Flaring Tools for Stainless?

[Tech Tim]

Will it do 3/8 and 1/2?

Not sure, we used them for the compensator tubes on the hydraulic pumps, iirc they were 1/4".

We used plenty of lube and still had to replace those flaring tools each year or so. But they were the best we had found at the time.

I would guess it all depends on the wall thickness.

 

[Bebop]

Up to what diameter?

I used that thing to do 1/2 lines on a buggy.
Will do 3/8.

 

[Duc]

I've done a shit ton of stainless with the real Mastercool kit.

I have to replace the cone every so often, but it does them anywhere you want, on the car, in a vice, on the bench and on the beach.

Same.

 

[TTMotorsports]

I've got one of these and it will do a fair job on stainless in 3/16" and possibly 1/4" if you baby it and are careful. Downside is if you need to flare the end of a line that's on a vehicle.

Just go for the old standby heavy duty manual version?

I have both of these and am doing stainless hardlines for my Fuel which is 1/2" and my transmission with is also 1/2". I have tested it on the bench, which I will be able to do for both of these since they are doing to be somewhat easily removable with good success. Just have to make sure the ends are deburred perfectly on inside AND outside, plus I used some WD40 on some and the tube bender white lube on some with same success just WD40 was easier to clean up so I'll go that route in future. I didn't take enough care on a couple and they cracked when doing the 37deg flare. After I used a small file and deburred them and made sure ends were cut square no problems after that. I hope that is the case on my final try when doing the lines that will live on my truck.

 

[u2slow]

We don’t flare stainless. We use compression fittings for everything.

Swage-lok is what we use. It's a 2 ferrule setup.

 

[JR4X]

Swage-lok is what we use. It's a 2 ferrule setup.

Same-ish. I use swage-lok on everything I do. Some guys I work with use Parker fittings, carbon steel single Ferrell pieces of junk.

 

[94toytruck]

I've done a shit ton of stainless with the real Mastercool kit.

I have to replace the cone every so often, but it does them anywhere you want, on the car, in a vice, on the bench and on the beach.

Same and it's been used a ton

 

[barrelroll]

I ordered a Ridgid 377 for some 37 degree flares at work for a project with some 1/4" stainless I can't remember how thick the tube I ordered is. It took 2-3 months to get ordered through global industrial though haven't used it yet.

I did notice the fine print of only .035" thick stainless tube after I ordered. I'll report back after I use it, this is the first time in 2 years I've needed one so I doubt I'll use it much. I didn't want to buy Amazon junk and half the time you need one you need it right fricken now because something went sideways.

 

[Im4yotas]

Same-ish. I use swage-lok on everything I do. Some guys I work with use Parker fittings, carbon steel single Ferrell pieces of junk.

I used to use a ton of swage-lok, yor-lok, let-lok etc on industrial equipment and loved it. How do they hold up to offroad/racing constant shaking and vibration?

 

[JR4X]

I used to use a ton of swage-lok, yor-lok, let-lok etc on industrial equipment and loved it. How do they hold up to offroad/racing constant shaking and vibration?

They were referring to me in the oilfield where we do use a ton of stainless. I wouldn’t run it on the race cars, we run all JIC stuff on the race equipment and have the hoses made for us.

I carry a ton of the stuff you mentioned in my truck. The constant vibration of a compressor occasionally breaks the stainless right where the Ferrell is crimped.