Hey Guys, New to the forum, not exactly sure if this is where this thread belongs.... Have you guys done custom AN power steering lines? Here's my problem. I bought Fragola hose ends that are steel and specifically made for power steering, and I had some CPE ebay stainless braided AN line sitting around. All fiittings/lines are 6AN. No matter what I do, one of the fittings on the high pressure line blows off. Nothing breaks, the hose just gets spit out of the hose end. I've cut back, cleaned, and reassembled and installed the hose a bunch of times. The most success I've had has been 30 seconds of power steering that ended with the hose being spit out of one of the fittings when I hit the end of the steering travel. Any experience or advice would be appreciated. Right now my only theory is that the ebay hose sidewall is too thin to compress tight enough. Thanks, Q
You’ve got a problem . Any real A/N fittings and line will not come apart until several thousand pounds of pressure is applied. Are these true screw in fittings,,,,,they are usually somewhat difficult to assemble . Pics will help too . Tommy
Just a hunch but I think mixing and matching components from different brands may be your problem. You touched on that possibility in your last paragraph, you may need to get some Fragola hose.
The only Issue that I see is you are going to have to adapt the AN fittings to the box or pump adding extra fittings and more chances of leaks. Plus the more cobbled together it will look to those who look at it and know what they are looking at.
Perhaps the hose you're using is intended for oil and fuel lines, etc. Power steering hose is a different animal and is much thicker walled and intended for the high pressures of power steering. How long are your PS hoses. I think I have a few feet left from my days of selling race parts. Contact me if you'd be interested. I'm sure it's AN-6 hose from Aeroquip. Lynn
Not sure what the pump in this system is, but there are Saginaw P style pumps, now made by Delphi, that can put out up to 1,650psi. Regular old ones are around 1,200-1,300psi. This is not a place for a hose of questionable quality, or one made out of random parts.
@gimpyshotrods is spot on with both posts, especially: "I use ...Parker hose and fittings...". Mix-and-match does not play well in all cases! Use the fittings and hoses that are compatible with each other!! Every hose and fitting manufactured is designed to be mated with a particular hose DIMENSIONALLY!! Pressure ratings and construction details do not insure compatibility. There are manufacturer interchanges and cross-compatibilities, but check them out carefully. A failed connection is not necessarily a failure of either component, but the marriage of mismatched components. Also verify what pressure you're dealing with, as pointed out by @gimpyshotrods . Good luck! PS: There are proper techniques and instructions that must be followed to make a proper hose assembly, and all of us don't know or adhere to them. Do some research on hose/fitting compatibility and assembly procedures. Be manufacturer specific in your search.
Gimpy is right. I had a friend that had an off topic car burn up from a power steering hose failure. Driving down the interstate at speed, hot manifolds, high pressure spraying ps fluid out is usually an instant inferno. Don’t chance it with an ill fitting hose.
This. The power steering hose is different and rated for much higher pressure than the braided AN hose. It usually has a braided nylon outer cover and much thicker wall than AN hose. If you have what I think you have, the outer nut that goes on the hose actually has a coarse internal left hand thread to screw onto the outside of the hose because it's a very tight fit. The internal part of the fitting should be a single nipple that has a long taper and very fine threads.
