is there a secret to the cutting of braided stainless fuel line to keep it from fraying so it'll be easier to put into a an fitting ?? thanks
if you wrap it with tape (I use masking) and cut it with a chop saw or cut off wheel, it will keep fraying to a minimum
I wrap it tight with that yellow/green body masking tape. trim it , works ok. There is a tool also. Some of those cheaper an fitting are a ***** to slide in there anyway.
I wrap it real tight with tape then use a cut off wheel on a die grinder, then I cut through the tape. It has always worked for me.
Ok, now we know how to cut it, how do we keep from sticking the wires in our fingers while ***embling the fittings? I hate that.... those damn little wires hurt....
If you are going to do a lot of cuts, you might want to buy or build a jig. I have an old speedometer cable jig that works great on small lines and I made a larger copy of it. It's like a flaring tool clamp with a slot to cut the line while it's clamped. I still use tape but the jig makes it easier to cut straight. Clamping the taped line in a piece of angle iron or pipe will keep the chop saw from pulling it and making a crooked cut. If the cut gets a little crooked, dress it straight on a grinder and chamfer the end of the line with the tape still on it. Now for my AN fitting rant; I've never liked them because I feel that they lack the strength and vibration resistance of steel fittings. They're easy to strip the threads or crossthread. I know people like the pretty colors so if you use them. support your lines well and protect them from things that might bounce up off the road or the fittings will break at the most inopportune time.
To keep from sticking yourself, put the nut in a deepwell impact socket and use the socket as a tool to guide it and screw it onto the hose, you'll still have to use your left thumb to ***ist, but the socket makes it a lot easier. Once the nut is on the hose add some oil to the inside, dribble some on the male part of the fitting and run the male into the hose, make sure you've got good thread engagement, you should be able to get about 3 turns by hand and they should be nice and smooth. When you know you don't have crossthread - it is easy with fine threaded aluminum - then put the wrenches to it and tighten the nut down on the male part, i leave about an .020 gap from the nut to the male part. For cutting, electrical tape is best (a single layer) and i use a band saw but a ziz wheel works really good too. After ***emblt, wash the hose out with water. It will be right full of **** from the ***embly and it needs to be washed out, air won't do the trick.
i knew someone on here would also help with a trick for the wire ends, great info everybody thanks, capt
and you can leave the tape on the hose after cutting to help tame the wires as you ***emble. sometimes it will push back as you ***emble and you can just pull it off, sometimes it stays on, but no need to worry about that.
He's not even close to new, (Join date 2009) it just took him a long time to decide to post on something. Correct answer though.
Bad JuJu, do not leave the tape on. The fittings are precision fit (i know, hard to believe) but the designors did not allow for the tape. I have done - literally - thousands of -AN fittings and i am on the approved list of ***embly/testing facilities for NHRA & IHRA. Where most people get into trouble is taht they get the hose from the house brand Jegs/Summit and that stuff comes from who-knows-where. It is absolute junk and becomes seperated from the hose. I think the braid is slid onto rubber hose. If you get hose from aeroquip or earls you'll get high quality parker-hannafin steelbraid hose make in the USA and then the ***embly will be straight forward.
I don't much care for the fancy colors either but have you ever actually studied AN fittings and the specs on them. Plus the actual whys and wherefores about them? You might find it interesting if you haven't. Most likely you will never see them on a street rig of mine, just because I don't like the looks of them but not because of the strength or reliability of them.
I bought a cheap HF (yea I know) 6" cut off saw for cutting my lines. Has a clamp to hold the line and cuts it square. Use good duct tape and good quality line and always remove tape before ***embly. The guy that runs the local "EARLS" is a real piece of work so I avoid him and use "XRP" hose. I have hose for years that was cut and the tape off of it and it still hasn't blossomed.
A large hammer and a sharp chisel with the hose on a solid plate works just fine. I do wrap it with masking tape to 'Mark the spot' as well.
Gees, I can contribute a trick...don't touch them!! Of course I use that trick but haven't ever come close to it working well for me..Local place that sells and asembles lines uses a shear [looks similar to a Beverly shear] to cut the line...I have used big tin snips on the smaller sizes..For #4 and #6 I made bushings with the same ID as OD of the braid, cut in half length-ways and hose clamp over the braid, make your cut right at it then use tin snips or grinder to trim the persistant wires flush..loosen clamp and push nut on displacing bushing and continue on to ***embly being sure to touch a wire somehow [like I said the don't touch trick doesn't work for me] as you get the bushing on...
Bang on, sharpen up a cold chisel and place the taped up hose on an anvil or similar, one sharp blow should be all thats needed for a clean cut.
summit sells a cutter that kinda looks like a cable cutter. if i remember right the price is not too bad and makes a very clean cut. i barrowed one from a buddy while doing the last fuel line i did and when i do another job i will be investing in my own cutter. still need to flush the line after its ***embled.
For those of you who don't have access to a lot of tools, use black electrical tape in the area you want to cut. Take an adjustable style hose clamp and put it on the electrical tape, leave a little bit showing ....tighten it up. I use a cut off wheel on a dremel tool to cut the line. the clamp keeps it nice and straight and if you go off line you can always come back and clean it up before taking the clamp off. Of course clean it out as stated before, a little ***embly oil and patience and it is quick and easy on.
***embling AN fittings is not a big deal anymore since the Koultool came on board. You can do it behind your back. Check out koultools on the web. video instructions.
I generally avoid any use of the braided SS hose, but on the occasion I use it, I use an old flaring tool to hold the hose after taping. Using the flaring tool to hold the hose, I take a cut off tool to cut the hose and square up the ends. Still have to deal with an occasional wire stick. Jack
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