I hate brake lines!

It looks like just about every brake line I made for my front end is leaking! am I flaring the line wrong? do I have a bad flaring tool? why will the flares not seal??? :confused:
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c336/novabro/brakes7.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c336/novabro/brakes6.jpg
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c336/novabro/brakes1.jpg

I went through that same problem last winter when I was making double flare connections.

I used a file to make the end flat and reduced the thickness so the flaring tool would have less metal to bend.

I did find that you MUST take a hard look at the finished product to insure the flair is straight and not split.

i am so frustrated that I am thinking of running all steel braided flex line for it all and eliminating all the hard line.

Hey novaBRO,

nice pictures - but unfortunately they say nothing about the quality of the flaring, so diagnosis is difficult.
You did double flares, right?
As you say that almost every connection is leaking it sounds more like it is a systematic problem - bad flaring tool could be it. You are using a flaring tool with the right angle? There are 45 and 37 degrees flare tools (the latter for -AN only!).

Just a guess...

Greetz Boris

X2 what boris is saying. Also it doesn't take much of a "blem" for the flair not to work. Everything must be centered with no cracks as onecarnut mentioned. As far as brand I use one baught at Napa from K-D tools. Aside from the leaks everything looks nice and neat!

Like Chuck said good tool.Make sure take a deburring tool and clean the inside this should come with the tool kit. Then take a file and taper the outside edge of the tube this will help with the flare. Last thing you could do is spend $350.00 for a Mastercool flaring tool and it works great. I have one and use it everyday. Take Care.

I have a little trick I use to fix stubborn leaks. You can buy little cup shaped copper washers at most hydralic shops. They make them in many sizes and can help fuel line leaks too. They are soft and will crush down into any imperfections you have in the flare. I get them at Spokane House of Hose http://www.spokanehose.com/.
Tim

Great tip:yes::yes:

A cheap flaring tool can cause problems. Are you tightening the lines up enough?

Ok, nice bends. You obviously know about detail. The flaring tool does make a diff. I also used the K-D tool as 67 church did. Its a good tool, no need to go extreme on the tool. Unless thats your profession. Follow the directions for the stick out.

I bent and flared the entire car. I only got leaks at the used MC. Figures. As it dripped while stored it ate the inside paint work I "had". My luck, couldnt have been a wheel cylinder leaking to the ground.

So they have covered it. But I dont recommend reducing the diameter of the tube, no, no. Cut and make sure the end is square. De-burr. I use lots of lube to make sure I dont rub a crack in while flaring. Make sure yer depths are right, they seem like alot and theres no way yer gonna bend that much over but with a good tool and good lube it will.

And the last piece of info. Them nuts gotta be TIGHT!! You need flare nut (box wrench) wrenches to get them tight enough. But really, you have to lean on it pretty heavy. Thats how I stopped my leak.

The flares were good. Everything was clean. I was just not seating the crown tight enough. I was afraid of leaning on it too much. But I was pissed after seeing my melted paint and just wanted to stop it. So I went in and gave another ummph push and it did move, maybe. But she sealed up, so far LOL JR

Like Chuck said good tool.Make sure take a deburring tool and clean the inside this should come with the tool kit. Then take a file and taper the outside edge of the tube this will help with the flare. Last thing you could do is spend $350.00 for a Mastercool flaring tool and it works great. I have one and use it everyday. Take Care.

i bought one too, awsome tool makes flaring easy,double flare, bubble flare fuel line connections, worth every cent.

The flares were good. Everything was clean. I was just not seating the crown tight enough. I was afraid of leaning on it too much. But I was pissed after seeing my melted paint and just wanted to stop it. So I went in and gave another ummph push and it did move, maybe. But she sealed up, so far LOL JR

I used a cheap flare tool, but making sure that the end was square before starting to use even the cheap tool helped a bunch.

Also, tightening the crap out of the connection fixed any leaks I had after I put everything back together. :yes:

I used a cheap flare tool, but making sure that the end was square before starting to use even the cheap tool helped a bunch.

Also, tightening the crap out of the connection fixed any leaks I had after I put everything back together. :yes:


Ok, the less expensive tools may not be able to curl the edge over for a proper stick out. When I say stick out its the amount of tube that extends beyond the tools flare taper. And the cheaper tools will actually push the tube through the clamp instead of giving a full taper. They will slip.

So when you look at the end of the tube, the flare, how does it look?? For a double flare you should see a good portion of the outer edge inside the flare, and uniform. It takes alot of force to get that flare. A cheap tool will slip the tube and you can get a small inner sealing surface...

Just a thought. JR

its a blue point double flaring tool that I got from the snap-on dude.

Don't know if it was mentioned yet but unless you have solid frame mounts the connections at the MC/prop vale to frame are always going to spring leaks. Even with solid frame mounts you still may have problems. You have nothing there to provide flexing from the MC to frame.

If you ever look at stock lines they have a couple coils shaped like a spring to to take up that flexing from the body to frame.

Don't know if it was mentioned yet but unless you have solid frame mounts the connections at the MC/prop vale to frame are always going to spring leaks. Even with solid frame mounts you still may have problems. You have nothing there to provide flexing from the MC to frame.

If you ever look at stock lines they have a couple coils shaped like a spring to to take up that flexing from the body to frame.

even on a uni-body car with no body bushings? on the 62-67 novas the front sub-frame is bolted rigid unlike the 68 and later which has rubber bushings

That is a problem for me because I'm not sure how the first and second gens are built. I know cars with rubber body mounts up front need at least flex lines from the MC to frame or coiled lines to allow some flex.

That is a problem for me because I'm not sure how the first and second gens are built. I know cars with rubber body mounts up front need at least flex lines from the MC to frame or coiled lines to allow some flex.

I've noticed that. my chevelle has lines like that.

I use a Snap On tool for all my double flares. And a nitrous tubing bender for all my bending. You can get a 1" radius with it with NO kinks. After double flaring, where the tube goes through the holder, right where the holder clamps the tube, there will be a ridge in both cracks from being compressed. I take a file and file down the ridge. No leaks. Also, on some fittings on my dragster and Nova, I use the Strange steel fitting and sleeve. That works really nice. Dave

retighten all fittings first cheepest easy fix if lines a SS they must be very tight.

retighten all fittings first cheepest easy fix if lines a SS they must be very tight.

Yup, that is an easy fix. And it works. Gotta really lean on them. But I think he said he did. But yeah. Good advise.. JR

yep I tightened the S**T out of them and they still seem to seep very slowly:(

I used a cheapo HF flare tool and didn't get any leaks. My trick was to heat the line with a small pencil tourch before flaring. Make sure you use line wrenches to tighten the fittings. . . . Good Luck!