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Dean Pichon

Well Known Member
I need some new fuel lines for my -4 and am considering building them using Aeroquip 701 hose and Aeroqup 816 fittings (or similar). To date, I have always purchased pre-manufactured hose assemblies, but would like the flexibility to make lengths "on the fly". Can anyone offer any suggestions or cautions regarding D-I-Y hoses? Pegasus Auto Racing Supplies seems to offer a broad selection of hose and fittings (http://www.pegasusautoracing.com/advcat.asp?CategoryID=PLUMBING). Any input would be most appreciated.

Regards,

Dean
RV-4/400 hrs
 
With the proper mandrels, they are not difficult to make. I have made several. However, having said that, I had my last set made with the Teflon lined hose with integral firesleeve. They are really nice and much smaller than regular firesleeve.
I replaced all FWF hoses on my -6 for $400.
If you do make them yourself, make sure to inspect them very carefully to insure there are no "slices" just inboard of the fittings.
 
Make 'em yourself

Hey Dean :),
I just ordered ALL my hoses AND fittings for the Rocket...they are sitting on the workbench as we speak. I got all the #4 for the brake lines from the pedals to firewall and firewall to the calipers. #4 for all the firewall forward sender lines. #6 for all fuel lines firewall forward and from the tanks to the fuel valve. Plus all the #8 hoses for the oil cooler. Oh yea....got all the firesleeve as well.

Hoses, and all fittings plus the firesleeve came to $844 plus shipping. Vans prices were about the cheapest I could find....Spruce matched Vans price PLUS gave me a 15% discount for ordering 'quantity' so I saved $100 (give or take). Plus it was here in 2 days instead of the usual 10 days from Van. Don't get me wrong....I send my share of business to Van but a hundred bucks pays for some gas :).

This was the for hoses that I cut to length and fabricate all the ends. I used a piece of string and measured all my runs and added a few inches for each run. This way I can 'custom' fit each hose and get the best fit possible. I've done it this way on some of my other RV's and prefer this method over 'premade' hoses. They are a cinch to put together and I've NEVER had a leak.....I suppose I will now that I said that :D. The exception was my RV10 as Van had the hose lengths figured out pretty good with the FF kit.

Hope your SWEET RV4 is running good. Don't forget....I have 1st dibs on it if you ever want to sell :D.

Good Luck buddy,
 
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Mel said:
With the proper mandrels, they are not difficult to make. I have made several. However, having said that, I had my last set made with the Teflon lined hose with integral firesleeve. They are really nice and much smaller than regular firesleeve.
I replaced all FWF hoses on my -6 for $400.
If you do make them yourself, make sure to inspect them very carefully to insure there are no "slices" just inboard of the fittings.
Click to expand...

Mel,

From what I have been able to garner from the AS&S and Pegasus websites, the Aeroquip 601/701 SS hose does not utilize mandrels for fitting installation whereas the cloth-covered Aeroquip 303 hose does use mandrels. Is this consistent with your understanding?
 
Cheaper?

rv6rick said:
Hey Dean :),
I just ordered ALL my hoses AND fittings for the Rocket...they are sitting on the workbench as we speak. I got all the #4 for the brake lines from the pedals to firewall and firewall to the calipers. #4 for all the firewall forward sender lines. #6 for all fuel lines firewall forward and from the tanks to the fuel valve. Plus all the #8 hoses for the oil cooler. Oh yea....got all the firesleeve as well.

Hoses, and all fittings plus the firesleeve came to $844 plus shipping. Vans prices were about the cheapest I could find....Spruce matched Vans price PLUS gave me a 15% discount for ordering 'quantity' so I saved $100 (give or take). Plus it was here in 2 days instead of the usual 10 days from Van. Don't get me wrong....I send my share of business to Van but a hundred bucks pays for some gas :).

