I used all zinc plated steel.

In my opinion stainless steel is too difficult to flare (it can split, or leak, or just be a pain) - plus the rest of the car itself isn't stainless.

As for the green / brown mystery coated lines that started showing up in the last decade or so - I think they are the worst DIY option.  Whatever the coating is seems to be an excellent lubricant.  The coating is so slippery that I was never able to get good results with a standard flaring tool.  The block mechanism that clamps to the outside of the tube just grabs into the plastic coating, then slides down the tube as you try to flare it.  You end up with no flare.

I've never used Nickel Copper, but I have heard nothing but good things about it - other than its cost. 

Whatever you choose to use - I think 95% of how the finished product will turn out has to do with technique and tools.  I decided I was doing enough lines to justify one of those fancy flare tools like the one below.  Honestly it is excellent.  The other thing is to have PLENTY of line - like enough that you can make up "beta" lines just to prove routing, bends and length before you commit to the final one that is on your car keeping you safe.  I have bought 25' steel galvanized coils from Summit racing, and the quality was good.  Also, good bending tools will make your life easier - Swagelok makes excellent ones, sometimes you can find their 1/4" bending tools used on eBay (works fine on 3/16" line).

https://www.swagelok.com/en/Services/training-and-education/Our_Tech_Tip_Videos/Component_Assembly_Tips/Using-a-Hand-Tube-Bender-Video

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-900314/overview/
 

Last edited by Bentworker (7/01/2019 9:49 AM)

Stainless is tricky to work with, but once you understand it its really not that hard.  I prefer it because it is lifetime, and always looks like the day you put it on.  My thoughts on working on my vehicles now is that my time is what's really at a premium.  I'd rather spend a bit more, and take a bit longer and NEVER have to touch it again.

My neighbor uses tons of the copper/nickle stuff on the seemingly endless stream of vehicles he has in replacing brake lines (professional mechanic).  In that scenario you go by what's easiest to work with and aesthetics aren't really a consideration.  Its good stuff and works well, I simply prefer the look of stainless.

The green stuff is just a coating over regular steel I believe.  This will protect it from without, but lines often fail from within due to moisture in the system and the fluid not being changed regularly.   

You can buy the whole kit on ebay, cheap. Made of the nickle/copper and easy to use.

Thanks for all the input I think I' ll going to try the copper nickel stuff ,might use some zinc paint on it to give it a little more of the steel line look.

Bentworker wrote:

As for the green / brown mystery coated lines that started showing up in the last decade or so - I think they are the worst DIY option.  Whatever the coating is seems to be an excellent lubricant.  The coating is so slippery that I was never able to get good results with a standard flaring tool.  The block mechanism that clamps to the outside of the tube just grabs into the plastic coating, then slides down the tube as you try to flare it.  You end up with no flare.
 

Gotta disagree with this statement about it not flaring well.  Although I do hate the color, they work fine. Perhaps your flaring tool just isn't up to the job, or you are not tightening the clamp completely.  I have never had any problems with flaring this stuff.  I have made hundreds of flares with it and not a leak yet. 

Yep...hate the color.  If it is going to show, I sand it and paint it with CHROME paint.  It then looks like silver galvanized, not chrome.  The chrome silver paint just holds up better than silver paint.  Holds up really well.
 

I blew through 30' of the nickel copper with several types of bending tools.  It was pathetic.  I ended up chickening out and purchased pre-bent fuel lines from NPD.  I haven't purchased any more nickel copper, but I plan on giving it another go when I do the brake lines.  This time I'll probably buy 100' of 3/16" nickel copper brake line.  All of that to say, the nickel copper was really easy to bend as well as easy to make flares and ISO bubble flares. 

My vote is the copper nickel.
I used small gauge solid wire to make a template for my lines.
Then made my brake lines.

Definitely need a better flaring tool.
Wasn’t always concentric on flare, even with lubrication.
But that wasn’t the brake line.
Easy to work with is all I can say.

