MC help

Looks great is there an advantage having the loops in the lines? And how hard is it to do the flares on the lines.

Thanks. I thought the loops were pretty ugly, but as Ultrastang mentioned they are functional. The main benefit for me is the flexibility to move the connector around to line up with the port.

I would also add a couple of things they didn't mention in the article on flaring brake lines: 1) It's vitaly important to have the bar clamp tight that holds the tube, and 2) you have to tighten the forming tool down until the die bottoms out against the bar. I always use pliers to tighten the bar clamp down, because sometimes when I just use hand pressure the line slips, and the end is ruined. It only takes a few seconds to tighten the bar down hard with pliers. The sliding handle in the forming tool could stand to be about 2" longer, and another 1/2" in diameter, but you can crank it all the way down by hand, you just have to turn until it hurts.

Not that long ago I dreaded forming brake lines. Now that I've figured out how to do it, it's a snap.
 
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This thread delivers! Nice articles posted by Ultrastang.

Any recommendations for flaring tools? I've heard alot of people are happy with the Rigid flaring tool shown in one of those articles. Thats good for the easy stuff - what about for stainless tubing?
 
This thread delivers! Nice articles posted by Ultrastang.

Any recommendations for flaring tools? I've heard alot of people are happy with the Rigid flaring tool shown in one of those articles. Thats good for the easy stuff - what about for stainless tubing?

Man, we had a huge thread on this a few months ago. What you asked is going to turn into a huge debate. I'll post a link to the other thread when I have time.
 
This thread delivers! Nice articles posted by Ultrastang.

Any recommendations for flaring tools? I've heard alot of people are happy with the Rigid flaring tool shown in one of those articles. Thats good for the easy stuff - what about for stainless tubing?

I've been making brake lines for over 15 years, but I've never had any instruction on how to bend tubing. I just had to learn tubing fabriaction on my own.

I have all dedicated tubing benders. By dedicated, I mean they will only bend one diameter of tubing. I don't use the 3-in-ones because they do not have as tight a bend radius as a dedicated bender. I have three Imperial-Eastman benders sizes 1/4", 5/16" and 3/8". My 3/16" tubing bender is made by Rigid.

My SAE flaring bar and tubing cutter is also made by Imperial-Eastman.

I've seen some tube fabricating articles in magazines in recent years stating to never cut the tubing with a tubing cutter. In more than 15 years fooling around with brake lines, I've always used a tubing cutter and have never had a failure because of cutting the tube with one.

The claim is that the tubing cutter work hardens the flare, causes it to crack, and then it leaks. (I think), most likely what happened was someone compressed the flare too much on the second stage of making the double flare. That would fully compress the double flare so that when you go to tighten the fitting, there's no more compression left of the tubing flare for the fitting to seal the tube off in the port's seat. On the intial 1st stage of the double flare process, it's ok to really clamp down on the tubing to make the initial flare, but in the 2nd stage of the double flare process, don't squeeze the yoke all the way down on the tubing to where you can't compress it any more. Let the line fitting finish compressing the flare when you go to install the line in the port. This will keep the line from leaking.

Some of my SAE tube bending and flare/double flaring tools: http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2512/flaringtoolsai7.jpg

3/16" hard line I had to make for this '80 Monarch 9-inch rear when I converted it from drums to Cobra rear discs [with my own bracket design]: http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/2913/monarch9inchncase002rt0.jpg

...fully assembled disc brake 9-inch: http://www.ultrastang.com/images/2006/cobrabrakehosemount0243cf_2.jpg

SN95 V6 MC I installed in a friend's '65 fastback in 2004 when I adapted some '95 SN95 V6/GT rear discs on his Mustang [I didn't have metric bubble flaring tools when this was taken , and I had to use metric-to-SAE port adapters]: http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9124/kieths65053he0.jpg

A Mk VII/SVO MC I installed in another friend's '65 in 2002: http://www.ultrastang.com/Images/Scanned/June2002/09.jpg

...I later added a power brake booster to the blue '65 and had to re-do all the brake line plumbing: http://www.ultrastang.com/Images/Scanned/June2002/01.jpg

Some work I did a few months ago on a '56 Chevy that belongs to my friend's dad: http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/4976/56chevybelair007qe1.jpg


ISO metric bubble flaring set I have: http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/4778/bubbleflaretools002bz1.jpg
 
just food for thought i used an exporler (91-94 ) mc on a fox i built it is built like the one there but the fittings come out the other side and if i rember correctly it had a 1" bore

Well I wish you had let me know a little bit sooner!. Now that the engine is installed, I had to take the plugs out to slide the headers in place. Then I had to put the spark plugs back in. Even with the hood off the #8 cylinder was a m@$<^# f@%*^# to reach. The booster is in the way, the MC is in the way, and now the stupid lines with my giant loops make it that much harder to get my fingers on the spark plug.

ultrastang said:
On the intial 1st stage of the double flare process, it's ok to really clamp down on the tubing to make the initial flare, but in the 2nd stage of the double flare process, don't squeeze the yoke all the way down on the tubing to where you can't compress it any more. Let the line fitting finish compressing the flare when you go to install the line in the port. This will keep the line from leaking.

Excellent tip on the second stage of creating a double flare. I guess I just instinctively knew not to over tighten it (or just got lucky) as my lines didn't leak once installed.

I also need to invest in dedicated 3/16ths and 3/8ths bending tools. I've been making do with a 3-in-1, and just live with the big bends.