You are not confused Buddy but every Fiero that I have ever worked on has metric "Bubble" flare fittings. At least on the entire brake system (don't remember what's on the clutch lines. Not double flare fittings.
[This message has been edited by Gordo (edited 11-05-2005).]
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03:50 PM
dillon11 Member
Posts: 402 From: Dartmouth Nova Scotia Registered: Oct 2005
You are not confused Buddy but every Fiero that I have ever worked on has metric "Bubble" flare fittings. At least on the entire brake system (don't remember what's on the clutch lines. Not double flare fittings.
that's crazy, i just replaced all 4 brake hoses on an 88 tuesday. i'm going out to look at the old hoses.
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06:12 PM
buddycraigg Member
Posts: 13620 From: kansas city, mo Registered: Jul 2002
The fittings are apparently mixed far as I know. Some are common Double Flair and others are the bubble thing.
Worse... There are SAE and DIN bubbles and they are not interchangable. I don't remember which bubble version Fiero uses.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurasic Park)
The fittings between the master cylinder and proportioning valve are SAE and the rest are metric.
There are many people here on PFF who will say we can use an SAE double flare or a single flare to fab your own lines and re-use the metric fittings. As you can see from Theogre's drawings you may be able to jam them together and make them hold initially. But look to me like you will crease the tubing creating a weak point in the flare and risk a catastrophic failure at some point. You can buy a whole set of pre-bent brake lines for about $150. That's what I ended up doing on my '84 which spent it's first 10 years in Minusota and saw enough salt to severely pit the lines.
Proper Metric flaring tools are available but I've never come across them for less than $150.
[This message has been edited by sanderson (edited 11-05-2005).]
Yes, using the wrong flair/bubble will cause a major safety problem. And exactly like said... It might seal short term, even long term, but you have a seriously stressed area that can potentially blow apart at any time with no warning.
Sort of as trivia... there are even differant angles for the standard and double flair. You don't usually see the other angle on cars. As I remember it's common on aircraft and AN fittings used with things like aftermarket fuel system parts. (I forget how many degrees the AN flair is.)
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09:11 PM
Marvin McInnis Member
Posts: 11599 From: ~ Kansas City, USA Registered: Apr 2002
Late model vehicles can be any possible combination of nuts and flares. For example a Ford Taurus can have 4 different nuts on the ends of the two rear brake lines!
From previous thread.
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10:33 PM
Nov 6th, 2005
Gordo Member
Posts: 2981 From: East Guilford, NY, USA Registered: Mar 2002
When I replaced the brake lines on my 88 coupe, I was able to buy standard straight lengths with the correct bubble flares and fittings installed from my local NAPA store
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12:05 AM
Lambo nut Member
Posts: 4442 From: Centralia,Missouri. USA Registered: Sep 2003
The thing to remember with brake lines is that in normal operation you're dealing with 300-500 PSIG. You can however reach pressures over 1000 PSIG at full pressure during things like a panic stop. If you have any weak lines/fittings, that is likely when they will let go. Tho as I said they can go at any time with no warning.
[This message has been edited by theogre (edited 11-06-2005).]
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12:42 PM
jelly2m8 Member
Posts: 6260 From: Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Jul 2001
