40 hard brake lines

[Zax40]

Does anyone know of a vendor that sells individual, pre bent brake lines and not a whole kit? I have one bad line, the one from the master cylinder to the rear rubber hose. I replaced all the lines earlier this year so I don't need a whole kit.

[TJ]

If you have a tubing cutter, flaring tool and tube bender why not make your own? If you don't have those tools maybe a friend can loan them to you. Tubing can be bought at your local auto parts store and use your old line for a pattern.

[Zax40]

Originally Posted by TJ

If you have a tubing cutter, flaring tool and tube bender why not make your own? If you don't have those tools maybe a friend can loan them to you. Tubing can be bought at your local auto parts store and use your old line for a pattern.

I've tried in the past to make my own, but never was any good at it.

[TJ]

Look up these two companies on the web: Inline Tube and Classic Tube. They do pre made lines and may even have the pattern.

[19Fordy]

TJ: Brake tubing is cheap. Buy another piece and try flaring it again. You can do it. Apply brake fluid to threads when installing.

[tubman]

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It should go without saying that brake lines need to be double-flared.

This requires a special flaring tool, and can be difficult at first and may take several re-tries. As an earlier poster said, "Brake tubing is cheap". When you're done, you will own another cool tool and possess another skill. Win-Win.

[PeteVS]

What ever you do, try to get Copper-Nickel tubing. I've worked with plain steel and the CN is just so much nicer to work with, both flaring and bending. And always make sure you have the ferrules in place before you flare the ends!

[Zax40]

Stock hard line size is 1/4 correct? Does anyone know what size fittings are used on the master cylinder to rubber flex hose line?

[tubman]

I love Cupro-Nickel and use it in all of my current projects. However, It is NOT correct on original early Fords and I would not use it on one.

[Charlie Stephens]

I would take it to a good brake shop that knows what they are doing, probably one that works on trucks.

Charlie Stephens

[Charlie Stephens]

Originally Posted by Zax40

Stock hard line size is 1/4 correct? Does anyone know what size fittings are used on the master cylinder to rubber flex hose line?

Yes the lines are 1/4 inch. I would just buy reproduction fittings from one of the suppliers.

Charlie Stephens

[Flathead Fever]

You can do it yourself. So, you screwup a couple pieces of tubing learning. It will still be a lot cheaper than having someone make them for you. I had to make them up at work on trucks that went up the mountain into the snow. They would break a snow chain crosslink, and it would shear the brake line off of the wheel cylinder. They wore the crosslinks down so far that they would break. I got pretty good a making new lines but then I retired and hadn't done it for a while. I screwed up a couple pieces of tubing. I started with the long pieces and if I made a mistake, I used it over for one of the shorter pieces.

So the very first thing you do is practice making a uniform flared end. First you want to make sure the end is cut straight. That the end of the tubing is just slightly chamfered with a file, this helps form the flare. So does a little oil on the brake line, right where the flare is happening. That the end of the tubing is sticking up the right amount while clamped into the flaring tool. Then crank the handle until you have a nice-looking flare. Look at the flare and make sure it's straight, that the flare is equal around the tubing. Then if you made a beautiful flare congratulate yourself and then cut it off because you forgot to put the nut on the tube before you flared it.

Bending the tubing and getting it perfect can be a challenge. What has worked for me is I took a bunch of old tubing, and I bent small pieces from 5 degrees to 45 degrees. I marked them with a sharpie marker where they lined up in the bending tool. Then I took two of them and put them where they were going to go and measured the distance between the sharpie marks. When I line up the bending tool on the sharpie mark of the tubing and bend it, it will be exactly the correct length between the bends. You'll screw up some of them, but those pieces get made into little bending tools that you will eventually use, so there not wasted.

The bending and flaring tools. They make them with sharp bends, wide bends, so use the bender that will give you the bend you're after. The flaring tool, they make ones that flare really nice and ones that are junk.

I always mark the tubing with a sharpie where the bend is going to start, according to the bending tool, and I make sure the bender is set at zero. I make that first bend and then I lay out two pieces from my scrap pile and measure the distance between the two sharpie marks on the scraps. That way I know where to lineup the bender for the second bend. Here I'll show you two pieces of junk tubing with the sharpie marks. I measure the distance between the marks and then transfer the marks to the real peace of tubing, then line up the bender on the marks and make the bend. I end up with a piece of tubing that fits in the spot.

This is a '32 chassis I started on years ago and it's just sitting there now, unfinished. The temporary rearend in there is a late '32, with the axle housings flipped upside down to lower the rear of the car. It has '36 Ford rear arms on it. I was going to adapt those '36 arms but now I'm not sure. Not all my experiments work out.

[Mart]

Thanks Fever, some great tips there.

Being able to make up your own pipes is well worth the investment in the tools required. It is a gift that keeps on giving.

Mart.

[Zax40]

Thanks for the advice everyone.

A little more background. I have the Classic Tube full kit on my car that I installed last spring. I had other projects on the car that kept me from really testing out the brakes and didn't notice this particular connection was leaking as it only leaks under pressure. I'm trying to get Classic Tube to replace it but they are being difficult. It annoys me to have paid for a full kit with one piece I can't use. I have the tools and could make the piece but I don't think I should have to.

I know it's lazy but I was hoping a vendor sold the individual lines so I could just order one and move on.

[Tim Brown]

If i was closer than California id make it for you. Anyone near Zax40 that can help out?

[deuce_roadster]

Could the problem what the new line connects to (maybe a poorly made rubber hose fitting)? It takes 2 good pieces to make a leak free connection.

[TJ]

Mike brings up a good point. Is the rubber connection hose new or old?

[Zax40]

Originally Posted by TJ

Mike brings up a good point. Is the rubber connection hose new or old?

New. I remember when I installed that piece of hard line the flare had an imperfection. I should have taken a picture of it before I installed it. I thought it sealed and didn't worry about it anymore. But then after the system was fully bled and taken around the block I can see where it is seeping fluid. I tried loosening the fitting and making sure it was flush and retightening several times, but it did not help.

I have plugs coming tomorrow so I can remove that piece of line without losing all my brake fluid

[Clem Clement]

I thought when i did my '39, I went to the Naga store who had finished lines with fittings installed??

[tubman]

Most FLAPS have a pretty good selection of various size hardlines of various lengths in the popular sizes (1/4" and 3/16") in stock. The problem is, do they have anything close to your needed length? As "Dirty Harry" once said, "Are ya' felling lucky?".

In my experience, you strike out more often than you get a hit.