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DIY Hoses?

S

szicree

Well Known Member
I'm considering making my own oil/fuel lines and would like to hear from those who've done it as to what to expect. I've never done it before but it really looks pretty simple. Opinions?
 
GO FOR IT!!

szicree said:
I'm considering making my own oil/fuel lines and would like to hear from those who've done it as to what to expect. I've never done it before but it really looks pretty simple. Opinions?
Click to expand...

A cutoff wheel will make a nice square clean cut. Make a fuel line first. They are lower presssure. After you have made one, you won't have a problem about the fitting holding. :eek:

This way you can make it fit JUST THE WAY that you want............... :D

PS Be sure to clean it well after you are done.
 
Fun and economical

Steve,

It is pretty simple, patience is a virtue though. First you need to wrap the braid REALLY tight with fiberglass reinforced tape. Use a dremel cutoff wheel to make the cut, don't force it let it work through the material. Use 30 weight oil or like I did invest in a bottle made by Aeroquip filled with 30 weight oil for $9.00. :) Pressing the hose end into the fitting seemed to get easier after some practice...I failed the first night, suceeded the second night...why? Who knows. I can tell you that the little stainless steel wires in the braid will poke tiny, painfull holes in your fingers. :eek: Van's sells a hose tool that is worth every penny.

http://www.vansaircraft.com/cgi-bin...3-308-219&browse=tools&product=Tool-Hose-Assy

Fire sleeve seems a bit costly at first but overall you can save some good money building your own lines as well as make them the perfect length you need. I pumped my hoses up with the air compressor after they were built to leak test and pressure test...at least to max 150 psi the compressor would put out. I ran the hose out from the garage a good 50 feet then applied the pressure so if it popped nobody would get hit with it. Make sure you mark the hose to make sure it did not back out of the end fitting while installing the inner portion of the hose end.
 
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Man, making SS braided hoses was a bear! I almost gave up. I bought the AN hose and fittings from Pegasus Racing online.

I found that you have to wrap the end SUPER tight...once about 1/2" back from the cut line and a 2nd layer OVER the cut line.

Then you make a super clean cut (use a new saw blade, or cutoff wheel, etc.). I then used a grinding wheel to remove any straggling braids.

Then removed the outer tape layer and twisted the hose into the fitting (use lubricant) for what seemed like 1/2 hour.

Good luck! :eek:
 
Cool. So it sounds like it's either easy as pie or nearly impossible?! I'm curious now, so I guess I'll go for it. Anybody make a homemade version of that 74 dollar tool?
 
If you do a search, I did a pretty detailed post on assembling hoses a few months ago. I make hundreds a year at my shop. As for tools, any of the racing wherehouses like Summit Racing or Jegs ought to sell aluminum vice inserts for a bench vice. They work great and should only set you back $15-20.
 
szicree said:
Cool. So it sounds like it's either easy as pie or nearly impossible?! I'm curious now, so I guess I'll go for it. Anybody make a homemade version of that 74 dollar tool?
Click to expand...

Right. The curiosity of it all is what drove me to do it myself, too. No way was my stubbornness letting me spend $70 on a plastic tool that amounts to nothing more than a funnel. :rolleyes:

All kidding aside, if you can spare the cash, the tool will probably make it much easier. Doing it without the tool is a bear, is what I should have said.
 
I was like you were about spending that much money for it. Trust me, the tool is worth the money for the pain and aggravation it saves. I bought it after reading testimonials here and it works as advertised. The hose goes into the fitting the first time, every time. No fuss, no muss. Find some other builders in your area to split the costs with. Also the aluminum vise jaws are a big help too. I can make a hose from start to finish (both ends) in 7-10 minutes.
 
I made all of my hoses and found that the bigger the diameter the easier it was to get the end fittings on the hose, so you might want to start with the oil lines. I went the cheap route. No special tools. I taped the area to be cut, marked the cut on the tape and I cut the SS braids through the tape with a dremel tool. Once through the SS I cut the rest with a sharp knife. I used my bench grinder to taper the end braids before coating everything with 30W oil and pushing the hose into the fitting. Most (but not all) of the -6 and -8 fittings went pretty easily. Only one gave me any trouble but that was minimal. The -4 sizes were more difficult but eventually they worked. You can see some of my finished hoses in the post on firewall penetrations.