Hakan wrote:

IMHO:
1. Stainless steel. Looks very nice and lasts almost forever, but very hard to work with and usually requires special tools (hydraulic or pneumatic) to flare.
2. Copper nickel. Doesn't look as nice as stainless, but lasts almost forever. Easy to work with.
3. Copper. Yes we actually have copper brake lines available here in Sweden at least and they also lasts almost forever and are very easy to work with.
4. "Green" lines. I assume this is just painted steel lines and they will sooner or later corrode depending in what climate they are used. Easy to work with.
5 Steel lines. OE on cheap cars that will have to be partly replaced within approximately 10-15 years (Swedish climate) as they will corrode. Easy to work with though.

I still remember a post of yours about using copper brake lines Hakan. I think you had a brake line blow out on you, so you went through the car and replaced everything with copper lines. This must be going back 12 -15 years ago...
I had a brake line blow out on me in a friend's Buick a few years ago. No doubt it was corrosion. Makes your heart skip a beat...

Last edited by Stevo (11/13/2019 6:14 AM)

6sally6 wrote:

Here's one for y'all about brakes..........Switched over to a "shivel-lay" master cylinder(because my brake "kit" used S-10 caliphers.....long story)
Anywho.....finally got good brakes....good pedal...happy at last with my brakes until.........last week the cotter pin that holds the brake push rod thingy to the brake pedal ... fell out and landed on my foot as I applied the brakes! Push rod came loose from the pedal and fell on my foot too!
Thank goodness there was zero traffic and I was 1/2 block from my house. No issues.
One more thing that makes me un-easy about driving the old hot rod. Hard to enjoy it when weird stuff happens (A LOT!)
jus say'in
(check your cotter pin on brake pedal)
6sal6

Yeah, you can put those bow-tie parts in a Ford, but they still act like bow-tie parts.

Bearing Bob wrote:

6sally6 wrote:

l.........last week the cotter pin that holds the brake push rod thingy to the brake pedal ... fell out and landed on my foot as I applied the brakes! Push rod came loose from the pedal and fell on my foot too!
Thank goodness there was zero traffic and I was 1/2 block from my house. No issues.
One more thing that makes me un-easy about driving the old hot rod. Hard to enjoy it when weird stuff happens (A LOT!)
jus say'in
(check your cotter pin on brake pedal)
6sal6

Dude, weld a bracket on your brake pedal to keep it from travelling back too far and allowing it to do what it did.
 

Naw..............the "stop" on the brake pedal works as it should. The cotter pin coming out allowed the push rod  "HOLE' to slip off the pin (along with the brake switch)on the brake pedal.

Fixed the cotter pin butt may figure out a way to put a safety wire on the cotter pin.  

6sally6 wrote:

Here's one for y'all about brakes..........Switched over to a "shivel-lay" master cylinder(because my brake "kit" used S-10 caliphers.....long story)
Anywho.....finally got good brakes....good pedal...happy at last with my brakes  until.........last week the cotter pin that holds the brake push rod thingy to the brake pedal ... fell out and landed on my foot as I applied the brakes! Push rod came loose from the pedal and fell on my foot too! 
Thank goodness there was zero traffic and I was 1/2 block from my house. No issues.
One more thing that makes me un-easy about driving the old hot rod. Hard to enjoy it when weird stuff happens (A LOT!)
jus say'in
(check your cotter pin on brake pedal)
6sal6

 
I was able to install my cotter pin from the top, therefore it cannot fall out as described.

I see a common problem Mikey, you must have chebby brakes on your bicycle too!😂

Glad it happened close to home without major issues.
Bet ya drove more carefully eh?
I’ve had brakes fail on me too.

6sally6 wrote:

Here's one for y'all about brakes..........last week the cotter pin that holds the brake push rod thingy to the brake pedal ... fell out and landed on my foot as I applied the brakes! Push rod came loose from the pedal and fell on my foot too! 
Thank goodness there was zero traffic and I was 1/2 block from my house. No issues.
One more thing that makes me un-easy about driving the old hot rod.

I was glad to read this didn't happen out on the interstate with you doing it open headers style Sal!!