On 04/13/2013 05:52 PM, Ashton Crusher wrote:
> On Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:59:37 -0400, Nate Nagel >
> wrote:
>
>> On 04/12/2013 02:30 PM, Nate Nagel wrote:
>>> Does anyone have a link to any law or standard that allows or prohibits
>>> their use?
>>>
>>> Was having a discussion with a mechanic yesterday and the wrench was
>>> saying that it was easier to use a compression fitting than double
>>> flaring and he didn't have a problem using them; my position was that if
>>> I needed to replace a hard line where it was easier to cut and splice in
>>> the middle than rerun the whole thing that I would always use a double
>>> flare and a union, because of the impossibility of the fitting blowing
>>> apart under pressure save for a failure of the tubing itself. the
>>> discussion was prompted because he was looking at a repair I'd done on a
>>> friend's vehicle when the rear brakes had failed; the hose to the rear
>>> axle had failed and replacement required replacement of both the axle
>>> lines and the back half of the rear body line due to rust, and he'd
>>> noticed that the one splice that I'd done was a double flare union.
>>>
>>> However when I went to research the issue I see a lot of opinions that
>>> "it's illegal" to use compression fittings but no links to actual
>>> references nor could I find anything in the pertinent safety inspection
>>> standards (NB: I'm not a vehicle inspector nor have I ever been, so I
>>> don't know if there is an "unwritten rule" that compression fittings =
>>> failure.) If anyone has any knowledge of this issue I'd appreciate your
>>> input esp. if it is specific to VA, MD, or DC.
>>>
>>> I also certainly hope that the mechanic was referring to a good steel
>>> Swagelok fitting (which is at least rated for the pressures used in an
>>> automotive brake application) and not the brass ones like you'd use to
>>> hook up an icemaker!
>>>
>>> nate
>>>
>>
>> Proof that anyone can spew advice on the interwebs
>>
>> http://www.ehow.com/how_5499634_spli...ake-lines.html
>>
>> Sadly, ehow doesn't seem to have a "-1" button. I'm guessing most
>> intelligent people take anything posted there with a shaker of salt
>> anyway, but really, this is astonishingly irresponsible.
>>
>> nate
>
> Got curious and googled on this subject. Lots of opinions of course.
> Looks like there really isn't any reason not to use compression
> fittings as far as them coming apart, the only issue seemed to be
> leaking if the compression fittings are over-compressed. People don't
> like their brake fluid leaking out. And don't use brass on steel
> tubing. So when all is said it looks like it can be done safely if
> you pay attention to what you are doing but that still doesn't answer
> the "is it legal" question. I'd guess the reason it's not legal, if
> it fact it's not, is because there is an SAE spec on braking systems
> requiring double flare fittings and that the SAE spec is incorporated
> by reference into the safety regs.
>

But there are plenty of vehicles out there factory sold without double
flares but ISO "bubble" flares as I discovered to my chagrin when I had
to replace the first brake line on my first GTI And it took me quite
a while to find an inexpensive ISO flare tool, but this was back when
the interwebs weren't as developed as they are today.

nate

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