I've always used some version of a factory PS hose, there's thousands out there to choose from. Learn the steering box and pump years and what fittings they used. Then choose hoses from those generation vehicles. Rock auto usually has pics online, I used to wear out the parts counter guy having them pull up lengths and fitting dimensions before the internet. I stay away from AN whenever I can. You don't say what box you're using, here's a start if it's unknown. https://leepowersteering.com/pages/how-to-identify-gearbox
Having worked for 2 Major PTFE/SS braided hose company's during my working carrier (almost 50 years experience) I am a firm believer in permanently "crimped or swaged" hose assemblies AND properly Pressure tested, usually to 1.5 times the assembly working pressure. -6 AN SS braided hose with PTFE inner-core is typically rated to 2500 PSI working pressure. I am retired now so my sources are somewhat limited however if you contact a local authorized Parker Hydraulic shop they normally can swage you -6 hoses with JIC (AN) swivel each end. Speedway and other can provide you with the correct "Adapters" to mate up to an inverted flare or compression tube that you have on your application. As stated above mix and matching of hoses and fittings can lead to premature failures/fitting blow off. BTW Most -6 AN SS/PTFE lined hoses are "nominal" 3/8" and are actually 5/16" Inside diameter, there are manufacturers of "true bore" hoses that have either .030" PTFE liners OR .040" PTFE liners so reusable fittings manufactured by company's such as Aeroquip are designed to work with the hoses they actually manufacturer. I just converted my 1940 Ford coupe to a hydro boost brake booster and used only crimped style -6 AN hose assemblies with SS female swivel (JIC 37 degree) fabricated by a trained and certified hose shop. Hope this information is helpful. I know guys out there make up hoses in their shops and are successful but my personnel recommendation stands as stated above.
FWIW....I looked in my shop today and didn't find the length of PS hose I thought I had. Many performance parts sellers will sell short lengths like 3', 5' or 10'. Better yet, try to find a local speed shop that might sell you a length just the right length for your needs. Taking your fittings along in with you to assure the fittings and hose will play well together would then also be possible. Best wishes. Lynn
If you are trying to shove 1200 psi into a 750 psi hose you are going to have a bad time.. ATF catches on fire good! Take it to a proffesional Hydraulics shop and have them make you a real hydraulic hose with crimped ends.
I'm not as smart as these other guys posting......... but I did go to a local hydraulic parts and service shop, that was not too far from a Holiday Inn, and tell 'em, "I need one of these and make it this long, please".
The guys above are right . Best to use the proper hose and fittings. Wether crimp on or threaded nipple and socket the supply shops will have the proper machines to do the job . Reusable fittings can be put on by hand but sometimes are a bitch. Now MAKE sure the hose end (cut straight) is set in flush with the socket end on crimp or threaded and if threaded that the nipple is seated all the way on the exterior socket fitting.
I have used enumerable self-assemble hydraulic fittings over the years, as the descendent of a long line of New England farmers. Admittedly, I did mess up a whole bunch of them when I was first starting out. I was sloppy, stubborn, and did not listen, or follow instructions. Now I am not sloppy, and follow the instructions. I hand make hoses for my own vehicles now, from self-assemble stuff. For a customer car, I lay them out from components, mark the ends with two different colors of paint marker to show fitting alignment, and take them to my Parker rep. I have them crimp them on. I have had ZERO failures doing this. It is imperative that you NEVER mix brands, or even within product lines from the same manufacturer (unless compatibility is expressed in writing). The only thing that is standard in these is that they are measured in pressure rating, and that they have a know connection type at the extreme ends. For the uninitiated, AN a US military-derived specification that dates back to World War II and stems from a joint standard agreed upon by the Army and Navy, hence AN. They are similar to other 37° flared fittings, such as JIC, which is their industrial variant. The two are interchangeable in theory, just not for aircraft due to the exacting specifications and demands of the aerospace industry. Unless you are buying a mil-spec, or otherwise certified AN fitting, it is likely not aerospace quality, and is just a 37º flare fitting. More importantly, if it is not made of steel, you ought not use it as a hydraulic fitting. Keep your vehicle on the ground and JIC fittings are just fine. In both cases the dash number is the size in 16ths of an inch. AN-6 and JIC-6 are the same size, as 6/16ths, otherwise known as 3/8" ID hose.
