I've never dealt with prefab lines but of the people who have, most say they still have to tweak them to make them fit/line up.

You have two choices; take your chances with prefab lines, or, take your chances with making your own.

In the case of the second choice, tubing is cheap so if you don't get it right the first time, or even the second time, it's not going to be really expensive to do it over. No one here, that makes their own lines, started right out of the gate knowing exactly
how to do it.

It's something that you get better at as you gain experience making them. But, you can't get better
at fabricating lines if you don't do it to start with.

There's also a great sense of pride and satisfaction that comes from making something yourself vs. buying some store bought piece to put on.

In the end though, it's your vehicle, money and time. Only you can make the decision of what to do.

I used the green line from oreillys. You can bend it very easily, just about bend it around your finger.
http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/AGS1/PAC425/N0833.oap?ck=Search_brake+line_N0833_1332313_3922&keyword=brake+line&pt=N0833&ppt=C0066

Like ultrastang says, if you make a mistake, it is pretty cheap to do over.

Check out my post on flaring and some lines I've fabricated.

(7th post down from the top).

http://www.fordification.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=72326&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p651561

When I need to make a close radius bend in brake line, I put a Craftsman screwdriver in the vise and form the bend around the groove by the ball end of the handle. I have never had the tubing kink this way.

terry wrote:

being a plumber for 25 years, I've bent a couple pieces of tubing. I still dont get it right the first time, everytime!  they make various inexpensive tubing benders that work well.  Practice on some scrap and like MS said make yourself a pattern out of wire then make the bends after you get the fit right cut and make your flares.
Good Luck!  its not rocket science, right Ultra??

Like I said, it's just something you get better at the more you do it. I never had anyone to show me how to flare or bend tubing and the internet didn't exist when I learned how.

It's not something that I do everyday and even after years of making lines, I do occasionally screw up a line and have to do it over. 

O'Reillys used to carry Bundy tinned lines (the silver lines). All I find from them now is the dark green E-coat lines.  If you are using this the E-coated lines, be aware the finish can scratch off while you are bending/flaring it so, you have to be more careful with it.

I prefer the look of the Bundy tinned lines, which I can still get at Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts. I like the silver finish better but that is just a personal preference.

A tip that will make it easier to form bends in a line; If you are making a line that has several bends going in different directions, it can be easy to lose track of which direction the bend needs to be made in. I take a fine point Sharpie marker and scribe a line along the length of the line, prior to making any bends in it. I put the tubing in the bender with the marked side facing upward. This gives me a reference to go off of so that I know what is left, right, up or down as I am moving along to the next bend to be made.

Once the bends are completed, simply take some isopropyl alchohol and wipe the ink mark off the line.

Aside from the knowledge of bending & flaring lines, a lot of the quality, in the end result, is directly related to the quality of the tools being used. Cheap flaring/bending tools can make ok looking lines but they are not going to have the
same potential of making outstanding looking lines like quality tools will.

Last edited by ultrastang (7/20/2013 11:19 AM)

MC's are generally mounted to a firewall or on a booster that is mounted on a firewall. In the '50's and earlier, hydraulic MC's were mounted to the frame under he floor board.

The brake line Tee, pressure differential valve or combination valve is generally located on the inner fender panel (if the vehicle has a unibody) or on the frame rail if the vehicle has a full frame under it.

The line connections between the MC to the valve is in two different planes. As the body has a degree of flexing between these two points, the loops in the lines absorbs the flexing to keep the ends from work hardening, which keeps the lines from cracking or splitting.

A secondary function of the loops is that it makes it easier to get the tubing/fitting lined up with the ports and reduces the chances of cross-threading the fitting.

Last edited by ultrastang (7/21/2013 5:12 PM)