RV-4 Firewall brake T fitting

[olyolson]

I am helping a widow get her late husband’s RV-4 in the air again and need some input. The T fitting on the cockpit side of the firewall has male threaded ends on all three tips. One end screws into the aft side of brake reservoir and the other two on the cockpit side have the brake lines screwed onto the ends. I contacted Vans tech support because I couldn’t find the exact T fitting on Acft Spruce. Vans replied that I need this fitting:
FLF 00004, pictured below. Is this the new way to do brake lines, take the connectors off the lines, cut a nice straight edge and just push them on similar to air lines?

 

[TS Flightlines]

I am helping a widow get her late husband’s RV-4 in the air again and need some input. The T fitting on the cockpit side of the firewall has male threaded ends on all three tips. One end screws into the aft side of brake reservoir and the other two on the cockpit side have the brake lines screwed onto the ends. I contacted Vans tech support because I couldn’t find the exact T fitting on Acft Spruce. Vans replied that I need this fitting:
FLF 00004, pictured below. Is this the new way to do brake lines, take the connectors off the lines, cut a nice straight edge and just push them on similar to air lines?

Oly---if you have -4 hoses, then you want a AN826-4D, assuming the builder used AN hoses. Plastic hoses back then would have had brass airbrake compression fittings.
Tom

 

[olyolson]

Oly---if you have -4 hoses, then you want a AN826-4D, assuming the builder used AN hoses. Plastic hoses back then would have had brass airbrake compression fittings.
Tom

Tom,

Yes should have had brass fittings but it’s all plastic fittings similar to the pitot/static lines. Vans replied back that this is the new fitting that is being supplied so I guess I’ll go with it. Should make things a little easier to install. And this right here is an example of why I have TS Flightlines make all my hoses- Thanks Tom!

 

[DanH]

Avoid plastic tee fittings on the cabin side of your firewall. Even a minor engine compartment fire melts the fitting, releasing the contents of the reservoir, which is flammable...

 

[olyolson]

Avoid plastic tee fittings on the cabin side of your firewall. Even a minor engine compartment fire melts the fitting, releasing the contents of the reservoir, which is flammable...

View attachment 84274

Yikes! Never did like the plastic lines, glad I mounted the brake reservoirs on the front of the master cylinders in my -8. Much easier to bleed the brakes now. Wonder if there is a metal version of the fitting that vans supplies now. I will check with Vans, maybe this is a metal fitting.

 

[fixnflyguy]

This was the original "per plans" nylons and plastic install. many have had great success for a lifetime of service. I had trouble at the wheel/caliper connections , and others can speak the same. Switched to all metal AN fittings and braided lines from TS at Flightlines. I would highly recommend doing in now, rather than later. I dont have a pic handy of the new set-up, but it looks the same for routing ect, with all AN fittings and braided SS. They will send everything you need. Also negates the melted fitting in event of a thermal issue FWF.

 

[DanH]

Saw this recently. Personally, like BIll, I'd have finished up with steel braided lines (and did, see bottom).

The painted firewall is also a bad idea, BTW...



Easy to relocate the master cylinder on an -8 and keep all the flammable stuff away from the firewall.

 

[TS Flightlines]

Yikes! Never did like the plastic lines, glad I mounted the brake reservoirs on the front of the master cylinders in my -8. Much easier to bleed the brakes now. Wonder if there is a metal version of the fitting that vans supplies now. I will check with Vans, maybe this is a metal fitting.

Oly, to answer your question, there is a brass version, most commonly used in truck airbrake systems. Same pushloc style. Parker, Weatherhead, Gates are a few suppliers.

 

[FinnFlyer]

I am helping a widow get her late husband’s RV-4 in the air again and need some input. The T fitting on the cockpit side of the firewall has male threaded ends on all three tips. One end screws into the aft side of brake reservoir and the other two on the cockpit side have the brake lines screwed onto the ends. I contacted Vans tech support because I couldn’t find the exact T fitting on Acft Spruce. Vans replied that I need this fitting:
FLF 00004, pictured below. Is this the new way to do brake lines, take the connectors off the lines, cut a nice straight edge and just push them on similar to air lines?

Aircraft Spruce 0715-153 or 0716-153 if you still want plastic.
Might be available in brass -- Home Depot?

Remember, these are not high-pressure lines at all; just gravity fed from reservoir.

 

[Norman CYYJ]

You should be able to locate the brass fitting at ACE hardware or an Auto parts store.

 

[DanH]

Like Tom said, just find your local Parker distributor. https://www.parkerstore.com/us/en/locator.html

 

[olyolson]

Great tips everyone, found some metal T fittings that screw into the reservoir with push ends so this will make an easy fix.