This was the for hoses that I cut to length and fabricate all the ends. I used a piece of string and measured all my runs and added a few inches for each run. This way I can 'custom' fit each hose and get the best fit possible. I've done it this way on some of my other RV's and prefer this method over 'premade' hoses. They are a cinch to put together and I've NEVER had a leak.....I suppose I will now that I said that :D. The exception was my RV10 as Van had the hose lengths figured out pretty good with the FF kit.

Hope your SWEET RV4 is running good. Don't forget....I have 1st dibs on it if you ever want to sell :D.

Good Luck buddy,
Click to expand...

My sample costs showed prices may not be that much cheaper for DIY... and you don't get integral firesleeve and teflon hoses.

Check out this post...

http://www.vansairforce.com/community/showpost.php?p=154045&postcount=15

gil A
 
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Dean Pichon said:
the Aeroquip 601/701 SS hose does not utilize mandrels for fitting installation whereas the cloth-covered Aeroquip 303 hose does use mandrels. Is this consistent with your understanding?
Click to expand...

The 601/701 uses no mandrel. Some folks will tell you that you need a special tool that helps to keep the braid in place while sliding the fitting over the hose, but I found it completely unnecessary. The nice thing about making your own is that you can get the length exactly right, the downside is that it really won't be much (any?) cheaper than having them made. Also, the ones with the integral firesleeve are darned nice.
 
RE:DIY myself

Because my install to an ECi IO360 FI system was so custom in nature I decided to build my own. So far so good........still have to fire up the engine to insure no leaks / and durability........time will only tell the tale. Will report after 500 hrs.

Frank @ SGU...1L8...... last 1000000000000000000000 detail.....moving to the airport shortly
 
I just finished making all of the hoses for my O-360-A1A equipped RV-7A. I ordered all Aeroquip fittings and hoses from SummitRacing.com for approximately $300 and am very pleased with the results. Only recommendation is to buy the non-marring vice jaw inserts to hold the fittings while you work the metal braid hose into it. Be careful and make sure you are buying the good stuff, i.e. the stuff from the auto racing suppliers and not the AN stuff. Aeroquip makes both. I bought two AN4 hose fittings at $22 each and the Racing line part was $6.00 and every bit as good.

Do your own evaluation and make your own decisions. I chose to go with the Aeroquip parts from Summit and am very pleased with the results.

Steve Eberhart
RV-7A, O-360-A1A
 
newtech said:
I bought two AN4 hose fittings at $22 each and the Racing line part was $6.00 and every bit as good.
Click to expand...

I recently needed a coupler and purchased it from a local speed/machine shop. It looked exactly like the corresponding AN part but was surprised to learn (from the guy who made it) that the inner bore was larger, resulting in a thinner wall, and that the threads were cut rather than rolled. Just cuz they look the same doesn't mean they are. Be careful.
 
Just how much experimental are you comfortable with

True, that is why I put the caution at the bottom. The racing applications run higher pressures than I will see on my plain vanilla Lycoming O-360-A1A. The AN part may have thicker walls; but, in my application that is just extra weight and many more dollars. I am very comfortable with my choice and I fully support your choice to use only AN hardware. It is all about our own comfort levels.

Since our airplanes are Experimental, you have to decide for your self where to draw the line between what on your plane is going to be AN and or certificated and what is not. After all that is why we are building experimental airplanes rather than buying certificated.

Steve Eberhart
Experimental RV-7A and Lycoming O-360-A1A
 
Local hydraulic shop

Will make hoses for waay cheap...The downside is the fittings will be steel...Which personally for fuel lines I prefer anyway.

Supply your own firesleeve and they will include it.

A 1/2" 3ft hose with #8 swivel ends cost me $20 a few weeks back...Would be less for#6 plus the firesleeve of course.

Frank
 
DIY for sure

I did all my hoses. I also bought my fittings at SnF from a vendor who was selling hoses already made up to length, and covered with firesleeve. I added up my (very slightly used) material costs, vs buying from Spruce and I saved close to $900 over retail. This was for fuel, oil, inverted oil, brake hoses.

