How to Make a Double Flare Fitting

You pushed down on the brake pedal in your car and nearly had a heart attack--the pedal went to the floor! Upon looking you discovered that a brake line had rusted through and all the fluid squirted out on the ground. Is this a repair you can do at home? You bet. With a minor investment in a double flaring tool set you can easily replace your own brake line and be safely on your way again.

Things You'll Need

• Flaring tool set

Instructions

1. 

   Cut the tubing to the length you want. Clean any burrs off the cut end.

2. Slide the fitting on to the tubing, hex end away from the tubing cut.

3. 

   Clamp the tubing in the bottom half of the flaring tool. Use the same size adapter (as the tubing) upside down as a gauge to position the tube in the clamp. The tubing should extend from the clamp to a distance equal to the thickness of the back of the adapter.

4. 

   Place a small drop of brake fluid on the pin side of the adapter. Then insert the adapter in to the protruding end of the tubing.

5. 

   Place the part of the flaring tool with the screw over the clamp and put the point of the screw in the dimple in the back of the adapter. Turn the screw clockwise until the adapter bottoms out on the clamp.

6. 

   Loosen the screw and remove the adapter. The end of the tubing should now be rolled in toward the center of the tube.

7. 

   Place the point of the screw in the tube and tighten until it bottoms out. The double flare fitting is now complete. Remove the screw and inspect the double flare to insure it is uniform and has no cracks.

Tips & Warnings

• Use brake fluid as a lubricant when making brake lines. This will keep oil out of the brake system.

• Check the flare carefully and never use a double flare which has any signs of cracking.