Machine for rolling brake pipes. How to flare copper pipes

The brake system of a car is the foundation of safety and needs professional maintenance. After all, driving safety depends on it. Today we will tell you about the most terrible breakdowns of the brake system, we will describe in detail what flaring of brake pipes is, why it is needed and with what tools it is produced.

Brake system malfunctions

Almost all drivers know that the brake system of a car consists of a control drive, distribution systems and executive (working bodies). All parts of the brake system are connected by brake pipes (pipes). These tubes carry pressurized brake fluid. In the process of pressing the brake pedal, the pressure on the TJ increases and it acts on the working body of the system, which locks the wheel and stops the vehicle completely.

During the operation of the brake system, the following malfunctions may occur:

• Leakage brake pipes and pistons in which fluid is under pressure.
• Mechanical failure of working bodies. This includes all kinds of jamming of brake cylinders, etc.
• Violation of the free play of the pedal. Such a malfunction makes the driver uncomfortable when operating the car.

In this article, we will focus on the first malfunction - a violation of the tightness of the connection of brake pipes with working mechanisms.

The brake fluid of a car contains an acid in its composition, which adversely affects thin-sheet metal products. In addition, constant exposure to the environment can cause corrosion on metal parts. In this regard, the junctions of the brake pipes with the working parts of the system may corrode and begin to release a special fluid from the braking system. The other side of the problem is the appearance of air in the system. This phenomenon reduces the pressure inside the brakes and contributes to the deterioration of the braking properties of the car.

To save money on buying new brake pipes, drivers go to remanufacturing the old pipe, which is very successful. This process is called flaring.

Flaring brake pipes with kit and tool

Flaring is any deformation or change in the shape of the tube, which is subsequently attached to a special product that connects the tube to the working body of the system.

This concept also applies to the braking system of the car. To make flaring, you need to have a special flaring kit. It includes a set of tools such as a cutting device, a deforming device and a set of tools for cutting threads on the brake pipe.

To carry out flaring, it is necessary to install a car or overpass and immobilize. Brake fluid is drained from the reservoir and master cylinder. After carrying out all the activities, it is recommended to replace it with a new one so that in the future it does not climb again under the car. Unscrew the fitting of the damaged brake tube from its seat, and then remove it from the tube itself.

Cut off the damaged section of the line, about 5 centimeters. To cut the pipe, you need to install it in a special fixture and walk the blade around the entire circumference. After that, the cut end of the pipe is processed to get rid of irregularities that can disrupt the shape of the pipe, and hence its tightness of the connection.

After that, fix the end of the pipe in a special device and insert a rolling fungus into it. A threaded shaft is placed on top of the fungus, which is mounted on another fixing device. Turning the lever changes the shape of the cut part of the pipe. Then, depending on the presence or absence of a thread, it is cut on the pipe. In most cases, all brake lines are made without it.

Install the new end of the tube into the fixture and tighten the fixture nut. Before installing a new tube, it is necessary to clean the sealed part from grease. To do this, it is enough to treat it with acetone or gasoline. After all these measures, the fitting is installed in its place, brake fluid is poured into the system, it is pumped and after that the car can be operated again.

Video - How and how to flare brake pipe tips

This completes the flaring of the brake pipes. As you can see, this is not a complicated procedure and almost any motorist who will have a flaring kit and other garage equipment on hand will be able to handle it.

Repair of the brake system often does not only come down to replacing brake pads or replacing and pumping brake fluid in both circuits. More complex, requiring accuracy and certain qualifications during installation, is the repair of brake pipes. Often this happens when through corrosion or destruction of the pipe due to an accident or repair of the brake caliper.

Do-it-yourself repair of brake pipes and successful connection of the brake pipeline to the distribution fitting, tees, brake master cylinder and brake calipers requires high-quality processing of the end of the tube and the formation of a flange flange, or the so-called "funnel". Get it using the procedure for expanding the brake pipes.

There are several basic funnel options.

1. Eurostandard fungus (center). It resembles a wheel tire in shape and is widely used in most cars produced at factories on the Eurasian continent. It turns out the most durable connection option from the above, but is considered one-time. With skillful staging, it can be used up to three times.
2. The usual simple funnel, obtained by bending the walls of the end part of the tube with a special tool for expanding brake pipes.
3. A funnel obtained by double folding the rim of a tube or a simple funnel. Considered standard in American cars. This type of flaring of the brake tube is obtained from the fungus, upsetting its upper part with the help of a conical mandrel.

