Looking to borrow FLARING TOOL in Vancouver BC (for a day)

[epowell]

Hi fellow Vanagon Vancouverites

Amazon just informed me that my order for a Bubble Flare tool will NOT be arriving. (who knows why?) ...and currently my entire project is on hold simply because I don't have a flaring tool needed to make about 10 bubble flares.

I am wondering if there is anyone in the Vancouver area that might have such a tool and would be willing to lend or rent it to me for a day... or even sell it to me if you won't need it.

I just need to make 10 flares then I'm done. . . .

Otherwise it doesn't seem like anything else is available - at least not quickly or affordably.

Thanks for any help,
Ed
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www.edwardpowell.com

[Xevin]

Which Vancouver
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Keep on Busin'

[epowell]

[space]

I borrowed one from advanced auto
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82 westy
w:
2.5 JDM Subie
Rear discs

[epowell]

[snowsyncro]

Ed, they sell the tool you need to do VW bubble flares at Princess Auto. I have used them for years. I just bought one to do a single repair because I could not find the two I already had. They are not expensive.

And of course, shortly after doing that repair I found the other two kits. They were in a drawer marked "Tubing". I had not stopped to consider I may have actually been organized on that one day.

Now I have three. But as it turned out I dropped the only mandrel that I ever use into the engine compartment somewhere. It was the new one of course, not the old semi-worn one. It is hiding in an engine mount or drip pan somewhere. Some day it will appear, totally rusted.

That repair was on a Routan (aka Dodge Grand Caravan). Those actually use a double flare, but same tool and mandrel.

Don't judge me -- I got it from my son.

RonC

[epowell]

[epowell]

https://www.princessauto.com/en/bubble-iso-flaring-tool-set/product/PA0008895005

Amazing... $15
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www.edwardpowell.com

[snowsyncro]

[epowell]

The $15 one does ISO/Bubble... which should be the exactly correct type (DIN).

I have 3/16" pipe, and 4.75mm fittings, and when we do the math those two measurements are basically identical - I think close enough in this application.
The only other measurement I might need is 6mm (clutch line)... so it seems that the $15 one should be OK for me - - - - - unless the quality of flaring is bad, in which case I will return it.
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www.edwardpowell.com

[epowell]

I got my $15 flaring tool which looks to be of good quality.

I am studying youtube to try to learn how to do it.... I've made several flares already - some turned out better than others, but so far I would say none are fully acceptable (but close).

What is the correct technique? Some questions:
1) how much of the pipe should be sticking out when clamping it into the holder?
2) how many full turns of the flaring tool is idea?
3) should the flaring tool be tightened only in the tightening direction, or is it good to sometimes 'back off' a bit by going in reverse a tad once in a while?

Any other tips would be greatly healful.

I'm confident that this tool can achieve acceptable results - but suspect I don't have the right technique yet.
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www.edwardpowell.com

[epowell]

I think I am getting good results now.

This is what I did:
1) cut with a high quality cutter
2) very lightly with a 3mm drill bit, de-burr the ID.
3) sand off the OD burr...
4) oiled up the tool and the pipe
5) clamp pipe into a vice
6) have at least 4mm of the pipe protruding from the tool (THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART > IF NOT ENOUGH IS PROTRUDING, THE FLARE WON'T BE COMPLETE > YOU DO NOT NEED TO TIGHTEN THE TOOL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BE FLUSH WITH THE EDGE.... JUST TIGHTEN UNTIL YOU FEEL RESISTANCE, AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!)
7) turn the tool plunger 1/2 turn at a time... should end up with about 2 1/4 full turns
finally widen the hole a bit again with the 3mm drill bit.

Not too bad for a $15CAD tool and 1 hour of practicing!
I feel confident enough to use these on the van... however I will cut the pieces a bit too long in case I screw up some flares or in case some leak.

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www.edwardpowell.com

[DanHoug]

looking pretty good! and you're using the correct flare fitting with the extended nose. if the threads go all the way down, it's an SAE.
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-dan
60% of what you find on the internet is wrong, including this post.

'87 Westy & '89 Westy both 2.1 4spd

Past projects can be found at--
www.thefixitworkshop.com

[snowsyncro]

Ed, looks like you hit on all the key points for getting good results. Perfectly square cut (the kit I use comes with a good quality cutter); deburr (the kit I use comes with a deburring tool); lubricating the die; and firmly clamping the tubing. And you develop a feel for when to stop pressing.

And a tip for future readers…

The dies are designed so that the tubing should extend the thickness of the die you are using.

RonC

[djkeev]

It is best to cut the pipes long because you will NOT be making the tight bends by hand that the factory dies could make.

Careful, don’t kink the pipe!

Dave
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Stop Dead Photo Links how to post photos

Ghia
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=392473

Vanagon
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?p=6315537#6315537

Beetle
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=482968&highlight=74+super+vert

[4Gears4Tires]

That looks like a good flare! Congrats!
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'87 Syncro
Ferric Oxyhydroxide Superleggera Edition

[epowell]

Thanks guys.... hopefully not remature thanks - let's hope for now leaks once it is all bled. I'm going to hold off on re-installing the fuel tank until I have all the hydraulics completely done - just in case there might be some leaks I can still access that LONG new line from the prop.valve to the rear"T".

I managed to make and install that one LONG new line yesterday. Cunifer is SUPER EASY to bend. I can easily bend tight bends by hand even very near the end of the line. Of course being extremely careful not to kink it. I have a 25" piece to start with - so what I did was to feed one flared (on the bench) end under the van, bend it a bit and fasten it to the prop. valve. Next I gently bent it here and there to get into it's new path to the "T", but gave it a nice wide "S-bend" under the van so that IF I run into troubles I will always have a little more extra reserve length to draw on if I need to shorten and make new flares. --- then once I figured out the final length of the piece to the "T", I cut the pipe and flared it INSITU (while lying there under the van). I was apprehensive about that but the flare came out just as good as I was getting them on the bench.

I'm super happy I got the cunifer stuff... it is so easy to work with and supposedly won't rust so easily. However I do plan on painting all before putting the fuel tank back in.

My only one concern right now is that maybe the ID of the holes for my flares is coming a little bit too small. But again, if there is an issue - in the worst case I can disconnect those fittings and widen the holes.

Regarding the proper fittings... yes I brought a whole fresh bag of them in Czech and brought them over here with me... the ones that came on the cunifer pipe were SAE threaded all the way to the bottom.

Today, hopefully get all the rest of those lines in, and begin bleeding the brakes.... My one fear there is that last year I bled the clutch SOLO and forgot that we are not supposed to press the pedal all the way to the floor when bleeding with an elderly MASTER CYLINDER because the piston plunger then would be extending into the extremity of the piston where it normally never goes, and what might be rusty and therefore damage the whole MC. I brought over here with me from Czech a huge suitcase fully of parts and cylinders and everything, but no MC. I don't want to have to buy one here and pay a FORTUNE..... however, "rebuilding" might be a good option if it is damaged. >>> the reason why I didn't bring an MC over here is because from what I am told there are 2 potential sizes of MCs for our vans... or... more specifically the size of the "plunger" which extends out the back of the MC has 2 sizes (20mm and 23mm I think)... I need to remind myself to somehow attempt to determine which size I have on my van --- really not sure HOW I would be able to measure this without removing the MC??? Perhaps from the rear?
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www.edwardpowell.com