How do you order AN fittings and lines?

[willtel]

The build up of my '77 is going well and soon I will need to start plumbing the truck with fuel, brake, and trans cooler lines. I would love to replace the factory rubber hoses and barb fittings with AN fittings and hoses like Earls or Russell.

My question is how in the heck do you order these things and get the right parts? I'm not an expert on pipe threads and hose sizes so I'm really confused on what to get and how to adapt some of the barb fittings to AN. Has anyone else gone down this path that can offer some tips?

My truck is a '77 with dual tanks and an auto trans, I will be running a carb so I don't think I need to worry about return lines.

I wish they sold these things on a something like a Snap-On truck and I didn't have to depend on mail order.

 

[Gummi Bear]

As big as Atlanta is, I'm sure that there's a local race shop that carries them.

There are several here in the DFW area that carry them.

I have the same problem as you, it's hard to keep straight exactly what you need for adapters.

 

[phred]

go to Barnett's hi-performance on memorial drive. Good guys to work with that know a lot. Kind of like the old part house. If it is go fast or hi-po they have it. Phone 404 522 1320 addy 465 memorial drive se

 

[Bones]

I just ran standard brake lines with barb fitings on the end in my old carbed project... no reason to shell out the major cash for AN fittings unless you are running an aftermarket fuel cell, EFI, etc...

 

[Broncobowsher]

Quick lesson in AN
Take the number and put that over 16 and that is the fractional size of the hose. So AN-6 would be 6/16 or more commonly called 3/8"

Due to each companies desire fot making the product the way they want, there have been issues with brand X fitting not quite woring right with brand Y hose. Most of the brand X catalogs will even list fitting to be used with each model hose. So fitting A should be used with series 100 hose but not series 200 hose, even of the same size and brand.

For brake hoses I just figure what I need and get premade lengths.

I have never bothered with AN hard line.

Hoses have specific operating ranges based on fluids, temps and pressures. Some of them are fairly universial like teflon lined hose is compatable with most any fluids and pressures you are likely to see. some of the rubber lined hose is not compatable with brake fluid. Some hoses may work great with hot oil but would rot from the inside with fuel. You should really get a catalog from the supplier of the hose you are thinking of running and check what is needed in each application. I get my catalogs from my yearly trek to SEMA.

Now the question comes up, do you need AN hoses and fittings? I run very little of it of my rig. I could run lots of it. I like it for things like power steering pressure hoses as I can customize it to fit my application. I also use it for brake hoses as it is easier to configure the length and fittings to my application then it is to try and find something premade for another application and try and make it right for me.

I have seen lots of AN in my life. some of it I agree with, most of it is in the name of show and overkill. several time I see the use of it cause more problems then if normal line was used

 

[Bronchopper]

so to add to the question... well a little background first. I am an aircraft structures/fabrication troop in the USAF. part of my job is to make hydro lines using real AN hardware. of course it is all regulated and pretty much standard as far as fit goes. question is if i combine aircraft spec AN fittings with a union or T fitting or something else like that made by one of these companies, are there going to be issues with leaks or a bad fit? I may not be able to get all the fittings and adapters necessary so may at some point have to buy from earls or one of the other companies that supply AN hardware.

 

[rcmbronc]

From my experience, the AN fittings used by the Military will work fine with the aftermarket AN fittings. They are all 37 degree fittings.

 

[willtel]

I can't defend the arguments that I may not need to use AN fittings but this is the first vehicle I have ever built from the ground up and I would like to look at the option. It also would seem to make all the hoses modular so that changes are easy to make later. Overkill? Absolutely, but it would make me happy.

I think what I may end up doing is dragging most of the components I need to plumb down to a speed shop and hope I can find a skilled employee to help me make some selections based on the hose sizes, fluids, and pressure.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Broncobowsher]

so to add to the question... well a little background first. I am an aircraft structures/fabrication troop in the USAF. part of my job is to make hydro lines using real AN hardware. of course it is all regulated and pretty much standard as far as fit goes. question is if i combine aircraft spec AN fittings with a union or T fitting or something else like that made by one of these companies, are there going to be issues with leaks or a bad fit? I may not be able to get all the fittings and adapters necessary so may at some point have to buy from earls or one of the other companies that supply AN hardware.

Military and race car AN fittings will connect to each other just fine. As AN started as a standard fitting for the Army and Navy so stuff could interchange.

The only issue I have seen is mating the hose end to the hose.

 

[Bronchopper]

that's pretty much what i was asking. it was mentioned that some of the different brands didn't fit together well. from my experience using AN fittings at work, it all fits. thanks for clearing it up.