The time of using a simple funnel is long gone, first of all, the metal from which pipes were made on old cars has changed. Instead of soft and ductile rolled copper, a strong and hard steel pipe is more often used. If earlier the driver could flare the end with pliers, a wrench and a couple of blows with a hammer, now it is impossible to flare steel brake pipes without a tool.

For your information! The high quality of the connection of a flared copper tube into a simple funnel was ensured only due to the plasticity of the metal and the low pressure of the hydraulic fluid in the circuit. Do not try to connect the steel pipe with a simple funnel. Even if you tighten the fitting with great force, the connection will not hold all-penetrating brake fluid.

How to flare brake pipes with your own hands

The main condition for successful flaring of the pipe end has always been and will be the use of high-quality, and preferably professional, tools. For our cars, Europe-Asia, buy metric flaring kits. The Americans look more than worthy, they sparkle with chrome, but they can slip an inch system. The old Soviet standard for a copper brake pipe is 8 mm, more recent Soviet and Russian versions used a steel 6 mm.

In terms of choice, the most affordable is the Force 656B, 906T2 brake pipe flaring kit, you can use the more elegant JonnesWay kits, or the common Biltema or Licota.

The flaring tool kit includes:

• a screw rolling press and a clamp, with which the vise bars are tightened and the metal of the brake tube is deformed;
• two detachable vise bars with six to seven holes with cones into which the tubes for flaring are clamped;
• cutting device that allows you to cut the end in a strictly perpendicular direction;
• a set of mandrels and cones of various diameters for the formation of fungi.

When choosing a flaring kit, pay attention to the following points. First, the screw pairs of the screw-nut of the press and clamps must be black matte. This indicates heat treatment and hardening of the helical surface. In a cheaper version, chrome plating is used.

Secondly, the accuracy of the calibrated holes in the vise bars. Typically, the inner surface of the cones is covered with a protective oxide film based on phosphates. Such a coating facilitates the sliding of the deformable metal along the inner surface of the matrix.

Thirdly, all calibrated holes have a numerical marking of dimensions, indicating the units of measurement - millimeters or inches, punched by a chasing to a depth of 0.1 mm, without additional chrome plating or coloring. Alternatively, the entire structure may have an oxidized coating. Non-working parts can be painted with plain light paint.

Advice! If funds allow, choose a kit in which the roller press is equipped with an eccentrically mounted working cone. In such a device for flaring brake pipes, there is a limitation on the size of the pipe fitting performed, that is, the cone will not expand the edges to a larger diameter than necessary.

The procedure for expanding the brake pipes with a fungus with your own hands:

• we select from the set a device for accurate perpendicular trimming of the end of the brake tube, inserting it into a hole of the appropriate diameter, tighten the screw and wrap the cutter a couple of times until it stops;
• there is also a sharp semicircular saw for removing internal chamfers and burrs;
• after filing the end of the brake pipe with a file, we put a fitting nut on the pipe and fix the end in a vice with a clamp, observing the size of the outlet of the end of the pipe above the vise plane;
• add a couple of drops of “brake” to the end of the tube, insert a mandrel of the appropriate size and press the edges of the tube with a press, getting a fungus.

Important! With high-quality flaring, there should be no scratches or imprints of the vise parting line on the pressed surface of the metal of the tube.

If, according to the conditions of flaring, it is necessary to obtain an American version of the fitting, a cone is inserted into the clamp, and the edges of the upper part of the fungus are pressed under the matrix cone. Sometimes a ratchet is built into the design of the clamp, which allows you to limit the force applied to the surface of the fitting.

If flaring needs to be done quickly and at a large number of points, in the case of copper pipes, a simpler tool is used - tongs and a swivel roller.

The ductility and ductility of copper does not require much effort to deform the metal, so it is faster and easier to flare the end with the force of the hand. Due to the compactness of the device, the pliers can be used for expanding brake pipes directly on the car, in conditions where it is difficult to work with a standard set.

Features of flaring brake pipes

Steel brake pipes, unlike copper ones, have practically no ductility margin, so fungus and a funnel can result in the formation of a large number of microcracks. In this sense, the rolled edge of the fungus remains less sensitive to the presence of microcracks, if, of course, they are located only in the region of the hole. If cracks have formed on the periphery, in the widest point of the fitting, this option is definitely subject to rejection.

