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Correct torque on size 4 fuel vent fitting

skyyking56

Well Known Member
I was tightening the fuel vent fitting to the vent line inside the tank to 120 inch pounds...(tag on Vans screen pickup tube says 110-130 inch pounds) and just for reference a marked a dot on the flats where I started torquing after getting it finger tight. (I got the fitting to 120 inch pounds, but it took about 1.25 turns of the nut...about 450 degrees rotation)...
Now I'm looking at this information on a chart that someone posted here that if you dont have a torque wrench available it is ok to finger tight the nut and then mark the flats and for a #4 fitting (1/4" tubing) rotate the nut about 1.5 to 1.75 flats.
Now something seems out of wack here. I rotated that thing about seven flats...It did seem fairly tight to me, but I dont have any experience with this tubing stuff.
I double checked my math on the torque wrench extension formulae.
I didnt use any lube on the fittings at all. I dont see anything anywhere where it says to put lube on the fittings, but I see some on this site do.
I would think that if I lubed them, I would get more rotation.
Can someone shed some light here for me please?
Has anyone noticed this also?
Please help.
Jim King
7A Tanks
 
I think I figured it out.

(First Mistake) First of all I was tightening the #4 vent line fitting and was thinking the values that Vans gave me on the #6 fuel PICKUP line.
(Second Mistake) I was looking at Torque tables from a sheet I got somewhere on this site that has reference Aeroquip Technical data and says that they are values for aluminum performance fittings (I dont know if these are what I have or not) but it says for a #4 is 100-140 inch pounds which Vans marked the #6 for 110-130 inch pounds.
I think I'm going to trash this spec sheet and go to AC 43.13 which I should of been looking at in the first place.
If anyone else is using this Aeroquip table please be aware.
I found in a link that Gil stated 50-65 inch pounds for a #4 fitting. That would make perfect sense (this felt like a very reasonable pressure when I hit it on the torque wrench)
I hope this helps someone else out there.
I'm going to re-cut and reflare the tubing and look at the fitting flare face to see if I have to replace it or should I just replace it anyway?
Input anyone.
Thanks,
Jim
 
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