# bubble flare help



## violentaesthete (Oct 27, 2008)

so me and a friend went in on a flare tool, lines and a bender, figuring it would be worth the experience and cheaper possibly. anyway, he finished his up with the tool (he has an integra for the record) and i have been trying for hours to turn out a good bubble flare with the tool. any suggestions? or should i jsut throw in the towel and go get preflared ones from napa?


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## hasnfefr (Sep 26, 2002)

*Re: bubble flare help (violentaesthete)*

Aren't the flares on Japanese cars different? What keeps happening to the flares? A pic might help. Or more description. They are really easy to do. If you can do them in a vise first before they go on the car it's just that more easy.


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## BiH (Nov 27, 2000)

*Re: bubble flare help (hasnfefr)*

there is a single flare and double flare or bubble. that tool prolly makes the single flare and cant make a bubble flare. I was searching for that just today and it seems snap-on tools are the best way. count to spend some $200+ on them. you need bubble flare tool, benders, and cut off tool


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

*Re: bubble flare help (violentaesthete)*

Brake pipe flare ends are only ISO and JASO flares for OEM's...aka Bouble and double. There are 'single' flare designs as well, but those are pretty rare in the industry in my experience.
People tend to use their 'own' terms, and the pipe ends tend to become confused, especially looking at pipe ends after they have been torqued....
If you got to look at the dwg's spec for these pipe ends (a cross section view) this is what it looks like:
The single flare looks like a trumpet end
The double flare looks like a rounded out trumpet
The bubble flare is a mushroom
Look here, Eastw,ood tool shows a picture of all three if you zoom in you can make it out on your browser
http://home-and-garden.become....s&qet
The flare type is not divided by American, Japanese, or German etc manfuctures....Both types of flares have their pro's and con's.
All honda's use the bubble flare, Toyota uses the double and so does basically every American manufacturer to my knowledge..I thought VW used double (or atleast my MKIII ??)...
If you look at the mating side for the pipe, like on a caliper, if you see the bottom looking like a volcano mountain shape protruding at you, the pipe must be a double flare. If you see a bevel AN fitting sloping away shape, its a bubble. http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif 


_Modified by GTijoejoe at 7:52 PM 4-19-2010_


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## violentaesthete (Oct 27, 2008)

*FV-QR*

vw use bubble. i know that for a fact. i just ended up going to napa and getting preflared ones.


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## GTijoejoe (Oct 6, 2001)

*Re: FV-QR (violentaesthete)*

What is your issue with getting the flare complete? It should not take a ton of pressure to make them.....


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## violentaesthete (Oct 27, 2008)

*FV-QR*

i was trying to use the double flare tool and it wasnt working at all.


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## Afazz (Feb 10, 2002)

*Re: bubble flare help (violentaesthete)*

Double flares and ISO Bubble flares are not the same, and use different tools. Some have claimed that an acceptable ISO Bubble flare can be made using the first operation of a double flaring tool.
I have both tools and they are different
















Here is the difference:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com...1.jpg
Sometimes the cheap tools are difficult to use, I had to practice a few times before producing a decent flare with my $30 tool.
edit: mk2 and mk3 VWs use ISO bubble flares.


_Modified by Afazz at 9:50 AM 4-16-2010_


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## StockMK2 (Apr 29, 2009)

*Re: bubble flare help (Afazz)*

I just took my car out for the first time this year and blew my rear brake line.So can you buy these lines cut to size or do I need to go out and buy this tool.Also are they hard to change because I would like to replace all so I don't run into same problem.


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