Nickle-Copper brake tubing (Making flares)

[Schurkey]

Finally got back to the rear brake job on my '97 K2500. I've had the truck almost five years, but only about a thousand miles in that time. Truck is full of neglect. I'm dealing with each issue, but not rapidly.

I figured the shoes would be totaled; right on the rivets. Figured the drums would be scored. And of course, the truck has NO park-brake cables (cut off at the backing plates.) In fact, the shoes were beautiful. Three new cables ordered from O'Reillys, along with the equalizer and the cable-connector. Got wheel cylinders, grease seals for the hubs, four quarts of axle grease (intended to install the TrueTrac differential, but I think I'm gonna run out of time for that.)

The big deal--aside from the park brake cables--is the wheel cylinders. Which, in this case, also means the two brake tubes from the brake hose to each wheel cylinder. When it was the K1500, I bent new tubes using plastic-coated double-wall seamless-steel tubing. Not that big a deal. I have the technology...

But I can't find my roll of steel tubing. So I splurged on the Nickle-Copper (NiCopp, or similar brand names) tubing. Supposed to be easier to work with, long-lasting, etc.

And yes, it bends very nicely.

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But I can't make a decent double-flare with the stuff. I've got a Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool; I can't tell if I'm squeezing the tubing too hard, or not hard enough. The flares look terrible. I've cut one flare off already, and re-made it, and that side isn't leaking any more. But it looks like I'm gonna have to cut the other flare off and start over, it leaks slowly-but-surely even after tightening the flare nut into the wheel cylinder tighter than I'd prefer.

Am I supposed to be single-flaring instead of double-flaring? Is there some trick I haven't figured-out yet? I don't have a problem flaring the "normal" double-wall steel tubing. The Nickle-Copper tubing isn't cooperating with me.

 

[454cid]

Hmm, I don't think I've ever flared it. When I replaced my rear line in the frame, I bought it preflared, and it was just the right length. When I was doing work on my Saturn, I decided I didn't need longevity and bought steel. The Saturn did have some copper, but it was done by a shop since I was in a time crunch.

I'm sorry, I can't offer any real help. I'll be looking forward to hearing a solution.

 

[User_name]

I have four pointers that helps me when I flare nicopp.
1. Chamfer the outer edges of the line a bit before you flare.
2. Make completely sure the tool is seating in the line correctly.
3. Try a little wd-40.
When you go to crank Down on the flaring tool, twist just until it stops. No need to be hamfisting it. This is a bit softer of a material.
Hope this helps out man!
BTW. If this dosent help, it could possibly be the material. I have gotten a bad roll of that stuff before. And don't ask me for the science of why this helped me obtain better flares, because I just did what an old timer told me to do and it helped tremendously!

 

[dave s]

I've done multiple double flares with this stuff. And like Shannon400 mentioned, I lubed it up some, did not crank on it as hard as stainless or standard steel line like I had previously used. I also chamfer those edges. I've never had a leak but maybe I'm lucky! Let us know how you make out.

 

[Pinger]

Lubricate where the die and pipe meet. My flaring tool came with grease for that.
From memory, the same pipes on my C2500 were double-flare (did them in 2020) and it took a few attempts to get them right. It's easy with the softer pipe to deform it below the part being flared. And as per posts # 3 and 4, tidy up the pipe end (internally and externally) before flaring.

 

[TechNova]

I have four pointers that helps me when I flare nicopp.
1. Chamfer the outer edges of the line a bit before you flare.
2. Make completely sure the tool is seating in the line correctly.
3. Try a little wd-40.
When you go to crank Down on the flaring tool, twist just until it stops. No need to be hamfisting it. This is a bit softer of a material.
Hope this helps out man!
BTW. If this dosent help, it could possibly be the material. I have gotten a bad roll of that stuff before. And don't ask me for the science of why this helped me obtain better flares, because I just did what an old timer told me to do and it helped tremendously!

I would add to make sure the tube is cut square, which is important for any material.

 

[letitsnow]

Not sure if you are willing to do this, but if you loosen and tighten the leaking connection 10-15 times, you might make the metal conform to the fitting and seal up.

 

[tpass]

this the only type of flaring tool i will ever us again... holy cow is it nice making flares with this:

TGR Professional Brake Line Flaring Tool- 45 Degree Set - Single, Bubble, and Double Flares
https://a.co/d/fKjw6pR

 

[PlayingWithTBI]

TGR Professional Brake Line Flaring Tool- 45 Degree Set - Single, Bubble, and Double Flares
https://a.co/d/fKjw6pR

That's cool, never seen one like that! For the price and as many times I need to flare tubing (i think the last time I did any was 15+ years ago), I'll send mine to you to do it

 

[Erik the Awful]

Wow, that's actually very affordable compared to others of the same design.

My understanding is the point of a double flare is to mitigate the tubing not being cut exactly square. I have had success putting a single-flare end onto a fitting that called for a double flare, but the fitting you're threading into will need to have enough threads to account for the flare nut going in deeper. Check carefully to make sure it holds pressure without being loose.