I also asked the Aeroquip tech guys at an airshow what the proper procedure was for pressure checking aircraft hoses. 1.5 x the working pressure OF THE HOSE. Not the application, the hose. So, I was building using Aeroquip 303 and the requried fittings. this hose (going from memory) has a working pressure of like 2000psi. So, I tested my hoses with a hand pump and gage to 3000psi (1.5xworking pressure).

I would not build my own hoses and not pressure check them this way. Air to 100 psi doesn't do it. I actually had a few hoses that did n't leak at lower pressures, but did above 1000 psi. and they were fuel hoses. Glad I did.

How? I bought a hydraulic hand pump from Northern tool, it was a replacement part for some hydraulic press or something. I believe it cost me approx $30. Tee'd a gage that went to 4000 psi in there, and used a ton of brass fittings from Home depot to adapt my pump to the differend sized NPT's for the various hoses. Oh-empty the pump from whatever they put in it, and fill it with 5606 Mil spec hydraulic oil.

I like the DIY version, cause I'm not a brain surgeon, and I usually have to make the hoses twice-once for the length I think I'll need, then again, after I try and fit it on my plane.

I also firesleeved my hoses (firesleeve came along for free in the already built up hoses I bought.).

OK, since you're all my good friends, I'm going to blow my source, and therefore effect the supply and demand equation, but heck, my plane's built. I get them from one of the tents at SnF in front of the four exhibition hangars. I forget the name. He sells sheet metal, and hardware and in the back, hose parts and built up hoses that were either rejected or were extras from some FAA approved hose shop, complete with engraved stainless steel dataplates. So, I cut them up, and use what I can. Example of pricing: $7 for a complete Aeroquip 303-4 hose, with two brand new ends, hose and firesleeve. You can't get one fitting set for $7 new at ACS. I usually just buy a roll of new hose, just to make sure, but the fittings and firesleeve are the expensive items.

Buy the mandrels, rubber jaw protectors for your vice, a hand pump (with gage) and you'll be good for your career working on your plane. Don't hope that they'll not leak. Check them like the pros do....only the best part is-if you don't like the length, undo it, try it, then leak check it and bolt her on.

It's a good thing.

Art Treff
RV-8 Fastback Slider
"Lil Snorkey"
 
Installing firesleeve?

I've been unable to find instructions for installing firesleeve. Specifically, I would like to know how to terminate the sleeve ends to the fittings. Can anyone direct me to such instructions?

Thanks,

Dean
 
Thumbs up for Pegasus

Dean,

I made all of my hoses last month for my 6A, O360. Total for 8 hoses, including oil, fuel and senders for my VM1000C was just under $200. No mandrels are required. I've heard the 1/4" lines are difficult to get the fittings on, but for these I premeasured and used the already built hoses. The teflon hoses with SS braiding for 1/4" line are in the neighborhood of $15 each, already made and tested to 3000 psi! I premeasured with clear tubing for all of the hoses, but still had to modify some of the fuel/oil lines to get the routing and stress relief I wanted. The 1/4" lines did not have reusable fittings at that price, but who needs em? I cut the hoses using aluminum tape on the ends and the cutoff wheel from the canopy. With a good vise, there is no problem.

I'd definitely recommend making your own hoses so you can get the precise fit you want.
 
:eek: I 'was' pretty happy with my $844 spent at ACS with a 15% discount over Vans....until I read what some others are paying. I still think I got an acceptable 'deal'....I can only guess that others didn't make as large of a purchase as I did. Again...I'm doing ALL of my fuel/oil/brake runs with SS braided HP fuel/oil hoses.

A grand total of 22 fittings, 34ft of hose, and 10' of firesleeve. For those of you quoting less...I'm curious what quantity we're talking about. I can post my exact order if need be.

Dean already made up his mind to make hoses so I don't think we are too far off the subject here :).
 
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