3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

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Dan Timberlake
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3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by Dan Timberlake »

The Autozone couplings/unions from two different manufacturers are no more than 5/8" long and made of brass. The tubing nuts have less than 3 turns of engagement (!) when first tightened by hand. That is true using commercially flared tubing, or tubing flared by me and my trusty 40 year old NAPA/New Britain flaring tool.

Online parts look equally short.
https://static.summitracing.com/global/ ... 405_ml.jpg

I expected Russel or FedHill or someone to offer couplings with proper longer engagement, and possibly made of steel.
No such luck.
http://store.fedhillusa.com/ua13br.aspx

I can appreciate potentially better sealing using a brass coupling, but the short engagement is going to be on my mind for the first panic stop for sure.

Has anyone found longer 3/16" SAE couplings ?
dave brode
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Re: 3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by dave brode »

Dan,

And what the heck hex size is on those danged things? No wrench that I have fits well.
-

If you have room, you could use a flare union and tubing nuts.

Brass https://www.plews-edelmann.com/automoti ... -fittings/#

Steel http://www.eatonpowersource.com/cross-r ... 2060-5-5b/

Dave
ijames
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Re: 3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by ijames »

McMaster Carr has a 45 deg SAE flared brass union, 3/16", at https://www.mcmaster.com/#50635K511 (nuts sold separately). Overall length is 1.04" but the pressure rating is only 1900 psi. Their steel parts, for steel tubing, are all 37 deg JIC, not 45 deg SAE. Grainger has Parker brand unions, but in 10-packs for $20. Also brass, looks like the same length, and the pressure rating is "450 to 2800 psi", whatever that means #-o . Maybe look online for a Parker catalog and see if they make steel 45 deg fittings?
Carl Ijames, chemist not engine builder
carl ddott ijames aatt verizon ddott net
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Re: 3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by BigBlocksOnTop2 »

Take a look at a NAPA store. There good with that kind of stuff.
AICLLC
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Re: 3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by AICLLC »

Did you find anything? I'm having the same issue.
tjz450
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Re: 3/16" SAE double flare unions - hey stubby !

Post by tjz450 »

FYC (for your consideration) Convert to JIC 37° steel fittings and 3/16 brakeline tubing, buy a flaring tool, Roloc. Practice a bunch until you can form flares without cracking by polishing end of tube, lube, go slow and don't make the flare bigger than necessary. There are dimension charts to size to. Use no aluminum fittings. JIC =AN In steel.
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