Alan
RV-4
 
Instead of motor oil try using STP Oil Treatment as a lubricant. That stuff is slimy! I dip the end of the hose and the threaded mandrel in the STP and it really makes it easier to get everything assembled.

I have fabricated several hoses without the aid of the special tools. Just takes a little practice and patience. :)
 
After assembly, I took mine to a local hydraulics shop. For a few bucks they pressure tested them way beyond what you can do at home. Even though they are low pressure hoses, I felt better that they would hold up to spec.
 
Even easier

Have the hydraulic shop supply you with all the hoses and fittings...WAAY cheaper than anything from Aeroquip.

There at least 20 aircraft around here that have gone this route. The hydralic shop has just about every fitting you can imagine too.

JIC fittings are exactly the same as AN fittings, 37 deg seats etc.

Downsides

All fittings will be steel...Ok in smaller sizes but it will start to add weight if you use -10 sizes for an invert system (Summit Racing hads their own aluminium hose ends for this big stuff)

They won't have any swept ends...

If you need an EXACT length you may have to make more than one trip...Ist trip they put ahose end on...you take it back to the airplane and mark the other end, then take it back to have it cut to length and the other end put on....I have not had to be that exact so far however.

Frank
 
Economics

If you only have a few hoses, the savings are not that great...

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

Approx. prices from A/C Spruce
$14 - Hose - 24 inches
$16 - Firesleeve - 24 inches
$20 - Two fittings
$3 -- 2 end clamps

Totals $53 - 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..... :D

Quote from PHT

24 inch certified Stratoflex 111 hose with firesleeve - $63.40

or a possible upgrade...

24 inch certified Teflon hose Stratoflex 124J hose with integral firesleeve - $84.49

We don't use many hoses in our RVs, so the cost increase is not that much, and the hoses come pretested.

I personally like the much smaller diameter integral firesleeve Teflon hoses, since they are easier to route in a crowded engine compartment.

However you go, these hoses need to be high reliability... :)

Small diameter hoses ( -3 size) for brakes, and engine sensors I think can be handled by the premade Teflon ones for Pegasus racing, and don't seem to need firesleeve.

gil in Tucson - just went through this with some Tiger oil hoses.

UPDATE

Vans prices...

Approx. prices from Vans (but are Aeroquip) - components only
$21 - Hose - 24 inches
$14 - Firesleeve - 24 inches
$41 - Two fittings
N/A -- 2 end clamps

Total - $76

At this price, the PHT integral Teflon hose is a really good deal... :)
 
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PIREP on hose making

I made my oil hoses today out of aeroquip hoses and fittings and it was a breeze. With all due respect to those who spent $74 on the special tool, I would NEVER buy it. This stuff is absolutely dirt simple with nothing more than a vise and a wrench. I wrapped the hose with aluminum foil tape, cut with a die grinder, blew the hose out, oiled it up and shoved it on. Cost wise, it's probably cheaper to have em made, but I like making stuff :D .
 
I used Earls teflon Speedseal hose for the brake lines and Aeroquip 303 hose for the engine hoses. Making both hoses is pretty intuitive. All the hoses are the exact length I wanted them to be. It is good practice to pressure check the hoses after they are made. I borrowed Vince Frasier's idea for a pressure tester. A hydraulic hand pump a pressure gauge and some fittings. Oh ya, 2000 psi on that brake hose. The rated pressure for that hose. No leaky leaky.
picture107mm4.jpg

Aaron
 
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Rick S. said:
Steve,

First you need to wrap the braid REALLY tight with fiberglass reinforced tape.
Click to expand...

lostpilot28 said:
Man, making SS braided hoses was a bear! I almost gave up. I bought the AN hose and fittings from Pegasus Racing online.

