27 replies to this topic

[rodomo]

Mission impossible?



A bit of a wire brush off.



A tap tap here



And a tap tap there



A big flat ended punch, in this case a bolt was used. And a hammer.
Best if you can hit two apposing flats on the hex of the flare nut. Each application will differ. Pick the easiest ones to get to, obviously, and if you can't get to apposing flats, any 2 you can get to will do, you just might have to tap a bit harder.


A bit of a squirt



A shifter AAAAAAHHHHGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!! RUFF AS GUTS!!!!........read on



Voila!!!



A good shifter is better than an open ender for a couple of reasons:

The jaws are wider.
Once fitted to the flare nut, you can tighten the shifter jaws to get the best fit on the flare nut.

A worn out shifter will be as useless as an open ender.
How the jaws close up together and how much the adjustable jaw wobbles is an indication of it's suitability.




Believe it?......



Or not!..........

[dattoman]

UC rear ?

[rodomo]

1 tonner front from memory?
Got them off a forum member. His dog dug them up in the back yard I think?

[dattoman]

eeek
they are WB front

Looking like that I probably would have put the pipe nut in the vice and turned the hose

[GML-31]

there is no way I would be putting my nuts in a vice...

[dattoman]

Never married ?

[GML-31]

yeah but my memory doesnt go back that far, thank god for Elsimers

[Heath]

A good shifter is better than an open ender for a couple of reasons:

Don't disagree, but surely you would own a set of hydraulics spanners?

[dattoman]

Tube nut spanners aren't usually worth a pinch of dry goats shit unless they are real good quality
Cheap ones just spread and strip the nut anyway
Unless you can clamp some vice grips around them first to keep them together

[rodomo]

Don't disagree, but surely you would own a set of hydraulics spanners?

I have paid good money for good quality ones in the past just to find they don't cut it.
I have had 2 with 4 different sized ends. I couldn't tell you where they are now.

[Heath]

I have paid good money for good quality ones in the past just to find they don't cut it.

I bought three (six ends) just from Autobarn and they were about $20 for the set, all imperial. I haven't used them too extensively yet, mainly on fuel lines, only a little bit of brake work, but the difference I've found is unbelievable. I guess I'll find out whether they're really good in time...

[REDA9X]

At work we don't have shifters, they are not allowed to be used on aircraft, but then, our tools are good quality and not worn. I usually use a set of hex spanners with a slot cut in them to remove the lines, though a pair of vice grips have been used too. I had one so rusted in once when I turned it, the pipe twisted and broke off, the fitting came out though.

[Evan]

great article Rod. The Last one you did on removing cotter pins worked a treat

These are the spanners that Red is talking about. Ive got a set and they are great!. Also can be made with a conventional ring spanner and a grinder.

[LXM21]

Commonly called crows foot spanners or flare nut spanners, use them frequently on high pressure diesel fuel lines. like all spanners, quality varies !

[REDA9X]

rusty pipes on aircraft ? bloody qantas !

I don't work for QANTAS and I have never found a corroded pipe on an aircraft, especially since most are stainless or aluminium alloys, I was talking cars

[Stedz_lc]

Strap-on pipe spanners have never let me go or even snap on flank drive's! And if its badddd! Its out with the multigrips then cut the fittin off and whack a new one on n flare it!

[rodomo]

I'll keep this in mind next time I'm changing a $13 weepy wheel cylinder.

[76lxhatch]

Double flaring tools are not expensive. Fittings for the end are not expensive. Brake tube is not expensive.

I honestly dont know why people worry about it.

Cheers.

Because it can be a prick of a job to flare a new end on the car (or remove the entire length of tube), and even more so if it ends up too short and needs replacing. If it ain't broke don't fix it