Back on the fuel line: more questions.

[In The Ten Ring]

So I am back working on the truck. (Replacing the entire fuel line). Today I tried my Craftsman double flare tool and it works BUT doesn't make a "bubble flare."

I really want to flare my fuel line ends but do I need a bubble flare? Can I get it to join to rubber hose with just a single flare?

Today's bending....



The ridges from the clamping tool.....are those OK?

[leftybass209]

I didn't use a bubble flare on mine and it's been going strong without a drip. I just did a single flare and tightened the clamps just after the flare.

[dirtyjim]

some flare tools will make a bubble if you only use the first stage of the double flare, my eastwood does but they aint cheap

[In The Ten Ring]

Well if a single flare will work, then I'm OK. I wanted a bubble flare, thinking it would be easier to get the hose to go over a bubble as opposed to a single but if it will, then I'll do it.

I am using Poly Armor tubing, which is hard to flare it seems as it is so hard, so my kit may not bubble at all. I have a Craftsman 45 degree double flare kit.

I saw the video on the Eastwood turret set and I really liked it but for the money, I don't know if I'd use it again. Well...I might use it on my Pontiac to make new lines but that's a different story.

I'll try and see if I can get some tubing to slide over my test flare today and if it goes on easily enough, I'll go on.

[leftybass209]

I used the same poly armor stuff. It's hard to work with, but the hose will slip right over a single flare with no trouble. I've done it now 4 times, and haven't had a leak on any of the points. I personally use 2 clamps a piece. I tighten one down after the flare, ensure that there's no leaks with the one, then add an another about a half inch apart to satisfy my worry.

[In The Ten Ring]

My hoses aren't slipping over very easily at all! I just tried it. I am so annoyed I am ready to forgo flaring the pieces all together!

Someone else posted that a basic double flare kit could do a bubble if I use the other (flat) side of the clamp so I am going to give that a shot first. I'd like to be flared on this thing if I could.

[Ruscal]

A double flare tool's first stage will work well. You can also use a tube beading tool like this one from Summit.
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ea...FcVgfgodfrYAOQ

The clamping block from flaring tools do cause a little trauma to the tube just below the flare. I have not seen any problems from that.

[rx78nt1alex]

I used the same Craftsman one for the first time this past Saturday to make a fuel line and was able to get it to bubble flare (for the first step of a double flare) stainless steel tubing (the kind you run for instrumentation lines in power and industrial applications). It helped that I had it mounted in a vise.

Did you chamfer the edge of the tubing 45 degrees using a flat file all the way around so that it tapers to the inside edge? See drawing.

That made the world of difference when it came to working with a hard material.

Don't use a tubing cutter. It work hardens the metal and bows it in to a bottle neck and may make it harder to bubble. I used a bandsaw or a hacksaw will work fine because you want the cut to be as perpendicular to the length of the tubing as possible. I installed the tubing into the flaring tool with the edge about 1 mm from being flush with the surface, and then took the flat file to smooth it out. The file won't hurt the flaring tool. I then used the tang of the file to ream out the inside of the tubing, then chamfered the edge.