How would you bend a short piece of chrome fuel line?

I have a Short piece of straight chrome fuel line(20"), i want to bend it in a 90 degree curve. the curve will start in the center of the 20" long piece
Is this do-able?.
with out it cracking, crushing, or pealing the chrome?
I have a few other lines that have been commercially made of the same material, and they are bent with out the chrome chipping or it splitting, im wondering how it might be done in a home shop environment..
got any cool secrets?

 

Fill it with sand and plug the ends???

 

Fill it with sand and plug the ends???


...I thought he was gonna say with your damnfingers!! just kiddin!!

 

The chrome will crack.
Get a piece of stainless.

 

I doubt you'll be able to save the chrome...Stainless is the way to go. Bend, then polish.

 

I see you have a decent bender, but I think the chrome will crack too. Since there is nothing to lose there, line the bender on both dies with 1 or 2 layers of strong cloth and bend it very slowly, checking it regularly. If it cracks it cracks, good excuse to get some polished stainless line.

-KK

 

I was planning on filling it..but good advise. a good way to plug the sand in is to fill the end with RTV and let the one end set up..fill it with sand, than RTV the other end.
the chrome didnt crack on all the other lines and it was bent alot and tight. Just not by me.
I think i might try to bend it around a larger diameter than pictured..that hand bender wont even do anything to it as i figured, i just posted the picture for reference really.

 

You need a chrome fuel line bender, Or it will crack ,Seriously it will probably crack ,The other lines were bent first then chromed .Stainless is your friend.

 

Might try heating it a bit and go for a bend. I won't heat to much just enought to soften the copper if under the chrome. Haven't done it but it's worth a shot.

 

I've made a number of short, pump to carb, lines out of chrome plated 3/8" copper water closet (toilet) lines. Was able to double flare also. Some line showed stress in the chrome, some didn't. I also made sure to provide a stand-off from a manifold bolt or such so that the line wouldn't vibrate. Never any problems with them. Used brake line bending equipment.

Charlie

 

I really think the other lines i have were bent after the chome, this piece i have was cut off one of the lines after it was bent i was told.
I can see some slight proof on the other lines that they were infact bent after the chroming process,, so there has to be a way, I might give the guy a call Monday that i bought my 3x2 fuel lines off of, and ask how he did it

what does a chrome line bender look like, or were you just yankin' my chain?

if this dead ends on me, or i have to i will go stainless for that section,,,but i dont want to

 

Vonn you should just try it .Go slow .The one guy that posted above about water closet connectors ,Has the right idea .And I like the fill with sand idea and plug the ends .Heat I dont think will help just decolor ,Id go for it ,And if it dont work ,Closet connectors ,Thats the proper name for the chrome brass line that connects the toilets ,Now they are replaced with something else ,But you still can get them at homedepot or Lowes . Also I just thought of another thing you should do ,Tape the outside of it real well from scratching and might support the chrome a littlle but very minor .

 

yeah i think your right,,i got nothin ta lose..if it cracks or ends up fucked up, i didnt pay much for the drop.
if it ends up all jacked up. I will use some stanless or something.

think im going to get it above room temperature,,(because my shop is like 50 degrees today)..i might warm it up on the wood stove..it should get to about 3 or 400 and still not discolor it..than hit it with the bender and see what i get..
I have to let the RTV set up on the one end, than fill it and RTV the other end..so it might not end up getting bent til monday

I will definetly wrap it with my blue or green masking tape or something to keep it from getting marred

 

I would take it to a PRO >>>>.

 

for just one line bent to 90?

 

my response was going to be "very carefully"--wish I had more.

 

You need a BETTER tubing bender

I have bent chrome plated tubing before ( many times ) ... with my Imperial tubing bender.



If you were closer ... I would just invite you over and let you use the bender yourself.

The Imperial benders are dedicated ( one size for one size of tubing ) ... not a universal bender like you have.

 

Heat it up in the oven at four hundred degrees for about a half hour and put masking tape on your binder so you dont scratch it when it pulls through the bender do it slowly good luck!

 

Buy a bent one lol or stainless or alum..

 

It is actually the nickel plating that will crack, taking the chrome with it. (Decorative chrome plating is measured in millionths of an inch.)

If the plating is thin enough, which it very well must be if the tubing has already had post-plating bends done, then you should be alright. I don't know of any secret bending processes for plated tubing.

Good luck!

 

careful cracked chrome cuts like a razor ..been there have the scars to show it lol

 

Just bend it already, and let use know what happens!

 

Ya take your shot with that bender,have some one cross there fingers for ya.
Most new nonchrome gas line is cad plated and that can be bent and also polished;then clear coated to hold shin as long as the clear coat hold up/same with cooper or brass. If anyone dose use polished cooper line;it needs to be well held so no vibs crack it[cooper is soft and will fateig fairly fast if vib are in it.

 

I do plan on isolating this line with a piece of rubber fuel line and a filter, as it exits the fuel pump.
I'll keep you all posted on how i fuck this up..lol

 

I decided screw the chrome shit..and went all Stainless..

I bent up all new lines, and just decided to not mess with the chrome stuff.
polished stainless will stay nice, and was no big deal bending it all.
Looks nice.

 

Now go and bend the stupid piece of chrome line so we all know what will happen!

 

Is this why building a car takes so long?

 

Im not sure i even have it any longer..One thing i can tell ya is the shit was Hard, and would have been very difficult to bend due to its rigidity.(ill almost bet it was brittle)
Im sure it wouldnt have come out useful. and I bet a dollar to a donut hole it would have kinked.

 

yeah, that and life getting in the way every now and than.
I bought this relic 2years and 5 months ago. the first winter was spent tearing into it and taking it apart, and assessing what was needed.
the second year has been spent building it

 

Every chrome line I have has cracked when bending it, even slightly.