Hey guys just finished running all my brake lines and really took my time flaring all the ends but still seem to have alot of leaks where the flaring has been done. am i doing something wrong? any ideas or help would be great.
I had a couple that had just the slightest weep to them. I loosened them and retightened them a couple times. it seemed to help the flare form a seal and have never had a problem since. I dont think this will fix major leaks but if it is just a weeper I would give it a shot.
Oh yeah havent posted some update pics in a while, so here goes. As always questions and comments are always welcome, and let me save you the time I know it fibergl***.
Did you double flare your lines...? A single thickness flare may not be thick enough to get the proper compression to seal. JOE
So how do you know you have flared them improperly? Or do you only find out when they leak? They look perfect in every way but they drip from the flares.
Brake lines are a double flare, anything else will leak under pressure. I have long since given up on DIY tube flaring for brake work. Pre-made lines are available in any decent parts house and usually come in 10" increments. Which work out in most cases. If you want to go the double flare route, practice on some excess lines first. The anvils have to be surgically clean or they'll score the tube. Use a little high pressure lube and wash it off before doing the ***embly. Bob
Yep, i double flared all the lines and made sure i took my time doing so. But they still leak, i hate brake lines!
Been doing that bob, but it doesnt seem to help. Its not all the lines i did its only a couple of them, I tried to reflare and put in new fittings as well, but she still leaks.
I know i'll sound like i'm a TV commercial since I've posted this a few times but.... I invested in fed hill's cunifer line and their flaring tool. no leaks and the easiest flare job around. Fedhillusa I always hated doing brake lines...now it's the easiest thing going. The cunifer line won't corrode and has a stronger burst strength than steel. The 3/16th line can be bent with your hands to go where you want it. I love this stuff....I would bet I could do the lines on a whole car in less than 30 minutes...no joke!
When you've tried everything you can. A fix that most always (always for me) works is Earl's the stainless guys sells a dead soft washer for just this purpose . Place it between the receiving fitting and the flared tube. Good luck and regards, Ron
Thanks alot Ron I really appreciate the help, i went to the web site but cant find a dead soft washer, do you have a part number?
Do the lines go into br*** or steel fittings? Steel is best. Don't be discouraged, I've had the factory flared ends leak so it may not be you. Got tubing wrenches? Give the fitting more torque than you think it needs. That cured my leaks. Silicon brake fluid will leak easier than regular DOT fluid. Hydraulic stop light switches don't last long with silicon fluid so don't bother with them, run a mechanical switch. The silicon weeps into the contact area and insulates one from the other. Any chance your leaks are coming from a braided stainless flex line junction to a 3/16" brake line? You need a special adapter there and there's also a steel insert gizmo that goes between flare and tubing nut so the tubing nut has something to push against.
Bro, loosen and retighten the fittings a couple of times each as 29 sedanman has suggested. You will see that the fitting tightens a little bit more each time you do it. I was plagued by drips as well until I learned this trick.
30roadster, Wow what great timing (brake lines next month!) and what a great link! Pricey yes, but ya gotta love good quality! Thanks for saving me some headaches, 34pickup ER, I mean billandbeaufort
Thanks for posting this 30ROADSTER. I just went to the site and checked out the video. I'll be looking into this for sure. That thing is 200% better than any hand vice type. The price might seem high, but once you add up all the ones you throw into the woods because they're junk (my solution to ****ty tools finding their way into my shop) and the time you spend redoing bad flares, it makes good sense. I've made it known before now, also, that I think rust-proof brake and fuel lines should be made mandatory for every NEW car sold in the U.S.A. There's laws for seatbelts and drunk drivers, but the biggest no brainer goes rolling off ***embly lines and onto car sales lots everyday. I don't mind so much if the bottom edge of my drivers door rusts after 12 years, but I sure as hell expect it to stop. Somebody from that company should be paying someone Washington... JOE
Very common problem. Do not get discouraged. Be sure to protect a painted frame with something like aluminum foil to keep the paint shiney. Work with each leak until it is solved and then move to the next. In time, with a little effort, each leak can be solved.
Hey guys thank you soooo much for all your help and suggestions. Im going to start by tightening and losening a few times then take it from there. Again thank you very much.
I've turned a couple of people on the the fedhill stuff. It is expensive...but you could split the cost with a couple of guys. The tubing comes in 25 foot rolls. I say do it right once and forget it. I use the steel nuts with their cunifer line...you can use stainless nuts if you wanted. One more plus...their customer service has been top notch too.
Flaring brake lines ain't rocket surgery, but like any other skill it takes practice and some f'ing up to get to be profiecient at it. It's always easier to throw money at a problem to solve it, but if you learn to do it with the basic tools you will always have that skill that can't be lost, broken, loaned out etc. Not to mention the personal satisfaction that comes with it. JMO- the real fun of building a hot rod is learning the new skills required to do it.
I understand exactly what youre saying rootie, thats why i want to make this work with some old school knowledge and know how. Thanks Rootie
A problem I've had before, is that the line wasn't entering the fitting dead nuts straight. It doesn't take much misalignment to cause the flare not to seal. Examine the relationship of the tube, where it p***es through the nut, when tightened it should be perfectly centered.
Had a guy working for me that started having a real struggle with brake lines, even though he had been building cars for 20+ years and even spent seven at a well known So Cal Speed Shop. Turned out there were two problems - one, he wasn't doing a nice even chamfer on the end of the brake line before flaring (and this is very important) and two his expensive Snap On flaring tool was rotating lopsided during the flaring process. Once he started doing a nice chamfer and replaced the Snap On tool - no more leaks I also had a problem once with some brake line that was brittle and would create a hairline crack when flared. About drove me crazy, not to mention almost crashed an F350 dually towing a 14,000lb trailer with 9 custom Harley's Inside!
The Jalopy Journal
