[Mini] Fwd: Brake Flaring Tools

[T VS]

I use brass unions on everything now. Does save the union and pipe becoming one!

On 6 Jul 2020, at 1:22 pm, Dr John C Bullas <john.bullas at gmail.com> wrote:



---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Lock Horsburgh <lock at lomondhills.plus.com<mailto:lock at lomondhills.plus.com>>
Date: Mon, Jul 6, 2020, 12:40 PM
Subject: Brake Flaring Tools
To: john.bullas at gmail.com<mailto:john.bullas at gmail.com> <john.bullas at gmail.com<mailto:john.bullas at gmail.com>>


Hi John,

I am unable to post to or login to the Yahoo group, but I still see your emails.

I use, and am delighted with, this tool https://www.amazon.co.uk/Professional-Brake-Burning-situ-16-SAE/dp/B01M4RC2YW/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=brake&m=A10QL4DLSICX54&qid=1594028307&s=merchant-items&sr=1-1


This was recommended by my MOT man.
It is the best tool I have used, much better IMHO that the kit with the sold as laser and several other brands, it handles single and double flares on copper, kunifer and steel pipes. The only one I have used that works on steel pipe. Works for imperial and metric unions.

It's reliable, but take care not to cross-thread the spacer (the short bolt) or the punch in the two halves of the block, when setting up.

Note that the version sold for DIN flares just does male/single flares, not double/female flares - and the Suzuki I am working on has mostly male flares, but female flares with 10mm unions to the brake hoses..

It's the only one I have had that could flare steel pipes properly, so on a modern car (e.g. 20 year old micra, fiesta, ka) where most of the pipe under the floor is covered in plastic, but the last bit under the is bare metal and rots,  you can cut the pipe,   clean the plastic and the paint off for a couple of inches, flare the end, and add a short length to connect to the brake hose without having to take taking the tank off and struggling to fit pipes through the engine compartment.


Pipe - These days I use copper pipe, which is readily available and the easiest to work with - it's easy to bend to shape under the car. I have bought it from local factor, from amazon, and from Halfords and Eurocarparts, no problem with any of the suppliers.
20-30 years ago I used kunifer - copper nickel alloy - which is much easier to bend and flare than steel pipe, not as soft as copper. Copper-nickel is used by some upmarket car manufacturers rather than steel. 0

You can get kunifer on amazon, but factors don't stock it nowadays, the trade seems to use copper.

Copper and kunifer pipes don't rust.

A disadvantage of copper that I have experienced is that if you need to disconnect the pipe after a couple of years, e.g.  to change a wheel cylinder, you may find that the union has a tight grip on the pipe, and starts to twist the pipe when you undo it. You might have to replace the pipe, or part of it. But hey, you have the technology for that. A bit of grease between the pipe and union when fitting may help, kunifer is less prone to that problem. I have seen ads for copper pipe and brass unions for classic cars; dunno if that is for practical or cosmetic reasons.

HTH

Lock


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