Thanks LEckart
The fittings they use have the compression ball on is that what he used. RUSTY

 

Could they be the SS swagelock type of fitting?

 

Rusty,

Lets recap a bit here...
....stainless and free??

Absolutely!!! I'd go for it in a hearbeat! even if it were more of a pain in the rear to work with.

Bobby

 

As far as I have always been told you cannot use compression fittings on a brake system. All connections have to be double flared, I suppose I could be wrong, but I would never use compression fittings on a brake system.

 

but to also follow up, you should not double flare the stainless it just cant take that second part of the process where the lip is bent over 180*, a single 37* flare is what is needed for stainless. I'd take whatever they gave you and then cut off the fittings they have installed and use some from the local parts store.

 

WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY CARRY FITTINGS FOR STAINLESS STEEL LINES...most parts chimps don't know the difference and most parts stores carry brake fittings but for standard steel double flared lines (45 deg) SS needs fittings that are turned for 37 deg flares... THEY DON'T INTERMIX AND don't forget that your standard auto parts place flaring tool isn't gonna work on SS. So plan on buying a new flaring tool also... Eastwood and Aircraft Supply carry them

Mentioned before... stainless is pretty when polished, but is much harder to work with bending and flaring... unless my truck was over mirrors (or I could get it for free) It's not worth the trouble for me... YMMV

John

 

I have a few other questions when using SS lines for brakes, are the fittings all SS? Is so, when going into the cast iron parts like the wheels cylinders do you have to worry about the SS threads gulling in the cast iron threads? Would you have to use an anti-gulling lubricant? Will using this type of lubricant cause trouble in a brake system?

When my dad had his service station in the early '70s he had a new customer bring in his mom's car for a repair and when my dad raised it up on the hoist he saw all of the brakes were plumped with plastic tubing. The customer was a brainiac salesman for a company that sold industrial plastic tubing and used what his company sold. My dad said he freaked out when he saw it and convince the guy to have all the lines replaced with steel brake lining. I don't know how long he had the car plumbed with the plastic but it sure must have been interesting.

 

dffay
I don't know what you mean by swagelock. These have a round ball you put on the line after the nut is on. When you put the nut on tight it grips around the line and you can't get it off. Does this make sence. Can I use these on my brakes. RUSTY

 

Definitely DON'T use those type of fittings on brake lines. They are referred to as compression fittings since the nut compresses the ferrule (the ball) down around the line. Standard issue brake lines use a 45 degree flare with nuts and fittings to match.

 

George, good to see you and Earl are back on board.

Ax, I got you on this one (I think). The size of the tubing will not over draft the master cylinder. The amount of fluid being used to activate the brake is dependent on the volume of the wheel cylinders not the tubing. Once the tubing is full, it will merely act as a carrier of the hydraulic pressure that spreds the wheel cylinder or compresses the caliper. Jag the nit picker

 

Swagelocks are a type of compression fitting used in the industrial gas industry alot. They are actually a double compression fitting and can hold 6000 psi. The problem is that they are not DOT rated.

You might want to stick with the inverted flare type. Since you got a good deal on the line, the fittings shouldn't be a major cash outlay.

 

Rusty50F1

AN (Airforce-Navy) aeronatical fittings come in a variety of materials and are 37 degree flare type fittings. They have fittings available to go from tubing to other types of end connections so you can mate them up to your brake system. They are nice but pricey.

 

You are right again! For the same reason, the size of the line will not affect the braking power. The pressure is governed by the MC bore and the pressure from the pedal. A 3/16" line will transmit the pressure to the wheel cylinder just as well as a 1/2" line. The actual volume of fluid moving and distance it moves in the line is very small.

 

I'm with everyone here. You don't want to mess with brakes and you definitely don't want to try to save money here. Since you have the Stainless lines for free, I'd cut the ends off with a cut off tool and invest in a good double flair tool. Good to the auto parts or brake supply place and grab a hand full of brake line fittings. Do it right and don't guess if it will or will not work. It's better to do it right the first time. Saves time and money in the long run. Maybe even your truck or life for that matter.

 

Don't use any type of compression fittings on brake lines. It is not recommended at all.