EYY
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Many commodores use a steel transmission line which is very difficult to flare with conventional flaring tools. Steel is harder to flare in general compared to aluminium lines, but the factory lines are also work hardened to a degree.
It is VERY important that there is a barb on the end of transmission and fuel lines where a rubber hose is to be attached as it means that a hose with a correctly tightened clamp cannot come off. Many transmission places will just cut the lines off flush and use 2 clamps of each side of the cut. These almost almost always end up leaking, and over time the rubber compresses and the clamping pressure is reduced and the hoses can pop off creating a potential fire hazard at worst.
A standard double flare tool can be used to do this. The tool I used was $30 off ebay - I do have a more expensive one but I didn't want to potentially damage it for this job.
First, cut the tube off with a proper tubing cutter and remove all sharp edges both inside and outside the pipe.
Second, heat the pipe up so that it glows red hot - the key is to ensure that the pipe cools very slowly. I did this by slowly increasing the distance of the pipe from the heat source. Annealing the pipe correctly is the key to getting a good bubble flare. You can even use a bbq burner for this.
Clamp the line as if you were doing a normal double flare (if you're unsure of how to do a double flare, jump on youtube). I used a G clamp to ensure that the line wouldn't slip through the flaring tool. ONLY complete the first half of the double flare to give you the 'bubble'.
The end result, much like the factory 'bubble' flare.
It is VERY important that there is a barb on the end of transmission and fuel lines where a rubber hose is to be attached as it means that a hose with a correctly tightened clamp cannot come off. Many transmission places will just cut the lines off flush and use 2 clamps of each side of the cut. These almost almost always end up leaking, and over time the rubber compresses and the clamping pressure is reduced and the hoses can pop off creating a potential fire hazard at worst.
A standard double flare tool can be used to do this. The tool I used was $30 off ebay - I do have a more expensive one but I didn't want to potentially damage it for this job.
First, cut the tube off with a proper tubing cutter and remove all sharp edges both inside and outside the pipe.
Second, heat the pipe up so that it glows red hot - the key is to ensure that the pipe cools very slowly. I did this by slowly increasing the distance of the pipe from the heat source. Annealing the pipe correctly is the key to getting a good bubble flare. You can even use a bbq burner for this.
Clamp the line as if you were doing a normal double flare (if you're unsure of how to do a double flare, jump on youtube). I used a G clamp to ensure that the line wouldn't slip through the flaring tool. ONLY complete the first half of the double flare to give you the 'bubble'.
The end result, much like the factory 'bubble' flare.
