were recommended by several oil cooler companies. I noted that your photo shows an aluminum fitting, which is reputed to often seize in the cooler.
My experience is that that advice is good. I have never gotten an aluminum fitting to come out of an oil cooler easily, and sometimes a cooler goes to overhaul with the fittings still there.
Tom. Personally I would go with steel. You will have to tighten these more than you feel comfortable doing or it will leak. At least this was my experience.
Tom. Personally I would go with steel. You will have to tighten these more than you feel comfortable doing or it will leak. At least this was my experience.
I highly recommend using steel fitting on almost everything in the engine compartment. Generally because they are more robust. The extra weight is negligible and my comfort level is higher than with aluminum fittings. In other areas of the aircraft aluminum is fine, but the engine compartment is tough duty for fittings.
Agreed----although MANY planes have aluminum fittings, we do prefer steel. Vans, as the original kit builder supplies aluminum fittings, and has done so for many years. I havent heard of a RV having an issue with breaking a fitting--not to say that other makes havent.
For the 8 sizes steel fittings with the vans va-190 hose, is the torque for the hose to fitting really 450-500 in-lbs? I?m getting that from page 203 of the standard aircraft handbook. Aluminum by the same table is 150-250 in-lbs.