braided fuel lines??

[NMattison]

im putting the braided fuel inlet lines to my carb. and i cant seem to get the braided line into the fittings. so do i strip back some of the steel braid or is there another way to get the an fittings over the line. thanks Neil

[Ron61]

Neil,

I taped the end of the braid down and then put some WD-40 on mine and they went right in. Next time I couldn't get it to work so I just stripped the braid back to almost even with the end of the fitting and then taped it with silver tape and have had no problem since. I am sure that others have better ways of doing it..

Ron

[Fox]

Neil,

Take a peak at this thread. It has a few opinions and a few links. I think it might help answer your questions.

-AN fittings and braided hose installation

Good luck.

-John

[Hal Copple]

i have learned, slowly and with some blood, how to make AN lines. There is no substitute for your own gradual experience.

It is just one of those things that has little tricks that you have to learn on your own. I have lots of Teflon AN, SS AN, and just put on some Aeroquip Socketless fuel lines, and had to make some practice cuts and fittings for each one, which some consumption of the hose ends.

I think it works best to go ahead and get the aluminum vise blocks to hold the fittings, and some good AN wrenches. I have now three or four sets, they do different things at different angles. I use a new 32 tooth hacksaw blade for each cut, plenty of lubricant, take my time, mark the hoses appropriately, (they can push them selves out when tightened), and generally, end up with something that is sturdy, and leak proof.

I did have one problem with slow leak on a complicated AN 12 multifitting a few years ago, i just made the fitting less complicated, and it was resolved.

I think the most important thing is thoroughly flush each finished hose out afterward, i use hot soapy water, then pour a tiny bit of gas (safely!!) thru it, to get out the tiny remnants of the cut off stuff.

I have used Aeroquip, Earls, and some other stuff, and not found any necessarily easier than the rest.

By the way, they are advertised as resuable, but in my experience, the threads last about two assemblies at most.

Practice makes pefect!!

[Todd Baumann]

I do something like Ron61, and just put a little standard motor oil on the inside you just need to get something slippery on the inside to let them go on. It makes it so easy you will say why didn't I think of that.
Todd

[427 S/O]

Hal is right, it comes with doing....
I don't like the idea of stripping the braid back, just seems like it might leak later?. I use a high speed die grinder with a 3" cutoff wheel, nice clean cut. be careful not to handle to much after the cut, it tends to fray the braid and
to future quote hal, FLUSH OUT THE HOSE .

[StephenC]

Just an aside to this thread...............

I don't want to use the regular red and blue anodized AN fittings for my oil cooler connections or anywhere on the engine. I know Earl's makes an aluminum AN that looks like stainless, but does anyone know where I can buy real SS AN fittings?

Also, are there any problems with using SS if I can find them?

Thanks for the help.

[Junket]

Steve I buy SS fittings from a place that handles high pressure cemical sprayers.don't corrode & rust but hang on to your shorts
Ken

[Hal Copple]

i don't know of any real Stainless Steel AN fittings, SS is hard, and brittle, and probably not cheap to construct. So the companies use aluminum, often anodized to this or that color.

There are some European companies that make some really nice hoses and such, you can see it in the European racing tech magazines. Goodrich has outlets in the USA.

You can spend an awful lot of money if you go Space or F1 grade on your lines.

One thing is sometimes do is heat the metal fitting in boiling water, it does make it slightly "larger" for fitting hoses.

I have made about every mistake one can make with AN stuff, but i have it pretty down pat now. Not a cheap learning experience. I have a drawer full of AN stuff.

[StephenC]

Hey Hal & Junket.............

What do you think about these?

http://www.holley.com/HiOctn/ProdLin...AutoFitUA.html

Not SS, but it appears I can keep my shorts. LOL

[Junket]

Steve I could be wrong you might take a lookhttp://www.fastenal.com/shoponline/search/Browsing.asp?CatID=1157 those tumbled ones look gooood
Ken