For the American double funnel, it is often possible to use only a copper brake tube. In extreme cases, if there is an urgent need to expand the steel tube according to the American standard, the procedure is performed in two or three stages. At the first stage, after cutting and filing the end of the tube, it is expanded under the fungus. Further, the resulting variant is subjected to short-term annealing by heating with a burner, which makes it possible to remove a significant part of the stresses in the metal. The third stage will be flaring at an intermediate angle of 25-30 o, instead of the prescribed 45 o, and re-annealing. The final flaring is performed last for the desired funnel size.

If possible, before performing the flaring of the tube, it is worth practicing in obtaining a steel American funnel on an unnecessary cut of a pipe made of a similar material.

The video shows the process of expanding the brake pipes:

Flaring the brake pipes is a procedure that may be required at any time by someone who owns a car. Of course, the implementation of this and any other operation related to the maintenance and repair of a vehicle can always be entrusted to qualified service stations, but many motorists go the other way and try to do everything on their own. Each car owner has the right to decide for himself who to trust the maintenance of his vehicle, but many of these issues can be resolved on their own.

Functions of brake pipes

Brake pipes are an integral part of the braking system of any car, which is responsible for stopping it at the right time. To understand the importance of such tubes for the operation of the brake system as a whole, one should at least superficially become familiar with the principle of its operation.

So, the process of stopping the car, for which the braking system is activated, consists of the following steps.

• If necessary, reduce the speed of the car or stop it completely, the driver presses the brake pedal.
• The master cylinder piston connected to the pedal is actuated and begins to act on the brake fluid.
• Under the high pressure communicated by the piston of the main cylinder, the liquid begins to flow through the tubes and hoses into the cylinders of each wheel, already acting on their pistons.
• Under fluid pressure, the pistons act on the brake pads, which are pressed against the brake discs, stopping the rotation of the wheels.

Obviously, brake pipes play a crucial role in the operation of the entire brake system, and if they break, it completely fails. That is why the repair of these elements, to which and applies, should be approached with all responsibility.

When is it necessary to flare brake pipes?

Through the brake pipes, as mentioned above, high-pressure brake fluid is supplied to all elements of the system. When the capacity of such tubes deteriorates, the whole system begins to work inefficiently, which leads, in particular, to a significant increase in the braking distance. The following characteristic signs may indicate that the elements of the brake system, including tubes, require diagnostics (and, possibly, repair):

• the appearance of extraneous sounds and pulsating movements when you press the brake pedal;
• free movement of the brake pedal when pressed;
• leakage of brake fluid, which leads to a decrease in pressure and, accordingly, to inefficient braking and intensive wear of the brake pads;
• driving the car to the side when braking (this situation, although an indirect sign, can also indicate that the brake pipes need to be repaired).

However, the main sign that the brake pipes do not fully perform their functions and require flaring is an increase in the braking distance. The most common causes of deterioration in the performance of brake pipes are:

• violations in the design of the hexagonal heads with which such tubes are equipped;
• deterioration in the quality and reliability of threaded connections, ingress of litter or coked liquid into them.

Such malfunctions, negatively affecting the technical condition of individual elements of the brake system, significantly reduce the efficiency of its operation. That is why experts and automakers recommend diagnosing it every six months. If you are tied to mileage, then such a procedure must be performed every 50,000 kilometers, and rubber tubes, regardless of their technical condition, must be replaced every 125 thousand kilometers of the vehicle.

Technology features

Car repair, no matter what it is connected with, rarely causes pleasant emotions in a car enthusiast. This is also explained by the fact that such an event, as a rule, involves certain financial costs. Meanwhile, if we talk about a situation in which it is necessary to expand the brake pipes, the cost of such a procedure can be minimized if you do it yourself.

So, in order to flare the brake pipes with your own hands, you need not only to study in detail the theoretical information on this issue and watch the corresponding video, but also to purchase a special device. In, which can be purchased quite inexpensively at many automotive stores, includes the following tools and fixtures:

• pipe cutter;
• fitting used as a connector;
• ticks.

Using such a simple set, to which you need to add a drill (to chamfer the ends of the pipes), as well as gasoline, which is needed as a lubricant, you can not only do your own flaring with high quality, but also save a decent amount of money that would have to be paid to specialists service stations.

Immediately before the flaring procedure with the brake tube, the following steps must be performed.

