What's new
Van's Air Force

Don't miss anything! Register now for full access to the definitive RV support community.

Roll-your-own fuel hoses?

T

tomcostanza

Well Known Member
Hi,

Van's sent me 2 hoses with the FWF kit. One is about 3" too long and the other is about 12" too short. They're giving me a hard time about returning them because I'm 9 months over the 2 year limit.

Has anyone made their own? Any advice? I have a Superior XP engine with the SilverHawk FI.

I was looking at a video by the EAA, fabricating one from Aeroquip 816 hose. Looks like a no-brainer.
 
I found my local guy that makes aviation hoses for a living was cheaper than me purchasing the pieces and doing it myself. Hoses are not something to experiment with in my opinion.
 
Custom ordered from Aircraft Spruce

Worked out very well and a fair price for fully molded firesleeve hoses. Sell your Van's hoses on the forum. How is your progress otherwise?
 
Well, guess I will be the contrarian here. Nothing wrong with purchasing your hoses outright, but making them yourself is not hard, and with a little care you can produce a good product. There are multiple websites with links to videos showing you the correct procedures to follow. I dont consider it going cheap and it is certainly not any more experimental than building the rest of your plane. Besides, its one more bit of knowledge that can be tucked away in your brain for future use someday when you need it and quick and easy access to a supplier is not possible. I actually find the hose making process somewhat enjoyable and satisfying, and its also nice to have the option of making a last-minute change to the hose length. Decide for yourself, but dont let fear be the basis for your decision.

erich
 
Hoses are like any other part on the project. A learning experience. Yes you can make your own hoses. Purchase the proper hoses and ends and follow the instructions and you will have hoses that fit your project the way that you want. I have made many high pressure hoses in the propane field and once you do one you will see how easy it is.

Now, having said that....... I don't like the bulk of the reusable ends, so I would have my hoses custom made.
 
tomcostanza said:
Hi,

Van's sent me 2 hoses with the FWF kit. One is about 3" too long and the other is about 12" too short. They're giving me a hard time about returning them because I'm 9 months over the 2 year limit.

Has anyone made their own? Any advice? I have a Superior XP engine with the SilverHawk FI.

I was looking at a video by the EAA, fabricating one from Aeroquip 816 hose. Looks like a no-brainer.
Click to expand...

Except for the governor line, I made all my own hoses. At 2,200 hours on the hobbs, I made all new hoses again.

I used the hose and fittings that Van sells. Can buy the same stuff from Aircraft Spruce if you like.
 
Or call Brett at Bonaco, Inc

...they'll make hoses to order for oil, fuel, brakes, vacuum ... you name it. Great service too.
 
I have gone both ways. If you do make your own, any local hydraulic shop can test them for not a lot of money.
 
The crimped fittings are quite a bit cheaper than the reusable fittings, so it is hard to beat the price of a pro-made hose. Plus they will pressure test the hose.
 
A long while back I priced the "make it yourself" options from both Spruce and Vans for a firesleeved hose.

With a comparison to a custom made teflon hose from PHT with a molded in firesleeve the price increase was pretty small.

Pick these two hoses and work out a DIY price and a PHT price and let us all know the results...:)

http://www.aircrafthose.com/

With our crowded firewall forward areas the molded in firesleeves are much less bulky giving more room for other stuff...:)
 
To expand on why I have done both;
If you have the FWF kit, most of the supplied hoses will work, but due to install and equipment variance, a couple may not work out. Making them was the easiest way to deal with this for me vs measuring and ordering built up hoses.
On my Bucker, I did a complete hose replacement, one for one. It was far easier and probably cheaper to have the hoses made patterned off the old hoses.
Both work.
 
I have to agree with Gil

I ordered my hoses from PHT and was very impressed with the results. I'm sure I could have learned how to make fuel and oil hoses properly however, I wanted the experience of a professional shop doing the work. Plus, the integral fire sleeve is a very compact hose.

Good luck.
 
