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Stainless Steel Flare Fittings

1001001

Well Known Member
Anyone have a good source for aviation grade stainless steel 37º fittings, both NPT and bulkhead (for firewall penetrations)?

I'm installing a flo-scan flowmeter in the plans position (tunnel) in my RV-10 and the instructions that came with it specify to use "ONLY" steel fittings on the instrument body. It has 1/4" NPT female ports, and I need to fit up to AN style flare fittings (female end on hoses).
 
Anyone have a good source for aviation grade stainless steel 37º fittings, both NPT and bulkhead (for firewall penetrations)?

I'm installing a flo-scan flowmeter in the plans position (tunnel) in my RV-10 and the instructions that came with it specify to use "ONLY" steel fittings on the instrument body. It has 1/4" NPT female ports, and I need to fit up to AN style flare fittings (female end on hoses).

I have used ANplumbing.com. Aircraft spruce has some as well. Just put in the AN number with a J at the end. For example, AN823-4J rather than the usual aluminum fitting which is identified by the D in AN823-4D
 
Thanks for the replies! Spruce's offering is extremely limited in stainless (and their search function is really bad in general)--I applied the "J" at the end in a search and it seems SkyGeek.com may have them as well as with the MilitaryFasteners.com.

I had forgotten the -J postfix meant stainless, so thanks!
 
Why SS, when steel is specified?

Why do you want to use stainless steel? It’s common to use steel fitting FWF, but stainless is not normally required.
 
Stainless

Internal corrosion has been a problem with plain steel.
Try Rich Industries 928-788-2777 One of the largest stocks of AN hardware in the US.
 
It's really weird how this is going...I found the bulkhead and NPT fittings at SkyGeek for 1/2 the cost as Military fasteners (which didn't have the NPT fittings), but they had no AN924-6 nuts in SS, so I had to buy those at Military Fasteners (which only had them in 10-packs). Spruce had neither in the size I needed in stainless.

So the shipping costs from multiple vendors will likely equal the cost of the fittings.
 
Get ahold of Tom S at tsflightlines or Steve at aircraftspecialty. I’m betting they can hook you up.
 
Get ahold of Tom S at tsflightlines or Steve at aircraftspecialty. I’m betting they can hook you up.

I'm trying to lay out fitting locations to get some dimensions to send to Tom. He mentioned he could get the fittings but didn't offer that he had them or could send them back when I bought some other hoses from him.

I'm going to fit up with aluminum fittings while I'm waiting for the stainless ones, then do the permanent install with stainless steel when I get the hoses.
 
it seems SkyGeek.com may have them as well as ….

I’m going to recommend caution here. It seems Skygeek does a lot of purchase- resell transactions. They’ve burned me and many others by stating something is in stock. After ordering, you get a delivery date weeks that is weeks later. Then they try and assess a “restock” fee even though it was never in stock. CoMpletely unethical. Transact there at your own risk
 
Eliminate the "D" and you get steel part numbers.

Yeah, but isn't "J" for stainless steel? I'd prefer not to use carbon steel for reasons.

Interestingly enough I just remembered that I built a small scale brewery about 15 years ago using 37 degree flare fittings (which is why I had my Ridgid flare tool) and had bought all my stainless JIC fittings from a local supplier. If only I could find the records of how to get a hold of them...
 
I’m going to recommend caution here. It seems Skygeek does a lot of purchase- resell transactions. They’ve burned me and many others by stating something is in stock. After ordering, you get a delivery date weeks that is weeks later. Then they try and assess a “restock” fee even though it was never in stock. CoMpletely unethical. Transact there at your own risk

I've ordered from SkyGeek a number of times in the past; never had a problem like this. But I tend to order just small pieces and stuff from them.
 
Anyone have a good source for aviation grade stainless steel 37º fittings, both NPT and bulkhead (for firewall penetrations)?

Send me a PM with what you require. I have several fittings including 2 6AN bulkheads. I do not remember having any fittings with 1/4npt but do have with 3/8npt. I will be at hangar Monday and can check. Fittings would be used-like new.
 
Stainless

Yeah, but isn't "J" for stainless steel? I'd prefer not to use carbon steel for reasons.

Interestingly enough I just remembered that I built a small scale brewery about 15 years ago using 37 degree flare fittings (which is why I had my Ridgid flare tool) and had bought all my stainless JIC fittings from a local supplier. If only I could find the records of how to get a hold of them...

Yes. Whatever the reason. Best of luck.
 
reason for stainless

The reason I assumed is due to the potential for rust corrosion inside a plain steel fitting. I think it was DanH who recently posted on VAF about finding rust inside of a steel fitting.
Not sure yet exactly what to use...still observing and learning.
 
The reason I assumed is due to the potential for rust corrosion inside a plain steel fitting. I think it was DanH who recently posted on VAF about finding rust inside of a steel fitting.
Not sure yet exactly what to use...still observing and learning.

I'm doing it for two reasons: Fire resistance on firewall penetrations, so I'd prefer not to use aluminum AN bulkheads for that application, and the Flo-Scan installation manual specifies only steel fittings to be attached to the flowmeter body. In any application I can get away with it, I like to use stainless for corrosion protection. It's a bias I have, having worked with fluids my entire engineering career, and experienced corrosion related failures with non-stainless fluid fittings. Pretty much anytime I can justify the expense, I go with stainless for longevity.

Also, there's a remote chance that water in fuel could settle out in the fittings during a prolonged inactive period, and if that water had dissolved oxygen, it would promote corrosion. I'd prefer to avoid the possibility of that.
 
Send me a PM with what you require. I have several fittings including 2 6AN bulkheads. I do not remember having any fittings with 1/4npt but do have with 3/8npt. I will be at hangar Monday and can check. Fittings would be used-like new.

Thanks, I really appreciate it! I did manage to place orders for the parts I need from a couple of suppliers, but if something doesn't work out, I'll follow up with you.
 
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