Bought a 3/16" brake line at AutoZone today. Noticed the outside had a
black coating on it. As I was cutting it with a tubing cutter, it seemed to
bend easy in my hand. Didn't notice this with a NAPA 3/16" line I
bought last week. Could this line be bendable by hand to a certain degree?

Thanks,

John
1965 Malibu 283

steel lines are easily bent, and are more than likely the same brand, but you may have had a different side wall thickness.

I also noticed AutoZone's lines to be very thin. I went to my local parts store and picked up line with a thicker wall diameter.

Pat

I make my own lines now and then, by buying standard lines, changing fittings and putting a new flare on them. I have noticed a difference too, but it seems to be the material, rather than the thickness. Some lines are really hard to flare, but I haven't seen any lines that couldn't be bent by hand.

I think a thin wall brake line would kink up easier than a thick wall line. Once the line gets a crease in it, you are more or less done. As much work as it takes to put in brake lines, I would go with the thick wall kind, even if you have to eat the cost of the AutoZone line. The thin stuff is more likely to get pin holes and more likely to twist off and break if you need to replace a wheel cylinder.

I've found NAPA lines to be pretty good quality.