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Hi Michael;
I use this hose at work
and on my airplane. At work it is used mostly for instrument air supply but in
some very harsh environments, where the bad stuff is on the outside of the hose,
but occasionally it is also used for transfer of chemical
applications.
The blue stuff is made by several
manufactures. Parker under the Trade name "PUSH-LOK", part #836. This is
the stuff I use extensively at work. Goodyear also makes it under the name
"Insta-Grip". We had one batch of this at work, and while I've not had any
problems with any of it, it also didn't "feel" as hi quality so they've gone
back to ordering the Parker stuff.
This hose is tough stuff.
Sometimes I'll still bend SS tube if I want to make an installation look pretty,
but there really is no other advantage to use SS tube over the hose, and hose is
much faster and easier to install.
This hose should not be
used with metal hose clamps as when tightened the clamp can cut into the fibre
that tightens onto the fitting with pressure. I don't know anything about the
heat shrink clamps, but they may be a good solution to satisfy the inspector. My
inspector also wanted to see the hose clamped as he couldn't understand how it
could possibly stay on without a clamp, but he accepted a double wrap
of safety wire. This would likely have been quite detrimental to the hose,
except that none of them were tight, but they looked good and the inspector was
happy.
There is a tool for
inserting the fittings into the hose but it can be done by hand with allot of
effort. I try to avoid this as it is difficult to get the fitting fully seated
and there is temptation to use grease. I only use a little spit to lube inside
the hose to ease installation. The installation tool is a simple affair with a
clamp to hold the hose securely and a hand lever operated ram to push the
fitting into the hose end. We previously had an older model of this tool at work
but a while back the company bought several much improved new models, so the old
one, while inferior, has found a place in my airplane tool box.
I made the decision to
use this use for several reasons. One is that I'm already familiar with it and
trust it, another is probably pretty obvious as well... It's FREE! But the other
is a comment that Ed Anderson made along time ago while I was still building,
regarding all of his fancy stainless braided line. The cost associated with that
installation makes him reluctant to change the hose unless there is evidence of
impending failure. Not sure if he still feels that way, but it makes sense to
me, so I use it for all my FWF fuel and oil lines and the turbo coolant line.
All other coolant lines are 1 1/4" so I had to buck up a few $$ for automotive
rad hose. Anytime I have a piece of the engine apart that has a blue hose
associated with it, if it has been on for awhile, I replace it. At my first
annual I cut off all of the blue hose and replaced it. The old hose was slightly
stiffer, but still perfectly acceptable. I didn't replace it at this last annual
simply because I've not had the time to fly it enough to warrant
it.
Todd Bartrim
RV9Endurance
13B Turbo Rotary
C-FSTB
"The world will always have a place for those that bring hard work and
determination to the things they do."
How many of you racers and
mechanics, shade tree or pro, have used
AQP Socketless hose for
fuel/oil/coolant lines? What do you think of
this stuff for
airplanes?
If you are talking about the blue stuff, it is all I use. I have a mile
of it in the race car.
It is Kevlar reinforced.
It is also the lightest system available. You can twist an end fitting
after assembly to improve an installation, and it won't leak. You cannot
remove an end fitting without cutting the hose off. The fittings are 100%
reusable.
Lynn E. Hanover
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