I have done it both ways as well

I just like buying the hose and fittings I need and doing it myself. Specifying the precise length of a completed hose assembly you want that will properly satisfy the requirements of a specific application is NOT a simple task. Having excess length that you can hold in place for the routing, bend radius, etc. you want, with an allowance for the rigid end lengths, mark and cut to start the build has a lot of personal appeal. The one custom hose I ordered looks great but it rides on the smooth surface of the firewall, may wear, may transfer mechanical forces to the ends, etc. and I just don't like that. Building your own requires that you approach the job as a critical task and not something to slide through inattentively. You know your work style. Some hose and connector/fitting types require special tools and that is part of the research you need to do when planning to build your own.

Bob Axsom
 
Last edited:
Fuel, oil, and brake lines

Can't beat the quality, value, and service from Bonaco.
Mark Wyss
Cincinnati
RV4 flying
 
Another happy customer of PHT here. The last time I ordered custom oil hoses from them, I placed the order in the morning and the hoses were shipped out the same afternoon.
 
Economics

I did price comparisons 5 years ago.

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

I updated the costs today and the money parts are here. The same conclusions apply.

As an example - a 24 inch, 3/8 fuel line hose with firesleeve. Straight end fittings.

Approx. prices from A/C Spruce
$17 - Hose - 24 inches
$21 - Firesleeve - 24 inches
$38 - Two fittings
$3 -- 2 end clamps

Totals $79 - and does not include $109 (... :eek: ...) for the fancy, certified end dip stuff. But most homebuilders either omit this step, or just smear red RTV here...
Also does not include a few bucks to the local shop for pressure testing, several hours saved (unless you have already done many), and the usual expense for band-aids, etc.....:rolleyes:

Vans Hose bits and pieces prices - same as above but by Aeroquip -

Approx. prices from Vans (but are Aeroquip) - components only
$25 - Hose - 24 inches
$20 - Firesleeve - 24 inches
$50 - Two fittings
N/A -- 2 end clamps

Total - $95

Todays quote from PHT

24 inch certified Stratoflex 111 hose with firesleeve - $81.54

or a possible upgrade...

24 inch certified Teflon hose Stratoflex 124J hose with integral firesleeve - $108.54

The cost savings for DIY just don't really add up in the hose department, and a small increment will get you an integral firesleeve teflon hose.


Usual disclaimer, no relation to PHT, just a satisfied customer.
 
I made mine as a learning experience and to ensure I got the exact length I wanted. It is easy and I am glad I did but, as others have said, you may not save much money. For example, ACS sells the hose in 1' increments, and if you need 2'2", you end up buying 3'.

Maybe you can reuse the longer hose you have - cut off the excess length and put on a new connector.
 
hose replacement question

If I recall correctly, the hoses supplied with the kit are life limited to 5 years. The need to replace all the hoses is coming up for me and I'm planning on replacing them with integral firesleeve teflon. Do the lengths need to be altered due to differing stiffness or acceptable bend radii or can I simply use the existing lengths when ordering new? Sorry for the slight thread drift...
 
Another factor to consider in the ultimate cost analysis is that the hoses don't last forever. So, in 5 to 10 years, if you made them yourself, you well need to order a certain number of feet of hose and reuse the ends. If you had them made, you will have to duplicate the initial cost.

I make my own mostly for the convenience, I make them to fit, quicker than ordering them and perhaps sending them back if one is not the right size. Now I am talking about a flying plane, if the plane wasn't going to fly for another 6 months, that wouldn't be a factor.

As others have said, the necessary skills are not hard to master. I have a hydraulic pump (liberated from an autobody repair kit) and pressure test all of the hoses to 500psi.

You can also use the Aeroquip race hose and fittings. I have used them in the past, and despite them not being certified, I personally consider them to be superior.
 
Teflon

skybolt31 said:
Another factor to consider in the ultimate cost analysis is that the hoses don't last forever. So, in 5 to 10 years, if you made them yourself, you well need to order a certain number of feet of hose and reuse the ends. If you had them made, you will have to duplicate the initial cost.

......
Click to expand...

If you are concerned about that, then the approx. 30% increase for the more compact teflon integral firesleeve hose should be a "no brainer"...:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top