crappy flare tool

[pishta]

Hey 7 bucks...what do you expect? Just a single flare, no bubble or double flare for brakes. Just trying to flare a fuel line. 3/8 worked fine, got a nice even flare. 5/16 was another story. I put the **** in a vice as the tube kept slipping and ended up digging a nice 5/16 donut in the conical ram! Then I read the 'fine print': To be used with Copper, Light weight steel and aluminum....I guess stainless is out of the question. :-( Thats cool, Ill just return it saying it sucks. Yup, HF. I may try and cut a mm off with a hacksaw to remove the work hardened area that the cutter produced, file a chamfer on the edge and even anneal it to red hot with a torch.
The stainless tubing is perfectly round, maybe a hair smaller in OD as the flare vice clamped on it: would a compression fitting work on it? This is the lower pressure (no resistance) return line on a fuel rail. or maybe just a section of EFI hose and some good EFI clamps? Like I said, its just the return line to the surge tank. No head pressure.

 

[toolmanmike]

Rant over I hope. You truely do get what you pay for. Imperial Eadtman is a top brand.

 

[krazykuda]

You can't go el cheapo on a flare tool, buy a good quality one...

 

[dukeboy440]

Hey 7 bucks...what do you expect? Just a single flare, no bubble or double flare for brakes. Just trying to flare a fuel line. 3/8 worked fine, got a nice even flare. 5/16 was another story. I put the **** in a vice as the tube kept slipping and ended up digging a nice 5/16 donut in the conical ram! Then I read the 'fine print': To be used with Copper, Light weight steel and aluminum....I guess stainless is out of the question. :-( Thats cool, Ill just return it saying it sucks. Yup, HF. I may try and cut a mm off with a hacksaw to remove the work hardened area that the cutter produced, file a chamfer on the edge and even anneal it to red hot with a torch.
The stainless tubing is perfectly round, maybe a hair smaller in OD as the flare vice clamped on it: would a compression fitting work on it? This is the lower pressure (no resistance) return line on a fuel rail. or maybe just a section of EFI hose and some good EFI clamps? Like I said, its just the return line to the surge tank. No head pressure.

well your first problem is that stainless steel requires a different degree flare than standard brake/fuel line does. Standard tubing like copper, light steel and aluminum all use a 45 degree flare, stainless requires a 37 degree flare and a special set of dies to keep it from splitting. you can flare regular tubing to 37, which most AN fittings require, but you can't flare stainless to 45, it'll split almost every time. Also, you cannot double flare stainless tubing. (unless is the thinner, annealed type)

 

[brian6pac]

I have worked with stainless tubing and got the softest, and you still can't double flair it.
I talked to people in the industry and they tell me the same thing 37* only and a single flair is all you need, even military uses a single flair. Stainless is stronger and doesn't need a double flair.

 

[dukeboy440]

I have worked with stainless tubing and got the softest, and you still can't double flair it.
I talked to people in the industry and they tell me the same thing 37* only and a single flair is all you need, even military uses a single flair. Stainless is stronger and doesn't need a double flair.

yep, i used to work making mil-spec lines for aircraft, we always single flared to 37 degrees. I do know you can anneal the end and double flare some types of stainless but I've never actually done it, just seen it done and frankly, not something i wanna do as you're flaring it when its still hot too

 

[pishta]

37 is AN, 45 is about everything else. Im using 45 fittings. If they say a 45 will split a stainless line, I got proof my 3/8 didnt. Its weird that a single flare tool would use a 45 cone when all single flares are 37? all doubles are 45? http://www.fedhillusa.com/webnuts/common%20flares6.pdf Heck I thought the stuff was aluminum when I started working in it. Caddy Northstar fuel rail. http://www.fedhillusa.com/webnuts/common flares6.pdf

 

[jos51700]

I put new ss brake lines on my car years ago and was disappointed to see them rust.

Now I'm curious if it was even stainless, since it bolted to stock 45* components

 

[dukeboy440]

I put new ss brake lines on my car years ago and was disappointed to see them rust.

Now I'm curious if it was even stainless, since it bolted to stock 45* components

stainless doesnt rust

 

[toolmanmike]

stainless doesnt rust

Good stainless doesn't rust. Most of the Chinese stainless isn't pure enough not to rust.

 

[dukeboy440]

Good stainless doesn't rust. Most of the Chinese stainless isn't pure enough not to rust.

true true, all in the chromimum content

 

[67Dart273]

well your first problem is that stainless steel requires a different degree flare

The type of tubing has nothing at all to do with flare angle. It is the FITTINGS you are using the tubing with. Inverted flare/ common SAE flare is 45, JIC/ AN is 37 This applies to any type tubing

Maybe you can anneal the tube first

 

[brian6pac]

Stainless is non magnetic, if a magnet sticks, it's not stainless!

 

[dukeboy440]

The type of tubing has nothing at all to do with flare angle. It is the FITTINGS you are using the tubing with. Inverted flare/ common SAE flare is 45, JIC/ AN is 37 This applies to any type tubing

Maybe you can anneal the tube first

actually, yes it does. Stainless steel is actually a tad more brittle, which is why it splits. which is why it requires a single, 37 degree flare. I worked making lines and flaring them for years. I'm now working with them again for the military on the engineering side.

 

[jos51700]

stainless doesnt rust

Stainless is non magnetic, if a magnet sticks, it's not stainless!

Neither of these statements is accurate.

Stainless most certainly can rust, and the chinesium ss is certainly more prone to that, but high chlorine content cleaners can make even passivated 303/304 stainless rust. 316 is much better, but can still rust.

400 series stainless rusts easily, and is magnetic, and 300 series stainless can be magnetized through mechanical working, such as machining.

 

[pishta]

well, I got them to flare, didnt split with the 45 anvil either. I annealed them and chamfered the end a tad with a burr. Im sure it will seal using a 45 inverted flare fitting. Im sure the tool would actually work as designed on softer metals, copper for sure. Next question: About how many inch/lbs are required to tighten these? I read it was finger snug, then wrench until it "snugs down" then 1/6 more turn, does this sound accurate? I have almost broken brake fittings trying to loosen them so I guess they can take alot of torque.