bending 5/16 parts store steel line

PROSTOCKTOM said

If you want to bend the sharpest, most kink free radius curves with any hand bender made buy yourself a Swagelok tubing bender.

I have them in 1/8", 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 3/8", and 1/2" Be aware they are expensive even used on eBay, but once you use one you'll be impressed with the results.

Tom

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I was a tuber at a compressor manufacturer for a couple of years before going to school.for instrumentation. That was a while ago now. Used Eastwood benders that are similar to the Robinare benders. They work fine for thinner wall tubing. We got into some 0.065" and 0.095" wall 304 and 316 SS on some units. The Swageloc really helped on those. We ended up breaking some of the Eastwood benders handles off due to the tough pull required. A bit of antiseize under the shoe did help, but I just bought the Swageloc.
For automotive use you are likely using mild steel and usually under 3/8" tubing, so fairly easy to bend. 1/2" mild steel with the 0.043" wall is fairly easy to bend.
The Swageloc are wonderful.benders but as stated, expensive. If a person will be bending daily, get them. With Swageloc as most others you need a different bender for each diameter of tube.
Shop had to purchase metric benders for some units for a Norwegian company. Tubing and fittings were special order. If we needed one fitting they had to order a box of 20 at about $50 each.
Our boss wanted the tubing level or vertical. When the units got to the port or ship yard off Singapore, the Norwegians took one look and tore most of it off. They wanted no low or high spots to trap gas or liquid to throw measurement off. They came off a sensing point and wrapped around the vessel and into the transmitter. Most of the electrical cabling got ripped out also and redone.