Right @gimpyshotrods ! JIC (Joint Industry Council) set standards for several categories of components used by the government during WW II for reasons of interchangeability FOR THE APPLICATION! They set up specifications for electrical, hydraulic, etc. JIC and AN fittings are identical, except for material (steel JIC vs. aluminum AN). AN are primarily used in aircraft or where weight is an issue. What a lot of vendors sell as AN are actually JIC, unless they are specified as aluminum. So, shop wisely..... JIC is MUCH less expensive than AN, and unless your goal is to build the absolute lightest car possible, AN is a waste of money. A lot of suppliers are digging deep into your pockets selling you (and telling you, you need) hose ends and fittings that are not required in our hobby. In almost all cases, you save money and get a higher quality component or assembly, by visiting your local hydraulic supply house or hose fabricator. Stick to well known and established names (Parker, Aeroquip, etc.).....John Deere doesn't buy from "Bubba's Lowbuck Hose And Fitting Manufacturing" and neither should you (beware of offshore, off brand stuff)!
That’s good info gimpy . I bet there are a lot of uninitiated guys and gals that have no idea about different system pressures out there . Different uses for hoses and fittings or what the markings on said hoses/fittings mean let alone the series numbers .
You buy cheap s**t it will bite you in the butt. I feel that way about nuts, bolts and washers and some people’s welding abilities.
You're probably smarter because you don't suffer from the "Dunning Kruger Effect" [google it] I've played with Hydraulics for years, because my dad was involved in Forklift manufacturing . Always pressure test the hoses before installing them. The only hose failure I've ever had was an O/T braided faucet hose in my house. [It failed at 3.00 am with only 65 psi Water Mains Pressure and caused $1000's in Damage] The cheap "Chinesium" hose literally blew through the sides. I removed every single one and got my friendly Hydraulic Specialist to replace/crimp decent hose onto them. My advice to everyone here .....If it is critical [like Brake and P/steer hoses] get them pressure tested
I restored a Case skid steer and replaced all the hoses, took all 19 to the Hydraulic shop and said make new. $800. + . One leaked at the crimp, took it back. The guys were in shock. They replaced and off I went. Later on after some use I found two other hoses that leaked at the nuts. Seems I for got to tighten, they were just finger tight. My point is that quality fittings are quality fitting.
get my Pressure side hoses crimped together at a hydraulic hose shop-get most of my AN fitting there also-at about a third of the price of the fancy anodized speed shop brands-I hate steel braded lines on my cars-would be just as easy to bolt razor blades all over the engine!!LOL
There are many bits of good advice in the replies. I have been repairing and fabricating high pressure hydraulic like se and hoses since my Air Force days in the late 60's and early 70's . We were taught to do it right, airplanes can coast to the side of the sky and get a tow from FAA, back to the air field. I worked flight test for al the major manufacturers and had to fab lines and hoses that were custom to what we needed to gather data from flight. On my own hot rods and race cars, I used the same type and brands that I used, within reason, on all my own projects. No leaks and abrasions from missrouting. I purchase everything I need from a local hydraulic supply house. They supply hydraulics to farm and aircraft businesses here in the San Jauquin Valley. I buy my own fittings, hose and lines and do the fab work. I ALWAYS ask the real experts if I have the slightest doubt about any fabrication I am doing. By going there, they match everything to what my needs are and it works. I don't buy from mail order unless I am 100% sure the guy on the other end of the phone KNOWS his business! Hydraulic hoses and fittings are specifically designed for certain purposes and don't play well together when mismatched ! I did all of our flight test outfitting for two of our C-17 test fleet and used stainless line, braided stainless hose, AND Chryogenic fitting for a 4k psi system. EVERY item I fabbed up had to go to the hydraulics lab and be tested at 8k psi. Most aircraft only use a 3k psi system. I sure learned a lot about precision fabrication on that program, which only helped me be even more fussy on my own stuff. There is no shortcut to quality and dependability. It ain't cheap, but then neither is your life. I am far from a genius, FAR FROM! But, I learned from the best and it has paid off well over the years. Find a good hydraulic supply house, even if it requires some travel, you will be better off for it for sure.
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