East Tennessee Region SCCA

Does anyone know where I can buy a tool or hire someone to roll a bead (for rubber hose attachment) on a piece of stainless pipe with a 1/4" ID and a 5/16" OD?

I've used the Earls EZ Beader in the past, but I can't find one small enough for this.

Gotta get this done or I won't be able to make Bristol.

Tore the Miata down to install hard cooling lines to the turbo (old silicone lines were cooked and leaking for the second or third time since I built the car, even with lots of shielding) and the new parts interfere with the intercooler piping, so I need to shorten the hard lines. It's a pain in the butt to get to those lines at the turbo, so I really don't want to put it back together the old way.

Redneck solution - Wrap with two turns or so of copper wire and solder it on. File and sand till smooth.

Dave, can u post a picture of what it is so I can show a buddy who might be able to do what you want

I need to cut it off right behind the second bend and put a bead there. Similar deal for the output pipe.

Not sure how easy/possible it is to roll a pipe that small. I would cut off the rolled part at the end and weld it back where you want it. you'll have to pay someone to TIG it unless you have one, of course. Shouldn't cost much, or take very long. The solder suggestion is a good one, as well.

I'd be surprised if anyone around here could TIG that without partially or fully obstructing the fluid path. I'm holding the soldering solution as a last resort, I do happen to have stainless soldering flux and solder here though.

How about rounding the end outside edge and doing a partial flare? Would certainly be harder to insert in rubber tubing but probably doable with some lubrication. If you don't have a flaring tool, I do.

EDIT
This may be a bad idea if tubing sees a lot of vibration or flex.

We had good luck using a double flaring tool like you make brake lines with. I'll ask Jerome if he's got 1/4 dies for his. Biggest we've used on the car is 3/16

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I can make a double flare. Everyone think that would work for a coolant line?

I'm still holding out for JY's guy to be able to make an actual bead. I've also been experimenting with the soldering idea... might work.

For coolant, you'd probably be fine without a bead at all. A hose clamp on smooth pipe would be plenty.

Your coolant system is probably pressurized to 14 psi. The largest cross section of the fluid at the joint is the OUTSIDE diameter of the tube. At 5/16", that's .077 square inches cross sectional area. At that joint, that means there is only 1.03 pounds of force trying to pop the line off. For coolant, the bevel is really much more important on the 1 inch and larger connections where there is a lot of working area trying to force off the hose.

disneyd wrote:I can make a double flare. Everyone think that would work for a coolant line?

The first step of the double flare looks basically like what you're showing there.

disneyd wrote:I'd be surprised if anyone around here could TIG that without partially or fully obstructing the fluid path.

Since it's stainless, you could probably weld it without using any fill rod. If you blend it together, there should be no obstruction inside the tube.


^^Opinion of someone that is not a welder, but I talk to welders occasionally.

Use a little Permatex Form-a-Gasket as a sealer and it won't come off. Probably even if you want it off. Other option would be silicone sealer, but you would have to wait a day or so for it to set.

welding stainless you are supposed to have argon on the back side of the weld area or it will turn grainy and black, look nasty and be a bit weaker than if done properly since the metal is contaminated. That being said, for exhaust I just weld away. You could spot weld a few bumps around it if you can't make a bead all around it.

Or put a couple of spots of solder.