has anyone worked with flaring the hard line from the rear master cylinder back to the flexible rubber hose on a Softail? I have a 2001 FXSTI Standard, am going to plumb a proportioning valve from just above brake light sender tee and then braided AN3 hose back to caliper.

Brake hard line is painted black and magnetic, but Stainless Steel 400 grade is somewhat magnetic but has too much chromium in the alloy for double-flaring as in an inverted flare fitting.

 

why are you modifying your factory brake lines/hoses?

 

plumbing a proportioning valve
I know what I'm doing to get it done correctly.

Been reading up on stainless lines, annealing is the way to go before flaring. Just don't know what the material is for sure --mild steel or stainless alloy? (painted black)

 

Stainless steel is a much harder metal than mild so you will probably need a good flaring tool. i have done it on cars and measuring is the only real science behind it, the tools do the rest of the work for you. imo i would probably do PTFE lines to replace the cheap rubber hose and put the valve there because investing in the tools to bend and flare the lines would end up costing about the same if not more. are you installing a proportioning valve so you can tie the front and rear breaks together on the rear brake? if so i am really contemplating doing this myself but nervous about how drastic of a change it is to ride.

 

Precisely...
I have an Eastwood flaring tool that I've used many times and it's of good quality. I'm reading that annealing (heating with soft flame at the tip where the flare will be and cooling at room temp/slowly) is a good way to work-soften SS alloys so a reliable double-flare can be done. Also using a pipe-cut off tool like the kind you wind around the pipe (miniature in this case) somehow works-hardens stainless steel even more (!), that a fine-tooth hacksaw blade is the way to go the cut the hard line and then chuck the protruding end in the flaring clamp filing it as straight as you can get it and deburing the inside edge before flaring.

Yes, installing a proportioning valve just above the brake lite sender and then braided teflon after that into the caliper. I'll report the result of my experience doing so when it gets done.

I was more curious if anyone knew whether the hard line actually is a stainless alloy or just mild steel. I would imagine a stainless alloy since it's sitting out in the open right up front where rocks etc can damage it--stainless has more chromium and thus more durable. Guess I'll find out soon enough ! Sand a little of the black paint off and probably be able to tell by how smooth the line surface is or a little spark test on the bench grinder reveals alot too.

 

so your putting in a proportioning valve so your brakes will tie together?


if so that's a horrible stupid idea.
1. if you develop a leak your going to lose both your front and rear brakes together which is a bad...
2. its actually illegal , all vehicles have to have 2 brake systems. your front is one and your rear is 2. cars have brakes and then an emergency brake, which bikes obviously don't have. tractor trailers have air and spring brakes. ( not sure if Alaska does inspections or not? im from Ohio..? )


newer bikes incorporate this via ABS all electronically, my bike has ABS and both my front and rear work together if the ABS kicks in. but theyre both theyre own separate system! I highly recommend you don't tie them together!

 

so your putting in a proportioning valve so your brakes will tie together?


if so that's a horrible stupid idea.
1. if you develop a leak your going to lose both your front and rear brakes together which is a bad...
2. its actually illegal , all vehicles have to have 2 brake systems. your front is one and your rear is 2. cars have brakes and then an emergency brake, which bikes obviously don't have. tractor trailers have air and spring brakes. ( not sure if Alaska does inspections or not? im from Ohio..? )


newer bikes incorporate this via ABS all electronically, my bike has ABS and both my front and rear work together if the ABS kicks in. but theyre both theyre own separate system! I highly recommend you don't tie them together!

 

oh heck no ! It's called a proportioning valve by the manufacturer, but thats really not accurate...it's a taper valve for the hydraulic pressure in one braking circuit:
http://www.wilwood.com/MasterCylinde...emno=260-12627

thanks for your concern though !

 

hey no problem! I was just sitting here with my mouth open like good god. people . lol

 

all done and looks great ! Ok so the hard line isn't "hard" at all....its your typical dead-soft malleable brake line plated with copper and painted black. Easy to form and flare. Toughest part of the job probably was working in cramped quarters and fabricating a bracket for the proportioning valve.