1. The tube is unscrewed from the brake cylinder or caliper with a tool or manually.
2. By visual inspection, the presence of damage on the surface of the tube is determined. If they are close to its edge, then the tube can be restored, if not, then it must be replaced with a new one.
3. Using a tool such as a pipe cutter, a damaged area is cut off from the edge of the tube and the cut edge is treated with gasoline.
4. The cut end of the tube is clamped with tongs and a chamfer is removed in its inner part using a drill with a drill of the appropriate diameter.
5. The section of the inner surface of the tube, where the chamfer was removed, is cleaned of chips. After that, the end of the tube is inserted into the fitting, which acts as a connector.

After all the above steps have been completed, the tube must be expanded, for which it is best to use a special machine. Flaring performed using such a machine is carried out according to the following algorithm.

1. The end of the tube to be flared is inserted into the clamping hole of the machine. In this case, the part of the tube protruding from the clamping mechanism of the machine should be approximately 5 mm.
2. With the help of a special punch, which is equipped with such a machine, the end of the tube is flared.
3. If it is necessary to flare the second end of the tube, the entire procedure described above is performed in the same sequence.

As a result of flaring using such a device, with the rules and intricacies of working with which it is best to familiarize yourself with the video, the end of the brake tube becomes neatly expanded. The use of a special machine allows you to adjust the parameters of such an expansion, because for the brake systems used on cars of different brands, they can vary greatly. As a rule, in special kits, with the help of which you can flare the brake pipes with your own hands, there is also a pattern that allows you to control the result of the technological operation.

If you have your own car, then you simply have to study its design and mechanisms from time to time, so that in the future, if it breaks down, you can repair it yourself. And in general, every motorist should understand cars, at least within the limits of his car, and in case of the slightest deviation from his normal operation, he was able to prevent the failure of any part or the whole mechanism in time. For those who are just learning to understand a car, I will talk about what flaring of brake pipes is. Also, everyone will be able to find out what a brake pipe is and how it is used for a car.

In order to have a clear picture of what the brake pipes are for and what role they play, you do not need to consider them as a separate element, you need to familiarize yourself with the entire brake system of the car. Thus, having understood the operation of the system as a whole, the task of the tubes will be clear. The braking system, superficially, works in this way: if it is necessary to slow down or brake hard, the driver depresses the corresponding pedal, and the piston located in the main cylinder, under high pressure, begins to drive the liquid along special paths.

The very same braking or a complete stop of the car occurs at the moment, at the moment of converting the forces of fluid pressure on the wheel cylinders into the resistance of the brake pads. So, the paths along which the piston drives fluid to the wheels consist of brake pipes and hoses. The failure of any part of the system leads to the breakdown of the entire braking system, and therefore, your car becomes unusable.

When is flaring required?

With poor transmission of fluid through the tubes, the car brakes with a delay, and the braking distance is almost doubled. Also, in the operation of the system, it is especially noticeable when the brake pedal is pressed, extraneous sounds appear, as well as some pulsating movements. The movement of the pedal, while pressing it, will seem a little free to you, this is very typical in case of a malfunction of the brake system, namely the brake pipes and hoses. Also, one of the reasons for the malfunction of the tubes is the visible leakage of fluid and the brake system. This leak will cause the brake drums to overheat and wear the brake pads unevenly. Another sign may not be the usual behavior of the car while pressing the pedal, namely, the car moves a little to the side. Of course, this is an indirect reason, but, according to experts, it may indicate a malfunction of the tubes.

The most obvious symptom that the tubes are starting or have already worn out and it's time to deal with flaring is an increase in braking distance.

It is important to know that the main problems due to which tubes break quite often are:

• destruction of the structure of the hexagonal head;
• the ingress of litter and dirt into the places of threaded connections or the ingress and coking of liquid in these places.

The above troubles cause very great harm not only to the elements, but to the entire system. If the owner wants to protect the car from this kind of trouble, he should remember that it is necessary to test the car's brake system at least once a year. If we equate the elements and the system itself to mileage, then diagnostics must be carried out every 50,000 kilometers, and parts, in particular rubber tubes, change after 125 thousand kilometers, no matter what technical condition they are.

