BobE wrote:

A friend w/a shop uses a hydraulic double-flare tool for all SS tube work because of the difficulty with getting a good 'flare' with the manual tool.

Same here, had problems getting accepable double flares in SS brake lines with the tool that usually works:



Took the tool apart and used my 5 ton shop press:



And got acceptable results:

Don't flare the final cone shape all the way down where the tool bottoms out.  Let the flare nut push it into the fitting and complete the final seal.  I know stainless is alot harder to deal with, but it also work hardens alot more, making the final seal difficult if you tighten the cone shaped flare tool really tight.

Personally I have nver understood the need to have stainless vs steel, but I probably do alot of stuff that no one else would see the need to do.

A little trick for a better flare and a better seal...  a drop of oil on all the surfaces while making the flare and installing the lines does a better job and eliminates abrasion.........jj

Actually Alan the oil works better... no problems, just a dab will du ya.....jj

MustangSteve wrote:

Don't flare the final cone shape all the way down where the tool bottoms out.  Let the flare nut push it into the fitting and complete the final seal.  I know stainless is alot harder to deal with, but it also work hardens alot more, making the final seal difficult if you tighten the cone shaped flare tool really tight.

Personally I have nver understood the need to have stainless vs steel, but I probably do alot of stuff that no one else would see the need to do.

 Steve, that  may work with regular tubing but the force generated by the fittings will not be enough to complete the final double flare compression when using stainless steel tubing.
 When I do brake line flaring I use never sieze on the dies and flush the tubes with alcohol and blow them out with compressed air to make sure there are no contaminents left in there.