Bubble flairs? ISO? DIN? What?

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Psucamper
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Bubble flairs? ISO? DIN? What?

Post by Psucamper » Mon Dec 09, 2013 8:04 am

The front caliper hard lines on my 79 Westie are not good. Those and lines on other VW's need attention/replacement. Those front steel lines are wildly contorted and even the factory ones are a little funky. So, it's time to learn how to do it myself. Tried the "wing nut" bar type of flair tool. It's not consistent and is technique sensitive.
Even using cupro nickel (softer than steel) lines was not satisfactory. Got an Eastwood multi purpose flair tool that's one step down from a hydraulic former. Does the same as a hydraulic unit but less expensive. A really nice easy to use pro type flaring tool. Makes bubble flairs in many sizes of tubing. On the selector turret head is a die marked 3/16" DIN. Used it and got a perfect flair(of some sort).
Aye,there's the rub. The Eastwood literature states that "makes a perfect 45 degree bubble flair". Turret die says DIN but doesn't say ISO. The Fedhill site shows,with an illustration ,the specs for what THEY say is an ISO/ DIN flair. The half angle for the ISO(?) is 57 degrees not 45 degrees.
I suspect that terms commonplace to parts vendors do not track with engineering reality. In the end,what did VW really use for their tubing flairs? Is it a 45 degree or a 57 degree flair?
Are the never mentioned counter bores in the parts they fit into 45 degrees or what? Repair people like us need clarification rather than just buy what's on the shelf and hope it doesn't leak. Brakes are no place for guessing games.

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Amskeptic
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Re: Bubble flairs? ISO? DIN? What?

Post by Amskeptic » Mon Dec 09, 2013 9:33 am

Psucamper wrote:The front caliper hard lines on my 79 Westie are not good.
what did VW really use for their tubing flairs? Is it a 45 degree or a 57 degree flair?
Brakes are no place for guessing games.
I am pretty sure it is a 45*.

I would use good quality steel line, 3/16" is doable.

When you are done, please perform the panic stop pressure test and check for leaks.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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skip
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Re: Bubble flairs? ISO? DIN? What?

Post by skip » Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:16 pm

Is it advisable to use Teflon tape on brake hard lines that screw into the master cylinder?
Complexity is the enemy of reliability.

76 Westfalia
74 Type 181

RinTinTin in Waldorf Astoria 1956

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Amskeptic
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Re: Bubble flairs? ISO? DIN? What?

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Sep 25, 2019 7:09 pm

skip wrote:
Wed Sep 25, 2019 3:16 pm
Is it advisable to use Teflon tape on brake hard lines that screw into the master cylinder?

I do not recommend teflon tape. It dissolves. It is also a band-aid when you actually need to determine what damage has occurred at the flare fitting.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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