DIY on-car flaring tool

This is the Forum for all your Citroen Technical Questions, Problems or Advice.

Moderator: RichardW

Post Reply
User avatar
CitroenCrazy
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 125
Joined: 20 Mar 2005, 18:17
Location: Leicestershire
My Cars: 2000 Xantia Estate Exclusive, HDi
1999 Xantia Estate Exclusive, HDi,
C6 2.2 Manual
They're the modern ones.....
x 63

DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by CitroenCrazy »

My Xantia disgraced itself by bursting one of the high pressure pipes that runs from front to back.
Access is pretty terrible at both ends, so I decided the only way I was going to get the car mobile again was to replace just the rusty section. In theory, this should be straightforward; cut the affected section out, flare the pipe on each side and use a pair of in-line connectors to splice in a new section.

In practice, this gave me a problem because I only have a bench-mounted flaring tool, which I bought from Pleiades about 25 years ago.
I know people have managed to use this type of tool on the car, but being cam-operated, it's really not designed for that type of application.
01_source.JPG
I was quite prepared to buy a new flaring tool, intended for use on the vehicle. BeePro in Germany make a very nice example, but with shipping to the UK, it's over £350.
I couldn't find anything else at a price I was prepared to pay, so I decided to try making my own, using the punches and dies from the Pleiades tool I already have.

Hopefully this will inspire someone else to do the same and also spawn suggestions for improvement.


I found a nice chunky piece of U channel in my reclaimed metal stock, so that became the body, and I made the other parts to fit around that.
02_body.JPG

The new tool had to be screw-operated, and flaring steel pipe needs quite a bit of force, so I threaded a piece of bar M20 x 1.0 pitch
03_threading.JPG

This is the kit of parts about 2/3 of the way through the build
04_parts.JPG

This is the main part of the tool, just about complete. (The punch and dies in the picture are DIN style, not Citroen)
05_finished.JPG

The first attempt at flaring a piece of steel pipe was a bit disappointing
06_first flare.JPG

I'd diverged from my original plan a little, deciding to use the later style of screw-in punches, as this would make it easier to incorporate an extraction mechanism.
What I didn't realise until late in the process is that the new punch is narrower than the original one and a very loose fit in the dies, hence the lop-sided flare.
(Original Pleiades punch on the left, new style on the right)
07_problem definition.JPG

So, I made a sleeve to bring the diameter back to the same as the original punch
08_turning a sleeve.JPG


This is a close up of the punch holder, showing how it fits over the compression screw. The idea is that the punch is pulled back as the screw is unwound.
09_punch extraction.JPG

The completed tool, with a quick coat of spray paint
10_painted + complete.JPG

In use today
11_in use.JPG

The result
12_on-car flare.JPG

At the risk of sounding smug, I was pretty chuffed with the result :-)
Last edited by CitroenCrazy on 27 Sep 2020, 21:41, edited 2 times in total.
User avatar
bobins
Donor 2023
Posts: 5697
Joined: 05 Jul 2012, 18:07
Location: Midhurst, West Sussex
My Cars: Kia Sportage
Mazda BT-50
Land Rover SIII SWB
V-F-R800
SL320
MX5
x 2871

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by bobins »

Appearing on eBay soon ? :lol:
Sadly no longer a C5 owner :(
User avatar
Paul-R
Donor 2023
Posts: 6916
Joined: 07 May 2009, 16:24
Location: Wirral, NW England; Vaucluse 84, France
Lexia Available: Yes
My Cars: 2015 1.6 Blue HDi 120 Peugeot 308 Active SW
2013 2.0 HDi 163 C5 Exclusive Tourer
2003 2.0 HDi 110 C5 Exclusive Estate (Gone)
2001 2.0 HDi 90 Xsara Estate (Gone)
x 1369

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by Paul-R »

CitroenCrazy wrote: 27 Sep 2020, 19:29At the risk of sounding smug, I was pretty chuffed with the result
Frankly, you've every right to feel smug. That's a fabulous bit of kit you've created.
As I get older I think a lot about the hereafter - I go into a room and then wonder what I'm here after.

Inside every old person is a young person wondering what the hell happened.

"Trying is the first step towards failure" ~ Homer J Simpson​
User avatar
NewcastleFalcon
Posts: 24566
Joined: 25 Feb 2009, 10:40
Location:
My Cars:
x 6866

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by NewcastleFalcon »

Top work CitroenCrazy well done. I have put a link to your post on the Toolbag Tales, Homemade and improvised tools thread

REgards Neil
Only One AA Box left
687 Trinity, Jersey
User avatar
mickthemaverick
Donor 2024
Posts: 13523
Joined: 11 May 2019, 17:56
Location: Hertford
My Cars: 70+ former cars (list available) including 11 Citroens, 3 Renaults
Current cars: 2004 Subaru Legacy 2.5 SEn, 1994 Mazda MX3
x 6011

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by mickthemaverick »

