easy tubing bending Q

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Rapid Robert

Rapid Robert

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replacing the 2 5/16" tranny cooler lines. can I bend em to a 90 deg angle with a regular tubing bender or do I need to do something extra to keep em from kinking? these are parts house 5 ft lengths with the male fitting on each end. is there an adapter fitting to mate em to the brass fittings on the trans case or do I just cut em off & slip on the old connectors then flare it? thank you for your time. RR
 
You can do it with a tubing bender but you wont be able to do a sharp 90°. More like a radius sweeping bend. Too sharp and the tubing will kink.
Those sticks of tubing at the parts stores are usually brake line. I would just use the correct fitting rather than trying to adapt it.
 
^^^ Agreed.

I use the coiled-spring looking tubing benders, a 5/16 line will need about a 2" radius to make a 90 degree bend. And Mike is right, the brake tubing is harder to work with than the copper/nickel stuff. The correct fittings are cheap and better than adding adapters that increase your leakage possibilities. Make sure you use a quality double flaring tool for your ends and do some practice flares first.

Oh, and remember to put your new fittings on the line before you flare it. Don't ask me how I know this...:BangHead:
 
If you buy the copper nickel stuff that all the rage at the parts stores, or even the steel tubing we all know and hate. I found if you load the tube with a piece of steel cable that fits right and tight, and grease the hell out of it- it will bend rather tight and not collapse. After like 2 bends you will not want to bend any more because the steel cable will get caught in there and only an act of GOD will get it out.

Some info on line suggest using sand and capping the ends then bend. My only issues is how do you know it’s all out.
Transmissions, sand and me don’t get along.
Syleng1
 
Back in the day, I would use hydraulic lines........Not factory looking though, but worked great.
 
63 dart. the prefabbed ones look promising. with what I have do I need to double flare em? the steel cable sounds doable. thanks guys
 
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