I found that you have to wrap the end SUPER tight...once about 1/2" back from the cut line and a 2nd layer OVER the cut line.

Then you make a super clean cut (use a new saw blade, or cutoff wheel, etc.). I then used a grinding wheel to remove any straggling braids.

Then removed the outer tape layer and twisted the hose into the fitting (use lubricant) for what seemed like 1/2 hour.

Good luck! :eek:
Click to expand...

I came up with a very clean easy method of using safetywire (.021) to secure the braids on the SS hose. Then clamped it into the cheap chop-saw I've used forever to cut aluminum angle, and cut it right at the safetywire. After the cut just clean the ends, blow it out, and flick off the safetywire loop like a champagne cork. Here's a pic or two of mine:

Step 1: Mark SS Hose for the cut.
IMG_0054.jpg


Step 2: Twist Safetywire around hose at cut (leave little braid sticking up)
IMG_0055.jpg


Step 3: Cut hose as close as you can to safetywire (you can bump it a little). Then flick safetywire off of hose.
IMG_0056.jpg


Step 4: Put AN Hardware on end. No trimming required!
IMG_0057.jpg



JonJay said:
After assembly, I took mine to a local hydraulics shop. For a few bucks they pressure tested them way beyond what you can do at home. Even though they are low pressure hoses, I felt better that they would hold up to spec.
Click to expand...

Great advice... and most will do it for free or a nominal fee. Buy some stickers :)

szicree said:
I made my oil hoses today out of aeroquip hoses and fittings and it was a breeze. With all due respect to those who spent $74 on the special tool, I would NEVER buy it. This stuff is absolutely dirt simple with nothing more than a vise and a wrench. I wrapped the hose with aluminum foil tape, cut with a die grinder, blew the hose out, oiled it up and shoved it on. Cost wise, it's probably cheaper to have em made, but I like making stuff :D .
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. Like everything else building this plane, it was hard to figure out, but very easy once you do it.
 
I used a die grinder to cut mine and had no trouble. I think the chisel appraoch used in the video looks like the way to go though.

I'm still waiting for advice on how to get them tested. I saw the post about pumping em up with a hydraulic pump, but that's a gadget I don't own. Also, is the hose filled with oil before being stressed to 2000 psi? Seems like the energy stored in 2000 psi of compressed air could be hazardous, but obviously this is an area I know zilch about.
 
szicree said:
I used a die grinder to cut mine and had no trouble. I think the chisel appraoch used in the video looks like the way to go though.

I'm still waiting for advice on how to get them tested. I saw the post about pumping em up with a hydraulic pump, but that's a gadget I don't own. Also, is the hose filled with oil before being stressed to 2000 psi? Seems like the energy stored in 2000 psi of compressed air could be hazardous, but obviously this is an area I know zilch about.
Click to expand...


Here's how I tested my oil line hoses to 1,000 PSI. I filled the contraption up with water then screwed in the grease fitting. A few pumps of the grease gun and I had 1,000 PSI. I figured that's ten times the pressure the hoses will see in service so that was good enough for me. Be sure to use schedule 80 (3000psi) couplings if you copy this idea.

Mark

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I must be missing something

I tried this exact same thing today with two different grease guns and a high quality gauge. I can get plenty of pressure, but as soon as I stop pumping the pressure bleeds right down to near zero. I think the problem is the fairly crude check valve and piston in grease guns. The valve appears to be a simple steel ball held on a cast seat by a spring and the piston is just a rod in a close fit bore. It works just find for pumping grease, but these things were never designed to hold back water at 1000psi. I even tried a zerk fitting on the rig in the hope that its own valve might help. I pumped it up quickly and popped it off only to have the zerk spray a fine mist of water in my face.

Was your procedure to pump it up to 1000 and call it good, or did you require that the system actually held pressure? My thinking is that I'm looking for small leaks in the hose ends and that these can't be detected if the rest of the system won't hold pressure. If anybody has info about this please let me know as I feel like the whole day was pi**ed away on this.
 
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