Brilliant piece of work. :clap: Now I know where to come if I get rusty pipes!! :-D
I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure!
I used to ride on two wheels, but now I need all four!
User avatar
white exec
Moderating Team
Posts: 7445
Joined: 21 Dec 2015, 12:46
Location: Sayalonga, Malaga, Spain
My Cars: 1996 XM 2.5TD Exclusive hatch RHD
1992 BX19D Millesime hatch LHD
previously 1989 BX19RD, 1998 ZX 1.9D auto, 2001 Xantia 1.8i auto
and lots of Rovers before that: 1935 Ten, 1947 Sixteen, 1960 P5 3-litre, 1966 P6 2000, 1972 P6 2000TC, and 1975 P6B 3500S
x 1752

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by white exec »

Superb work. I feel sure I'll be needing to make something like that at some point.
Chris
User avatar
CitroenCrazy
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 125
Joined: 20 Mar 2005, 18:17
Location: Leicestershire
My Cars: 2000 Xantia Estate Exclusive, HDi
1999 Xantia Estate Exclusive, HDi,
C6 2.2 Manual
They're the modern ones.....
x 63

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by CitroenCrazy »

Ahhh, thanks guys. Blushes.........

Available on loan to anyone local.
Gibbo2286
(Donor 2020)
Posts: 7171
Joined: 08 Jun 2011, 18:04
Location: GL15***
My Cars: 2006 C5 2.0 Litre HDI VTR Automatic Estate.(now sold on)
Currently Renault Zoe 2014 ZE
x 2500

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by Gibbo2286 »

The Chinese will have copies on sale soon.
Man is, by nature, a lazy beast, he does not need twice encouraging to do nothing.
Hell Razor5543
Donor 2023
Posts: 13727
Joined: 01 Apr 2012, 09:47
Location: Reading
My Cars: C5 Mk2 VTX+ estate.
x 2993

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by Hell Razor5543 »

Gibbo2286 wrote: 28 Sep 2020, 09:10 The Chinese will have copies on sale soon.
You mean they haven't already?
James
ex BX 1.9
ex Xantia 2.0HDi SX
ex Xantia 2.0HDi LX
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR
Ex C5 2.0HDi VTR

C5 2.2HDi VTX+
Yes, I am paranoid, but am I paranoid ENOUGH?
Out amongst the stars, looking for a world of my own!
User avatar
CitroJim
A very naughty boy
Posts: 49532
Joined: 30 Apr 2005, 23:33
Location: Paggers
My Cars: Bluebell the AX, Polly the C3 Picasso, Pix the Nissan Pixo, Propel the duathlon bike, TCR Pro the road bike and Fuji the TT bike...
x 6163
Contact:

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by CitroJim »

Absolutely first class :D Most excellent :D
Jim

Runner, cyclist, time triallist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
russbif
Posts: 37
Joined: 18 Jan 2013, 14:55
Location: Gloucester, England
My Cars: Citroen C3 Picasso
Mk1 MX5 Miata
x 2

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by russbif »

Image

I made one back in the 70’s, copy of one I hired, but handheld, made a pipe bender too.
Attachments
34BD7040-28D2-41AE-A941-B6CE30D488F8.jpeg
2EFDBBCC-72B6-4760-903A-7AA3E64CADD7.jpeg
1E575BFB-4ED9-46C0-B1CB-F819BE1EF3EB.jpeg
Rhothgar
Donor 2023
Posts: 1758
Joined: 22 Nov 2004, 00:21
Location: Nottingham - UK
My Cars: 2013 Peugeot 3008 Allure 1.6HDi - FD63 FWA VF3**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
1995 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD S1 - M728 GDL VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff]
1996 Citroen Xantia 1.9TD SX S1 - N707 MGP (Currrently laid up)
2000 Citroen Xantia 2.0 HDi S2 - X435 JGJ VF7**************[VIN obfuscated, can be read by forum staff] (Clutch died Dec 2017 - Resurrected Easter Sunday 2021)
1997 Citroen ZX SX TD - P788 AJL
1959 Landrover Defender S2 - Two owners from new
1968 Triumph Vitesse Convertible 2.0
1980 Ford Escort RS2000 Customer - 2nd Owner
1988 Saab 900 T16S - A 1980's exercise in understated Hooliganism...
Oh! and two Harley Davidsons - A 1990 Sportster and a 2003 Fatboy 100th Anniversary (the only vehicle I have owned from new)
x 78

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by Rhothgar »

That’s absolutely superb work Andrew.

Do you happen to have any design drawings for the tool please?

I feel it might be an investment getting one made sooner rather than later! I foresee work on my Xantiae coming thick and fast...
Jaycshetland
Posts: 13
Joined: 15 Mar 2021, 16:45
Location: Shetland
My Cars: Citroen nemo (lenoard)
Skoda octavia (BB)
x 6

Re: DIY on-car flaring tool

Post by Jaycshetland »

That is very well done hats off to you sir.
Post Reply