Review on 🔧 Titan 51535 3/16 Double Flaring Tool by Todd Phillips

I'm a mechanical engineer and currently give this tool 1 STAR but plan to upgrade to 4-5 STARs if and when the seller contacts me to fix TWO issues. First, the two included screws that hold the two halves together are either factory defective or were previously used by someone else. Both screws literally have holes in them, like the eye of a needle, and at least 50% of their cross-sectional area is missing below the root of one of the threads, which will certainly shorten tool life as both screws will eventually fail. The second question has to do with instructions. This tool works great on copper nickel brake lines and all other SOFT metal tubing. In fact, this is one of the BEST. However, the tool will not actually work on the original hard steel brake lines your car was manufactured with (especially if they are PVC/POLYARMUR coated) unless you know the "TWO TRICKS" that are in the instructions should be included. The first TRICK is you need to move the PVC/POLY ARMOR back about 2 inches. If you don't do this, the clamps will not grip the steel pipe tightly enough and the PVC will create slippage between the pipe and the clamps. After you've bled the brakes, you'll need to restore the rust and corrosion resistant PVC coating by coating the bare steel with sealant to restore the rust and corrosion protection. A product like Clear Shoe Goo is great if you want the finish to be hard as plastic and non-removable, or you can use silicone/sealant if you want it to be removable. The second TRICK is necessary because almost all car manufacturers use HARD steel brake tubes, which are not designed to be flared or bent after the car is assembled. To get around this you need to anneal the ends of the tube by heating the ends with a torch until the end is colored and then allowing it to cool to room temperature. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SPEED UP COOLING BY IMMERSEING THE TUBE END IN ANY LIQUID AS THIS WILL HELP THE TEMPERATURE PROCESS. ANNEALING changes the properties of the steel and increases its ductility without affecting its strength.