Motorsport Plumbing Systems: Reusable Hose Ends
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Reusable Hose Ends
08.02
| 00:00 | As the name suggests, reusable hose ends lend themselves to being reused if we ever need to modify our plumbing systems as we develop and change our vehicle. |
| 00:10 | This means not only will we need to understand how to build a fitting from a reusable hose end, but it's possible we'll also be dismantling and rebuilding them somewhat regularly. |
| 00:20 | As we discussed in the previous section of the course, when covering these hose ends, they're mostly used with a flexible hose with an overbraid, and this requires some special considerations when putting them together. |
| 00:33 | Reusable hose ends are also different for rubber braided hose and PTFE braided hose, so naturally we'll cover both, starting with the rubber hose. |
| 00:41 | The first step, however, is going to be cutting the end of the hose, assuming we already understand our desired hose length. |
| 00:49 | We can mark our cut point with some form of marker or paint pen, and it can be helpful to use tape here as well. |
| 00:56 | Placetape or electrical tape works well for this, although there are products like Vibrant Performance clean cut film and tape, where a layer of self adhesive film is wrapped around the hose first, followed by the adhesive tape, so it won't pull the end of the braid apart when removed and leave any residue in place. |
| 01:15 | While it's common to see tools like hacksaws and angle grinders used to cut braided hose, it's not the preferred option, simply because this will leave a fine rubber dust inside the end of the hose which needs to be thoroughly cleaned out before use. |
| 01:30 | The preferred method is to use shears which are available specifically for use with this type of hose. |
| 01:37 | This creates a nice clean cut and although the shears can compress the hose, it's easy to squeeze it back into shape by hand. |
| 01:45 | We also need to take care in producing a square cut so the end of the hose will seat flush on the hose end. |
| 01:52 | Reusable hose ends for rubber hoses are the simpler of the two options and only involves two parts: the fitting and the socket. |
| 02:00 | With the end of our hose cut, we can fit the socket over the end of our hose until the hose seats on the stop surface inside the socket. |
| 02:08 | In the case where there is no stop, it's best to follow the supplier's instructions in regards to the insertion depth, but this will typically be about in line with the start of the threaded section. |
| 02:19 | Some hose ends have a nice lead in to help feed the hose in without the overbraid separating. |
| 02:25 | But it's not uncommon for this to happen and if we use our fingers to assist, it's likely we'll be on the receiving end of some nasty little cuts and pricks from the sharp ends of the stainless overbraid. |
| 02:36 | Again there are some tools available to make our life easier and less painful. |
| 02:40 | For example, Koul Tools AN Hose Assembly Tools. |
| 02:44 | These are a simple plastic part with a bigger lead in to help us feed the hose into the hose end. |
| 02:50 | The next step is to thread the fitting into the socket in the hose, but we want to avoid the hose being pushed back out of the socket as this could cause a leak. |
| 02:59 | To identify if this happens, it can be useful to mark the outside of the hose at the base of the socket or again use some tape. |
| 03:07 | Adding some lubricant like spray silicone or a small amount of rubber grease to the fitting and the end of the hose can help things slide together with more ease and prevent the hose from backing out. |
| 03:18 | We just need to remember to clean out the inside of the hose with some solvent when we're done. |
| 03:23 | We also recommend using an anti-seize on the threads as each side is aluminium and this will help prevent galling and damage of the threads. |
| 03:33 | Then it's just a matter of threading the fitting into the socket. |
| 03:36 | To do so we first need to clamp the socket in the soft jaws of the vise, holding the hose with one hand to further prevent it being pushed out. |
| 03:46 | Then we can start threading the fitting into the socket which will go a certain way by hand but then require a wrench to finish the job. |
| 03:54 | It's important to use an aluminium wrench here designed for these fittings to avoid damaging the outer anodised surface just like our soft jaws. |
| 04:03 | Something else to be noted here is that the socket and the hex nut part of the fitting aren't actually the same size although they are close so it can save time having an adjustable wrench on hand. |
| 04:15 | In saying that, it's possible to get good result with some tape inside a normal crescent if we don't have dedicated tools on hand. |
| 04:23 | From here, we can thread the fitting into the socket, keeping an eye on our mark on the hose, making sure it doesn't back out. |
| 04:30 | We want to leave a slight gap between the top of the socket and the bottom of the fitting, about 1-2mm. |
| 04:37 | This varies slightly between different manufacturers so it's worth checking their specifications, but a good quick way to check if you're in the ballpark is that we're usually aiming for about the thickness of a fingernail. |
| 04:49 | There are two reasons for this, first this simply guides the amount of compression the fitting has on the hose. |
| 04:55 | If the gap is too big, then it won't be tight enough but if we were able to close the gap then it's likely the hose has backed out or wasn't seated properly in the first place. |
| 05:05 | The other reason is the swivel, if the gap is closed, the parts are in contact and the swivel won't function as intended. |
| 05:13 | With rubber now covered, let's look at the second option we mentioned at the start of the module. |
| 05:18 | PTFE hose ends are a bit different from rubber in that they include an olive. |
| 05:23 | The first step here is to slide the socket over the end of the hose and up it a short distance. |
| 05:29 | The next step is installing the olive and it can help lightly clamping the hose in the vice to hold it and give us a spare hand. |
| 05:37 | First, we have to prepare the end of the hose to take the olive and this involves working back the over braid to expose the PTFE inner hose. |
| 05:46 | There are some special tools available for this, but a flat end screwdriver or straight pick with the sharp edges taken off is just as effective. |
| 05:54 | We don't want sharp edges because as we work around the braid to pull the edge back away from the inner hose, we don't want to poke into the PTFE and damage it. |
| 06:04 | Next step we want to put the olive onto the end of the hose between the PTFE and the braid. |
| 06:09 | Again this needs to be seated fully with the end of the hose hard against the internal stop on the olive. |
| 06:16 | This can be very difficult to do by hand so it may take some force on the workbench surface or the use of some specialist tools. |
| 06:24 | We just need to be sure the olive is square against the end of the hose. |
| 06:28 | Following this we can lubricate the fitting as we did previously with our rubber hose ends and press it into the PTFE hose with the olive in place. |
| 06:37 | We want the fitting to go all the way in and sit up against the surface of the olive. |
| 06:42 | Then we can slide the socket back up the hose and thread it into the fitting over the olive. |
| 06:48 | Again using anti seize is recommended for aluminium on aluminium threads. |
| 06:53 | It's extremely important we start this cautiously by hand, as we want to be very careful we don't get any of the stainless steel braid strands in the aluminium threads. |
| 07:03 | Stainless is much harder than aluminium, so this will quickly damage the threads and potentially destroy a very expensive fitting. |
| 07:10 | The process from here is the same as before. |
| 07:13 | With the socket clamped in the soft jaws, we can use the wrench to tighten the fitting down until we have a small gap remaining and that completes our reusable hose ends. |
| 07:23 | To recap the main points of these processes, we want to start with a nice clean cut of our hose using shears. |
| 07:30 | For rubber braided hose, we install the socket onto the end of the hose so it fully sits. |
| 07:36 | Although this can be tricky if the end of the braid is frayed. |
| 07:40 | We then simply thread the fitting in, leaving a small gap. |
| 07:44 | For PTFE, we slide the socket down over the hose and then pull the braid away from the inner hose to install the olive. |
| 07:52 | Then we can press the fitting into place and thread the socket onto the fitting to clamp it all together, being careful not to damage the threads. |
