old brake lines

I attempted to put a double flare on an old line. It did not go very well at all. Do old brake lines age harden and work harden also? Rendering them useless, even if they are in good shape.
TY
SDE

should be no problem. show us what happened.

Steel lines require filing down the end before they are flared otherwise they are really stiff.

With a new piece of line, all went well. With the old line, the line would slide out of the clamp without any deformation occurring. I tried it with another clamp and it did the same thing. It chewed up the outside of the line.
TY
SDE

This is my first attempt at repairing brake lines by flaring the ends. I did use a file on the end in order to have a flat surface. How does using a file on them help with their stiffness?
TY
SDE

I had the same problem with the old steel line, even when it was actually a new piece fresh from the parts store. It takes a really good clamp to hold it while you press the'swell' area in.

My first double flare set was K-D brand. Ordered from NAPA back in the early 2000s. The first kit would not work at all. I mentioned the problem to the NAPA manager and he ordered another set and swapped with me. The second set-same part number and everything-worked much better.

The new brake line-The green/grey stuff is some kind of copper/nickel alloy and works much better. I also think it should probably last longer in harsh weather (mud and road salt) conditions. The old silver line sure looked good as oil and fuel lines on old tractor engines, though.

It may be a different alloy than the flexible type line you buy at the auto supply.

I've never had any luck trying to double flare anything, but I never had a good flaring tool.

Always found it easier to just buy the premade lines.

My brother-in-law has a hydraulic flaring tool. It works great on the nickel copper line. I buy it by the spool. it will also make both kinds of Gm fuel lines. The green coated line doesn't always work so well, the coating allow it to slip through the clamp. The uncoated steel works well also. I can remember a time before the current replacement steel line was available when the replacement line was very difficult to work with. My son put stain less lines on his 2005 Chevrolet truck. Nice, but the line to the right front to brake computer come as one piece. We got it in there but I will use the nickel copper.

The new tube may be standard fractional size, while the original tubing may be a metric size

Sounds about right. You can't buy anything that is made as well as they used to. The line probably has to be orange hot to put the double flare on it.

The steel line is so thick it resists flaring so you need to "weaken" it prior to flaring. If it doesn't work for you very well use the newer line that bends and flares easily.

I have found old used steel line is some harder to double flare then new line but surely not impossible.

I agree it does seem to get harder, think it is the rust, they can be flared, but it is more difficult.

OK, I see what you meant now.
TY
SDE

You're welcome.

Yep, My '96 F250 started having one fluid line after another fail, first was a power steering line, then a fuel line, and while fixing the fuel lines I "touched" a brake line and it started dripping. I had it hauled to my shop in town, and supplied the shop most of the parts I accumulated, prebent stainless steel lines from CLASSIC TUBE Industries, all 3 flex lines, I specifically asked the guy at NAPA if the lines were made in the US before I had him order them, I go in a week later and they all say "Made in China". I asked again if they had the clips to fold them to the brackets which he said the week before He had, just needed to see the hoses to get the right ones. But that day his reply was "Nope, don't have them." HOW DO YOU GUYS TOLERATE DEALING WITH NAPA? Their over-priced imported junk, their attitude, their lies!
Anyhow, O'Reilly's had new frt calipers, new rear wheel cylinders, I had the guy get a new master cylinder, EVERYTHING that touched brake fluid was brand new.
Son says the steel rear fuel tank has rusted out again, I replaced it about 2002,2003, brand new OEM tank. The BIG front tank is plastic, no signs of it giving up!
All I can say about the pre bent brake lines is they must have been pretty accurate, guy only charged me 5 hours labor to replace EVERYTHING I mentioned. If you have one bad line, are you willing to bet your life that it was the ONLY bad line? I replaced them all!