Bending Steel Brake Line

[Elroy]

Elroy's services were recently enlisted to fabricate a fresh set of steel lines to cool the turbo 350 behind the 455 in this 65 Buick

These are the original 5/16 lines. They have seen better days

Elroy started at the transmission and worked forward

Installed the new aluminum radiator and determined the support needed to be perforated to pick up the trans cooler.

Finished off by bending up some line from the support down to the frame anchor

Installed some rubber for vibration isolation

All told there's about 15 foot of 3/8" steel line.

 

[jocool1585]

What bender are you using?

 

[kmkalf]

nice clean install

 

[Stephenw]

Installed some rubber for vibration isolation

Nice work.

I like to put a small dimple in steel line when connected to a rubber hose. I use a double flaring tool to do this.

 

[D.J.]

Nice looking job there, Elroy!

 

[theoldwizard1]

I hope your hose is trans fluid temp/pressure rated.

 

[Elroy]

I hope your hose is trans fluid temp/pressure rated.

Ya mean that hose comes pressure rated?

You got us worried.

We picked that up in the fish department at Walmart. Think it will work or does it need to be changed?

 

[trackwelder]

Very nice job on the bending...nice and neat. I personally like to double clamp any rubber going into steel lines.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Ya mean that hose comes pressure rated?

You got us worried.

We picked that up in the fish department at Walmart. Think it will work or does it need to be changed?

Chuckle.

Reminds me of a story I heard long time ago. The local NASCAR wanna-be running late model limited sportsman were looking for a cheap pump to circulate rear end lube to a small cooler. They used a bait circulation pump from Walmart. Lasted about 1 season and they were cheap.

I used "fuel line" until I found out a month later there was hose specifically for trans fluid.

 

[cowboy73]

Elroy, nice job on the ****** lines. You need to give some attention to that battery tray though before it completely dissolves

 

[rsanter]

nice job
I used to actually enjoy bending lines
and had lots of chance to do it

bob

 

[ponchopower]

If you want to cure your enjoyment of bending and flaring lines, do some stainless

I've got the mastercool hydraulic flare setup but even using seamless thin wall stainless 3/16" line, it is a massive PITA.

 

[GTVi]

Nice clean install. and I love this car...Any reason why you went mostly with a steal tube install, and not mostly rubber tube?
I agree, that double clamping the rubber is good insurance, especially since you don't have the flared pipe on the ends.

 

[diesel research]

If you want to cure your enjoyment of bending and flaring lines, do some stainless

I've got the mastercool hydraulic flare setup but even using seamless thin wall stainless 3/16" line, it is a massive PITA.

Swagelok benders laugh at most stainless tubing

 

[ptschram]

Nice work.

I like to put a small dimple in steel line when connected to a rubber hose. I use a double flaring tool to do this.

I make specialized compression fittings to hose barb fittings for this application as well as fuel line repair and larger sizes for oil cooler repairs.

Here's one on a fuel pump.
http://i606.photobucket.com/albums/tt141/ptschram/_2775.jpg

I couldn't find a compression fitting that went right to a hose barb, hence my having to make them. I didn't like having an additional threaded pipe fitting between teh compression and the hose barb. Once again, necessity bred an idea.

 

[ponchopower]

Swagelok benders laugh at most stainless tubing

Not the stuff I bend. First of all, to the best of my knowledge Swagelock doesnt' even make a 3/16" tubing bender. 1/4" is the smallest. High performance racing brake systems require 3/16" in many cases and strongly recommend against anything larger diameter.

Second, it's not really just bending. It's the fact that stainless work hardens so easily, so your bends must be exact - and complex compound radius bends on very short line lengths are a massive pain.

Third, the REAL problem is flaring and sealing. There probably isn't a better flaring tool out there for non-commercial use than the Mastercool hydraulic flare kit (which I have). But even with it, the process is extremely difficult. Take a look at the attached pic. 3/16" annealed seamless thin wall tubing with compound curves going from the output port on the master cylinder, twisting around, going into the input on the line lock - all within about 3". That lines was friggin awful to make and flare. don't forget the amount of "straight neck" required for the hydraulic flare tool to be able to make a flare, effectively meaning you need to calculate the total length, flare both ends, then make all the bends. And the distances are so short and tolerances so tight it needs to be absolutely perfect.

 

[Elroy]

And the distances are so short and tolerances so tight it needs to be absolutely perfect.

You make it sound like that Buick was a walk in the park.

I got close to 12 hours in that son of a *****. Now granted that includes replacing the rag joint at the steering box that magically decided to fail right in the middle of it all AND mounting the radiator.

