Fuel line flair

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DART66GT

62 Lancer GT - B Body 8 3/4
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I'm getting ready to flare my niccop fuel lines, it's been awhile but I have done a fair amount of steel lines. I borrowed an OEM brand flair tool and practice on some old steel line. On my old flair tool I could tighten it all the way then flair and it always worked well. But this one really seems to crush the line and leave a lot of imprint, if I back off it doesn't hold during flairing.
 
Like this

IMG_20190529_174737321.jpg
 
I've found that brand is everything with flare tools. I'm partial to Imperial-Eastman. I'd stay away from the china freight versions.
 
I've got a flare tool (KD, I think) that marks the tubing up pretty bad, luckily the tube nut covers the ugly. Mine doesn't crush the tubing like yours, though. I'd find a different tool. My Blue-Point flare tool does a really nice job, and barely mars the tubing.
 
Mine is pretty bad marking the tube too. It wouldn't double flair for crap either. I bit the bullet and bought the Eastwood multi-head tool.
 
I've got a flare tool (KD, I think) that marks the tubing up pretty bad, luckily the tube nut covers the ugly.
i've got a 30+ year old KD set up too (US, not chicrap), does the same thing. the steel lines aren't too bad, but i guess i'll be buying something else for the nicop
 
The nicop is a lot softer than steel. I just got done doing all new brake lines on my wagon with that stuff, bending and flaring is a breeze compared to steel.
 
The OEM was a loan a tool from blottozone, can't remember what my old one was. Might have to look into buying one.
 
I put my tool bars in a vice as I cant get the cheap screws to tighten enough around the line with the flimsy screw handles.
 
Tried another borrowed tool on a scrap piece of niccop, a little better hard to shell out $200 for Eastwood for the amount of flaring I do.

IMG_20190616_160117481.jpg
 
Finally getting back to the car after break in remodeling. Bought a Bluepoint used on eBay and tried it on a scrap piece of line. As soon as I started tightening the wing nuts disenegrated! Never saw anything break that easy! Not just the ears broke off the threaded area broke to!

IMG_20190627_181003208.jpg
 
FWIW, here are some pics of Blue Point flare tools...

The TF5a from Snap-On's website:
TF5A.jpg

And another TF5a from Ebay:
s-l500.jpg

And the TF528D, which we PM'ed about (pic is also from Snap-On's site, but mine is identical):
TF528D.jpg


Note all the wing nuts are full thickness, without the scallops in the wings like your broken tool has. I think someone either swapped the entire tool, or at least swapped the wingnuts for something inferior. I'd be asking the seller for my money back.

If you weren't on the opposite side of the country, I'd invite you over to use mine.

Also, the pic of the Ebay TF5a looks exactly like my KD Tool, except for the "Blue-Point" on the mandrel.
 
Flaring tools are a kind of an "in for a penny or in for a pound sort of thing. Either you get the dime store crap and use it once or twice if you're lucky, or you get a good one and spend a bit.

FWIW, Blue Point tools have been made overseas for quite some time now. Brands I would seek out would something like OTC, older NAPA brands, older Snap On, Thexton, older Lisle......and try to find "good used" if you want a decent bargain. I would pit anything USA made 30 years old or older in good used condition over "ALMOST" anything new. I am all over EBay right now looking and there are decent deals on good tools. You just have to know how to look.
 
Mine is pretty bad marking the tube too. It wouldn't double flair for crap either. I bit the bullet and bought the Eastwood multi-head tool.

I did also and never looked back. It's one of those tools that's hard to swallow when you purchase it but after you see the quality of the flair it sure helps ease the pain lol.....

JW
 
The seller on eBay is taking it back I'm mailing it out today. Started looking again. Thanks for the suggestions on what brands.
 
I own (2) of the Imperial-Eastman manual kits, and (1) of the hydraulic MC kits, they all have their down and upsides......and ni-cop sh#t is like working with bubblegum. You have to go easy with it, and the 1st step often wants to offset to one side, it takes patience and attention to make nice consistent ones. I've made more flares than I could ever count, including stainless lines, getting a quality kit makes Your life easier and the odds better.
 
Now, here's food for thought. There are two types of flaring tools. One for thick wall tubing and one for thin. If you use the thin wall tool on thick wall tubing, that could be the reason you're crushing the tube.
 
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