Thread: Flaring Stainless

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hi room - does anyone know a secret about flaring stainless 3/16" tubing? I've tried the double flare kit and it just pushes the tubing through the holder no matter how tight I tighten it - any info would be greatly appreciated - thanks in advance - charlyg

use a couple of C clamps before & after the tubbing. make them real tight & it will hold. Doug

is it an asthetic piece? If not, weld/tack it to the table. OR, weld it even if it is, and then grind, sand, buff and polish.

I wasted money on the Speedway tool (37 degrees flare) and it actually broke when I tightened it by hand trying to get the flare and then I took my pre-bent tubing to a nearby shop and they had a clamp that actually left an impression on the outside of the tubing and they used a hammer and a special punch to make the inverted part. The clamp was rectangular and clamped at least an inch of the outside of the tubing and it did not slip when the hammer tapped the inverted flare. I do not know where to get that type of flaring tool but I know the one from Speedway is useless. Even so, out of about 20 flares there is one that still leaks and I will have to redo it. Let me say that I worked in a refridgerator factory and flared a LOT of copper tubing and am pretty good with copper, but stainless is a whole different game!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

At my former job, we used to have all of our stainless and high pressure tube and hose work done to spec by a hose shop. If they messed it up, it was their buck. That way, we always got the stuff done right, and didn't waste a lot of money and time doing it ourselves, and taking a chance - a likely one - on blowing a line from us making a mistake. I know; money, pride in the job, and all of the rest of that stuff, but sometimes, it is more prudent to pay the pro.

Some stainless tubing is very stiff, won't bend and probably doesn't flare very well.

Hot rod supply outfits probably carry the stainless brake line alloy you want.

That said, brake line doesn't really show and it's easily hidden.
I prefer Bundy (Burndy - sp?) replacement lines that are pre-flared and come with fittings.
Available at most any real parts house.

Double flares are easy with this stuff.

For stainless lines, a single flare is sufficient.
It work hardens so when you attempt a double flare - even in the proper alloy - the flare seat usually splits.

I don't understand the advice about using C-clamps on the tubing or about welding the tubing so you can flare it.
Enlighten me . . . please.

put the tubbing in the tube holder & tighten the bolts at either end. place the flarring tool in place & then squeeze the tube holder with the C clamps - one on either side of the flairing tool.
Doug

A subject dear to my heart......

Trying to flare stainless brake tubing, I bought the tubing and the neat hydraulic flaring tool from Inline Tube. About 3/4 of the flares split on the second bend so I called them to bitch. The phone guy said that cutting the tubing with a tubing cutter would work harden the stainless and make it split.....soooo I started cutting the tubing with a wheel. It worked!!! Only about 1/2 of the flares split!! Unfortunately, if each tube has two ends and 50% split, the average was that every tube leaked. Occasionally I would luck out and get a tube with two good ends. Damn stainless. Finally, I gave up and bought Bundy tubing and 100% of the flares were good. Damn stainless.

Come to think of it, the guy who did my double flares put the rectangular block tubing holder in a vise pointing end up and that held it when he came back down with the special punch. A vise woudl be better than C-clamps since it would be held in place. And yeah I cut the tubing with a Dremel grinding cutter after the first few got dimpled in with a tubing cutter.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I have the Mastercool kit that uses a hand- pumped hydraulic ram. works perfect every time. Pricey, but you get what you pay for.

I used the Rigid brand flaring tool. About $150 smackers! It uses an offset anvil, when you turn it, it rotates is an arc pushing the stainless into the shape of a flare. Didn't leave mark one on any of my lines. As far as I know, stainless is mostly used with AN fittings and a single flare only.

yes- i used galvanized 3/16 brake line for my brakes