actually the tiptop of your flair.

   • Set the anvil adjacent to your tube, loosen the clench, and raise the tube to the same top as the "shoulders" of the anvil.
   • Make sure the anvil is the same size every bit the tubing yous're using. The pigsty the tube is in should be marked with measurement (ie, 3/xvi") that needs to match the measurement found on the bottom of the anvil (3/16").

2. 2

   Drop a few drops of brake fluid into the line and on the top of the anvil. The simply lubricating fluid you should use on a brake system is a brake fluid. Practice not use motor oil. Put a few drips in the line, and a couple on acme of the anvil. The height is the side with the rod poking out.^[viii]

3. 3

   Insert the rod of the anvil into the brake tube. Turn the anvil upside-downwards and thread the rod on top into the pigsty in the tube. I should sit down comfortably in the tube.

4. 4

   Take hold of the yoke, E-shaped [flaring tool] with an adjustable conical point in the center, and clamp information technology to the flaring base. For now, just adhere information technology loosely, then you can motility it around still.

5. 5

   Line up the flaring cone so that it press down squarely into the anvil. You desire to take your time lining this up, as this is how the line really gets flared. Luckily, the point is made to fit snugly into the anvil. Y'all want to make sure, nonetheless, that it is not diagonal, off-kilter, or otherwise misplaced.

   • Once y'all have the correct angle, tighten the yoke down so that it cannot motility.

6. 6

   Tighten the flaring cone, irksome into the anvil, until the anvil is flush with the base. Merely turn until the lesser of the anvil sits comfortably on the flat anvil base, then unscrew it and remove the anvil. This creates your first flare.

   • Don't apply excessive force here, or y'all could damage the flare. Slow, even force is all yous'll need.

7. seven

   Without moving the yoke, bore the flaring cone directly into your tube until it is flush. Simply remove the anvil and echo the process, tightening the cone direct into your tube. Over again, you want to stop when it is flush with the superlative of the flaring base. Also, you once more don't want to apply potent or excessive force. Slow and steady is perfect.

8. viii

   Spray down the finished lines with restriction cleaner and compressed air to remove any metal shavings or dust. This will ensure your unabridged braking system is working properly.^[9]

9. 9

Advertisement

Enquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to go a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

• Go slowly, using as little force as possible, for all work

• Always utilize double-wall steel lines, unless otherwise warned for your vehicle.

Advertisement

• Brakes are the most important feature of vehicle condom. Make sure yous test any repairs before heading onto public roads.

Advertisement

About This Article

Thanks to all authors for creating a folio that has been read 39,642 times.

Did this article help you?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Double-Flare-Brake-Lines

Share this post