Flaring instructions

Not every driver has a pleasant feeling about car repair. Many do not want to crawl under the hood and repair the breakdown, to say nothing about the repair of parts, for the repair of which it is necessary to climb under the car. Yes, pipe flaring is not one of the most pleasant jobs, but it is not very difficult either. The most important thing is that you can flare yourself, and at the same time do not pay some "specialists" at the service station. For the qualitative performance of this work, you need to purchase a special device, the so-called "flaring tool". Such a set for expanding brake pipes, in which you can see a pipe cutter, fitting, pliers, can be purchased at any automotive store, besides, its price is a penny compared to the price of work at a service station. You also need to prepare some gasoline in a bottle for further lubrication of the pipe and a drill for chamfering.

So, let's look at detailed instructions on how to flare a brake pipe.

The tube is unscrewed by hand from the cylinder or caliper. The damaged area is determined on it, and if possible, we repair it, otherwise the tube is not suitable. So, with the help of a pipe cutter on the damaged area on the tube. After that, you need to process the serviceable cut edge of the tube with gasoline. Using pliers, we clamp the tube to create a connector for the fitting. We take a drill and a drill of the required diameter and remove a little edge inside, make a chamfer. After that, you need to clean the seat from chips and insert a fitting into the tube. Now the most important thing - flaring. The flaring tool is used as follows.

The edge of the tube is inserted into the special holes of the machine in such a way that a segment of about five millimeters remains over the grip and is clamped. The mechanism processes the desired part of the tube. In the case when it is necessary to flare both edges of the pipe, then the second one is performed exactly according to the same scenario as the first edge. After completing all the above steps, you should have a neat extension. The size of the extension can be varied on the machine, and it depends on the specification of the car and this is provided in the kit (you can see a special pattern in the kit).

So, summing up, we can say that the work of expanding the brake tubes is not very laborious and complicated. It is important to understand that most repairs regarding an iron friend can be easily done on your own. And this is very important, because by fixing the breakdown personally, you can not only save money, but most importantly, it is possible to do the job better than any car mechanic. The main thing is to follow the instructions and remember that this is done exclusively for yourself.

Video “Replacing brake pipes on a car”

The recording shows how you can replace the brake pipes on a VAZ car.

Trouble-free operation of the brakes is, perhaps, not the most important factor that affects the degree of road safety and car use. The basis for the immediate repair and replacement of brake pipes is the slightest suspicion of a violation of the operation of these simple but important parts of the braking system.

Failure of the supply pipelines leads to the failure of the entire braking device, and can lead to the most unfortunate consequences. Strict supervision of the tightness of the brake pipes and the places of their connection with the actuators is the basis for the safe operation of vehicles.

The company ″Tehkom″ manufactures brake pipes in Moscow and the Moscow region. Techcom's own products, which it manufactures for braking systems of various vehicles, are in no way inferior to products of well-known brands in terms of technical characteristics.

The production of brake pipes for foreign and domestic cars, in the company's workshops equipped with modern technology, takes just a few minutes, while the cost of manufacturing is much lower in price compared to standard factory-made products.

The company ″Tehkom″ uses only proven steel and copper pipe parts. It is possible to equip with any kind of tips and flare tubes for connecting elements of brake systems with hydraulic, pneumatic or mixed drive, for almost all car brands.

The service for the manufacture of brake pipes includes:

1. Recommendations of specialists on the choice of material depending on the type of car and its operating conditions.
2. Cutting pipe sections to the desired length. The size is determined by the catalog or by the sample of the product that is out of order.
3. Selection of the appropriate type of threaded tip or other type of fitting.
4. Rolling of tube ends for the most common types of connections used by both European and Asian vehicle manufacturers. These are, respectively, the ″fungus″ and ″inner cone″ types.
5. Bending tubes according to a template or sample.

The price of products to a rather small extent depends on the number of operations performed, since they are all produced on modern semi-automatic equipment and the complexity of the process is relatively low. The main influence on the cost is exerted by the material and dimensions of the products. Steel parts are cheaper, but rust rather quickly, especially in winter, when roads are sprinkled with various chemicals.

In addition, rigid steel brake lines are quite difficult to fit on site. Despite the higher cost, preference should be given to the manufacture of copper brake pipes, which are practically not subject to corrosion, are durable and, thanks to the plasticity of the material, are easy to install even in the most inaccessible places.

The lion's share of accidents on the roads is due to the failure of car brakes. A common cause of such failures is damage to the brake pipes. Be vigilant and even with the most insignificant, at first glance, their malfunction, contact the Tekhkom service centers in Moscow. The company will provide fast and high-quality production of tubes for brake systems of any car. Do not endanger your life and the lives of others.