Bending stainless tube is no more difficult than bending mild steel brake line. It's the same deal. It just takes the right bender and you're right it is a PITA but it's not that big of a deal because it's ALL a pain in Elroy's ***.

Stainless is no more difficult, it's just simply more expensive.

 

[danski0224]

Looks good.

I've bent up my share of lines, too.

Did you make the line holder? Sharp.

 

[jrbracing15]

I got close to 12 hours in that son of a *****.

Elroy not talking in 3rd person? is this a first?

 

[toms73novass]

Elroy not talking in 3rd person? is this a first?

Your right! Wonders never cease!

 

[Wideopentuning]

Nice work Elroy.
I don't find much more therapeutic than bending/flaring up hard lines while sipping Tequila late at night in the garage.

Most of the flaring I do is 37 degree.
I use the Mastercool hydraulic tool with the 37 degree die set as well as a Rigid manual flare tool. For benders, I really like the Imperial brand.

Here is an air suspension setup I plumbed a couple months ago for a buddies 500 whp 96 Gti Vr6 turbo.

 

[rodm1]

Nice job. This stuff is easier to bend and never corrodes. http://www.cunifer.com/

 

[ponchopower]

You make it sound like that Buick was a walk in the park.

I got close to 12 hours in that son of a *****. Now granted that includes replacing the rag joint at the steering box that magically decided to fail right in the middle of it all AND mounting the radiator.

Bending stainless tube is no more difficult than bending mild steel brake line. It's the same deal. It just takes the right bender and you're right it is a PITA but it's not that big of a deal because it's ALL a pain in Elroy's ***.

Stainless is no more difficult, it's just simply more expensive.

Sorry, but I couldn't disagree more. Please elaborate on your experience in installing, bending and flaring stainless.... And resolving them at 1600psi without leaks.

 

[ponchopower]

Most of the flaring I do is 37 degree.
I use the Mastercool hydraulic tool with the 37 degree die set as well as a Rigid manual flare tool. For benders, I really like the Imperial brand.

Those are the tools I use also. Question - are you having any issues with the dies from your Mastercool wearing a bit? I've gone through a couple 3/16" dies. These are the double flare and not the 37 degree. I'm guessing there's far less wear likely to be caused when doing 37 degree single flares.

 

[1931S/X]

What bender are you using?

yeah?

 

[GreyOwl]

Nice work Elroy.
I don't find much more therapeutic than bending/flaring up hard lines while sipping Tequila late at night in the garage.

Most of the flaring I do is 37 degree.
I use the Mastercool hydraulic tool with the 37 degree die set as well as a Rigid manual flare tool. For benders, I really like the Imperial brand.

Here is an air suspension setup I plumbed a couple months ago for a buddies 500 whp 96 Gti Vr6 turbo.

I hope you ended up putting grommets around those relay wires.
Charles

 

[Wideopentuning]

Sharp eye. They are grommeted now.
FWIW, I didn't build the board or lay out compressor and valves. Just did the plumbing.

 

[1931S/X]

i like bending lines but i wasnt able to get the bends i wanted in 3/8 fuel line with the bender i have. it is one of those 3/16-3/8 black aluminum benders. its flattening out the 3/8 a little. works good with smaller line.

 

[SWT Racing]

Nice work Elroy.
Most of the flaring I do is 37 degree.
I use the Mastercool hydraulic tool with the 37 degree die set as well as a Rigid manual flare tool. For benders, I really like the Imperial brand.

I do all my lines in 37° with the same Rigid bender and the Imperial benders that are size specific. . .although I did the fuel lines in the race car with my JD2 bender since the feed and return are 3/4" .065" Aluminum.

The Imperial benders, while pricey, are worth every penny if you do a lot of bending. I even use mine to bend 4130N tubing for small mounts and such, like my ignition/boost controller mount:

 

[Elroy]

Sorry, but I couldn't disagree more. Please elaborate on your experience in installing, bending and flaring stainless.... And resolving them at 1600psi without leaks.

If you think 1,600 psi is a lot of pressure you obviously don't have a clue.

And as far as experience is concerned, Lets just say Elroy is a pimple face hillbilly hick from Kentucky who in his humble opinion knows a just a little bit more than you do. If you want to fight bending some lines, try your hand at some inconel sonny boy. You'll find that stainless tube is cake and you'll find Elroy statements in that regard to be full accurate.

Elroy's initial post above simply presented our most recent fun little project. He posted it for the benefit and enjoyment of the board. He didn't post it for you to piss all over it. So until Pontiac Boy shows some of his work in detail maybe he should sit down. There is plenty of space here for you to show your work and Elroy would be pleased to review it.

Until then, Elroy would recommend you leave him alone.

 

[1931S/X]

maybe i missed it, what bender are you using?