stainless fuel line and beeding

[s4dustin]

Ok, So i ran my stainless 3/8 line and bought one of those Earls beeders....here is the problem.... I tried using a proper pipe cutting too, a hack saw and a recip. saw to get a clean cut......once cut I cannot fit the beading tool inside the 3/8 line. I tried filing it, drilling it out..cut, recut and cut again...... I could really use some suggestions here. I think I will try a dremel next......anyone? Oh, and that damn earls tool.....it fell in between the header tubes all the way down to the collector.....what a pain in the ass......then it fell again...and dissappered....then I couldnt remeber where I put it and cleaned the whole damn floor, tool tray...moved the car......yup..in my pocket......ha ha .

[CarlC]

According to the Earl's catalog that tool will only work with aluminum tubing. Hand beading stainless with that tool may not be possible.

What is the wall thickness of the tubing? Earl's call for 0.035" - 0.065", but most stainless tubes that are used for similar systems are 0.035" - 0.044" wall thickness.

[s4dustin]

According to the Earl's catalog that tool will only work with aluminum tubing. Hand beading stainless with that tool may not be possible.

What is the wall thickness of the tubing? Earl's call for 0.035" - 0.065", but most stainless tubes that are used for similar systems are 0.035" - 0.044" wall thickness.


it will work with stainless, just a littlemore effort and not as pronounced as with the aluminum...where the stainless was factory cut, it fits.....where I cut it doesnt. I will try to dremel it out and see what happens....

As always, CARLC you have wayyyy too much insight into the camaro issues....thanks for the help. :)

[GetMore]

Using a hacksaw or reciprocating saw should work, just remember to clean up the inside of the tube before doing anything else.

[CarlC]

If I could only remember my anniversary.....

Stainless tubing is cut at the mill and distributor with an abrasive cutting wheel.

Try a 4" hand grinder with a thin slitting blade. Take your time and make the cut straight. Bevel the I.D. with a drill countersink.

[1969CamaroRS]

This is the type of tubing cutter I have used:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/04/MAS70033-1.jpg

Matco and Rigid come to mind. They work beautifully and often times you can cut the lines on the car. There is a mini-version of this that a bit harder to use but can be used even in the most cramped of spaces:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

The Rigid stuff is pretty good.

Hacksaw creates too rough of a end, you are going to need to do a lot of filling to have a smooth enough surface to flare and not have it crack.

Also I have found it very useful to burnish the outside and inside of the end of the tube (fine emery cloth works good). Really helps keep the tubing from cracking (even with the annealed stuff). Done right they almost never crack. If you can feel a rough edge then you aren't done yet, it needs to be smooth, to prevent stress risers that would cause a crack.

[CarlC]

Hey Ed,

Using that type of roller can work harden stainless. Not a good thing.

For $25 you can get a bracket that turns your 4" grinder into a chop saw. I do not have one, I just do it by hand. Takes only a minute or so to get the tube end ready for flaring.

[1969CamaroRS]

Hey Ed,

Using that type of roller can work harden stainless. Not a good thing.

For $25 you can get a bracket that turns your 4" grinder into a chop saw. I do not have one, I just do it by hand. Takes only a minute or so to get the tube end ready for flaring.

I can see your point especially since I used annealed stainless. But I did just finish with my entire fuel system, trans and oil coolers using the above cutters without much problem. Perhaps it is why I found I needed to make sure I burnished the ends so well.

Although the tubing cutter makes a near perfect 90*, flat and straight surface, harder to do via hand.

As far as flaring tools go, found this Rigid model really good (Model #377):
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/458R-Ratchet-Flaring-Tool/EN/index.htm Their benders along with Imperial Eastman are the bomb as well. I bought a 5/8s one and its scary bending stainless with it ;)

[ErikSOCAL]

Carl,

Could you expand on your comment "work harden stainless" please?

I pretty much used the tools 1969CamaroRS posted. I bought the 2 piece stainless fuel lines from one of the tubing companies, cut the bubble flare off and reflared the ends with an AN sleeve and nut fitting. Had lots of leaks and had to crank down harder on the AN fittings than I wanted to get them to seat which I attributed to the hardness of the stainless. I put a light smear of marine grade (lots of copper?) antiseize on the AN flare face to help get it to seat better. Sorry, sure some of my terms are basic novice mistakes.

[CarlC]

Take a piece of metal and bend it plastically (keeps the bend) repeatedly. It will start to form cracks. This process is called work hardening. Using a roller-type cutter repeatedly bends the cut ends of the tube as it rolls around. Note that no material is moved using this style of cutter, it is just displaced. It is bending metal out of the way of the cutter. If you look at the O.D. profile of the tube after cutting you can note that the end of the tube has a smaller diameter than that of the main body.

Cracks formed from work hardening are more of a problem in stainless vs. mild steel since stainless is harder.

Using a hacksaw or abrasive blade does not work harden the tube but does require more work to deburr the bore and slightly chamfer the O.D. cornerform (stress relief.)

AN sealing washers are available to fix small leaks. Aircraft Spruce has them for a reasonable price vs. the headaches they cure.

[Captcloud]

You told us that you purchased a flaring tool to use with AN fittings, sleeve and B nut. You also said that you had a lot of leaks. Possible problem and easy solution. Did you get the right flaring tool? AN ends use a 37 degree flare and general automotive uses a 45 degree flare. I'm not trying to insult you at all but saw a possible problem and an easy solution. Good luck.

[ErikSOCAL]

Capt, if you are referring to my post, yes - I used the 37 degree flare. When I was assembling the lines, our engineer at work told me that I shouldn't have to crank on the fitting and that made me paranoid, maybe I didn't tighten enough. The end result is that the leaks went away with some tightening. Maybe mild steel instead of the annealed stainless I used would have taken a better shape to the flaring tool and seated better or quicker? Thats why the engineer told me to try a little of the marine grade antiseize on the fitting face to allow it to move a little and seat in properly when tightening. I am curious and will definitely take it apart at some time just to inspect it but I'll have a couple of those washers on hand just in case!
Just fired the car after sitting since August and still leak free! Thanks offering the observation, I have definitely learned a lot.

[1969CamaroRS]

I used anti-sieze on the AN fittings as well the annodization really tends to gaul w/o it. Also like CarlC said some conical AN sealing washers will help between the flared hardline and the fitting.

[Bruning Auto Design]

Are you using seamless s/s tubing?

[1969CamaroRS]

Are you using seamless s/s tubing?

Yep seamless s/s annealed.