Brake/clutch pipe flaring tool

[daverclasper]

Hi. What size are the pipes on Vit (cant find info in W.S manuals) and does this correspond to the size of the dies, eg a quarter" pipe (if thats the outer diameter and that's how the size of pipe is specified), would need a die stamped as quarter", even though the male die area would be a smaller size?.

The pipe locking part of the tool would be the same, eg, hole stamped a quarter" takes a pipe of quarter" outer diameter pipe?, I imagine.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks

Edited November 1, 2021 by daverclasper

[Colin Lindsay]

Brake pipe should be 3/16. There's little point in buying an entire collection of dies and formers as they'll probably never be used. I have a huge vice-mounted flaring tool that came from an autojumble, absolutely superb to use - no effort, perfect flares every time, but much too big and so for small jobs one of these is great:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/272910719986?hash=item3f8abf1bf2:g:UcgAAOSwjL5ZHdBy

Shop around, they vary in price but very easy to use and give great results. I prefer them to those hand-cranked horseshoe-shaped thingies.

[daverclasper]

Thanks

Had recently bought a cheaper (as prop only to use on one pipe) horse shoe one wondering if is fit for purpose (aside from bieng cheap).

On the description it had various metric sizes and their imperial equivalents. The size stamped 5mm, which is its actual size, is implied to be ok for 3/16", whereas 3/16" is 4.76mm.  So 0.24 mm too large using the tool on my pipe.

I since noticed simular priced tools that are actual imperial sizes.

If this did seal, would it hold up under heavy braking?.

What do you think, return it, stating the above reasons?.

Thanks

[mark powell]

Looks like a modern version of my old Moprod one.  

[Unkel Kunkel]

As Colin says .. 3/16 “

I admit it …I use a cheap flaring tool.

However…there were 2 factors that were needed to before I could make good flares with a Draper  “horseshoe clamp “flare tool.

1.using Cunifer pipe which is very  “workable” by hand 

- I doubt this sort of tool would be of use at all on anything harder/less malleable and definitely  not steel.

2.quite a lot of  practice, and a bit of patience , with scrap bits.

Additionally , the pipe must be square in the clamp and the end of the pipe carefully prepared to be level against the surface of the clamp.

Next, pipe is adjusted in the clamp so that the pipe protrudes the same distance as the height of the “shoulder”  on the die before tightening  up.

The pipe/die must  be lubricated  - brake fluid avoids any contamination concerns. 

 

[Colin Lindsay]

1 hour ago, Unkel Kunkel said:

1.using Cunifer pipe which is very  “workable” by hand 

- I doubt this sort of tool would be of use at all on anything harder/less malleable and definitely  not steel.

2.quite a lot of  practice, and a bit of patience , with scrap bits.

 

I've got into the habit of using Kunifer for everything now but it's harder to bend and less forgiving than copper, so if you make an incorrect bend it's more difficult to undo, if at all. 

Practice is definitely the thing - get a good pipe cutter, make a flare, cut the end inch off, make another flare, cut that inch off... but in no time at all your flares are a work of art. I love doing it.

[Unkel Kunkel]

The other thing to  remember is to slide the the end fitting  onto the pipe before making the flare

- “Dhow!”  ..but I keep forgetting..

[PeteH]

59 minutes ago, Unkel Kunkel said:

The other thing to  remember is to slide the the end fitting  onto the pipe before making the flare

- “Dhow!”  ..but I keep forgetting..

Hence (in my case) why the ends keep getting cut off (again). I have flared steel (Fuel) pipe with the Horseshoe clamp device, though it took a couple of attempts, The use of a vise and lots of grease. With Marine HP fuel pipe we cheated somewhat by raising it to "dull red" to anneal before quickly subjecting it to the device, emergency repairs can be problematic at the best of times. In port you send them to the "shop" and get then formed hydraulically.

Pete

[Pete Lewis]

cheap ans simple pipe flaring tool in Lidl this week 

Pete

[Colin Lindsay]

22 hours ago, Unkel Kunkel said:

The other thing to  remember is to slide the the end fitting  onto the pipe before making the flare

- “Dhow!”  ..but I keep forgetting..

The other D'Oh! moment is when you remember to fit the end fitting, flare the pipe, and then bend a tight bend while the end fitting has slipped to halfway along. It's usually a beautiful first-time bend, and then you find that the end fitting won't move round it...