HEllo-

I need to flare some hard lines. I have a 37* flare tool, and the correct fittings. I have some general questions about the flaring process.

How wide does the final flare have to be? How far should the tube be extending out past the clamp?

The clamp seems to marr up the sides a bit... and if I dont tighten it down all the way, the tube just slips down the side.

Any advice?

 

woo ok, the tube should be a little tiny bit above the top of the vise part, just tighten it down until u really feel it cant go much more. If u undo the cone part u can kinda look and see if it traces the flare on the vise.

its ok if the line gets scratched.

fuel tank vent, i found where it exits right by the gas tank, then ran a hose and ran the line

 

B18EG6;

Please state if you are flaring mild steel or stainless steel tubing. It makes it easier to answer. (I'm not trying to be a poop-head)

Wes

 

Poop head!

I dont know to be honest it is the OEM fuel lines within the engine bay. I would guess mild steel simply because they have a coating on them?

I will take some pictures of practice flares and see which one looks best

 

well f$@.

I practiced on about 5 or 6 spare sections, and everything went well. At one point I got the tube sleeve stuck onto the pipe but eventually got it off.

Now, I tried the lines on the car, and the sleeves wont slide up to the flare. Could the particles I sanded off be preventing the sleeve from sliding up?

I tried to glide it with some penetrating oil but that didnt quite work.

Dammit - am I going to have to run all the lines from the tank itsef?

 

The reason for asking if it was mild or stainless is that it dictates what type flare you need to do.

On mild steel (which is what's on the car stock), you want to do what is called a double flare. This is where the tube is first flared out first and then in a second step is flared back on it's self.

When you first put the tube in the flare tool, you normally use the height of the flare adapter as how much the tube sticks out. The flare adapter is what is used to do the first outward flare.

Do the first flare (using that adapter), and then do the final flare without the adapter. You don't remove the tube during this process!

As for the teeth marks that remain on the tube, just use a fine tooth file to remove them.

That should answer it.

Wes (Mr. Poop Head) Vann

 

shucks. I bought a single flaring took from a user on here, looks exactly like this one here

http://store.summitracing.com/...w=sku

Is the double flare a definate necessity for this application?

Any advice on what to do in my situation? There is no room left on the tubing within the engine bay to try another flare, and it looks as if the tube sleeve is stuck right where it is... doesnt want to rise up to the flare

 

The reason for double flaring mild steel tubing is to prevent splitting of the seam and also to give a better sealing surface.

If you look real close at a section of your tubing, you should notice two things; The outside of the tubing is smooth. The inside has a small "ridge" running it's length. That's the seam that is created when they make the tube.

When you do a double flare, it's what was the outside of the tube that ends up being the sealing surface. With a single flare (which is what you are doing) ends up with the inside of the tube being the sealing surface.

Although not technically correct, it's possible that you can get what you are doing to seal and last. I'm not recommending it, but it's up to you. Plan on pressure testing (by turning on the fuel pump) the full system before driving down the road. Give it time to show any leaks.

As for being able to slide up the "sleeve", it's possible that part of the problem is that you are installing it on metric sized tube, which it's not intended for. Just a guess.

Wes

 

And by the way, if you are using the kit shown, it's an Eastman tool and is of top quality. You can special order the "double flare adapter" by tube size and they don't cost that much. Just buy the size you need.

Wes

 

Thanks for the advice. I tried some more on a few perfectly straight pieces, and it worked fine. I had to sand a lot off the surface for the sleeve to come to the flare, but nonetheless it worked. So, I am thinking my flare on my car isnt on a perfectly straight piece

Should I try to reflare it somewhere under the car, or take it right off the gas tank with braided line?

 

Without being able to see it, it's impossible for me to make a recommendation that is safe.

I get the feeling that although you are new to flaring fittings, you do have a good feeling for what is safe. Go with that.

Wes