Hydroboost with JIC fittings

[bgaller]

I feel like this might be a dumb question, but why spend all the extra money for AN fittings when you could just use JIC fitting? There would be no need for costly adapters or special hose, just grab the right length at somewhere like Fleet Farm and add cheaper fittings. Am I missing something?

 

[EricLar80]

Perfectly fine for power steering use, so go for it. I'm personally not a fan of aluminum fittings for anything fuel or hydraulic related because you don't see aluminum used in a factory situation, and I'm not that concerned about the extra weight of steel fittings. It's definitely cheaper to make fittings from aluminum so that tells you there is a reason the manufacturers avoid it.

Aluminum galls easier, it has lower fatigue life, and it loses strength at freezing temperatures.

I used all Eaton Aeroquip fittings. You can find them fairly cheap online and they are made for aerospace applications so you know they will work great and be without corrosion for many, many years.

 

[lars]

I feel like this might be a dumb question, but why spend all the extra money for AN fittings when you could just use JIC fitting? There would be no need for costly adapters or special hose, just grab the right length at somewhere like Fleet Farm and add cheaper fittings. Am I missing something?

Practically speaking, AN and JIC are the same thing, and for our purposes, interchangeable. In principle the former are manufactured to tighter tolerances, have rolled threads instead of (possibly) cut threads, traceability on materials, etc. But I've used JIC fittings in high pressure hydraulic systems for decades, and there are plenty of (gasp) aircraft flying around with them without issue.

Not sure what you mean by costly adapters and special hose though.

 

[bgaller]

Practically speaking, AN and JIC are the same thing, and for our purposes, interchangeable. In principle the former are manufactured to tighter tolerances, have rolled threads instead of (possibly) cut threads, traceability on materials, etc. But I've used JIC fittings in high pressure hydraulic systems for decades, and there are plenty of (gasp) aircraft flying around with them without issue.

Not sure what you mean by costly adapters and special hose though.

Thanks! I think I'll use the cheaper JIC fittings and pre-made hoses from Fleet Farm.

 

[Digger556]

Practically speaking, AN and JIC are the same thing, and for our purposes, interchangeable. In principle the former are manufactured to tighter tolerances, have rolled threads instead of (possibly) cut threads, traceability on materials, etc. But I've used JIC fittings in high pressure hydraulic systems for decades, and there are plenty of (gasp) aircraft flying around with them without issue.

Not sure what you mean by costly adapters and special hose though.

Lars nailed it. JIC is used all the time for industrial applications like construction and ag equipment that runs at much higher pressures than a power steering system.

Many alum fittings I've seen listed as AN would not actually meet the AN spec. You can tell they have cut threads, not rolled.

 

[EricLar80]

I’d venture to guess that all of the aluminum AN “race” fittings have cut threads.

 

[Spaggyroe]

All of my hydraboost, power steering, and trans cooler hoses have JIC ends on them.

 

[nvrstuk]

... most of the alum JIC fittings I've checked have working psi ratings of 10,000 psi. Just looked it up (to check to see if I was even close) and a Parker document shows multiple times more...

http://blog.parker.com/the-truth-about-pressure-ratings-for-hydraulic-fittings-and-adapters

Must be another internet theory... like not using Gr 8 bolts in a shear because they are "Brittle"??

 

[lars]

Mix of aluminum and steel JIC fittings on this thing, though more of the latter:

https://cgm.engr.ucdavis.edu/facility/9-m-centrifuge/

Yup, I'm in one of the pix, not saying which though. In any case, never saw threaded connection fail in service in the years I worked there, though all of us were capable of cross-threading them %) Eric, I have to disagree with you regarding the use of aluminum in industrial settings. I've seen lots of them, especially when weight matters. Galling is more of an issue with aluminum, especially if you are making/breaking connections frequently, and that will wear them out even if you are careful.

A Parker engineer told me once that while the specs are looser on JIC, the ones manufactured on US lines were made on the same machines as actual AN fittings, so they were pretty much identical except for material traceability, markings, plating.

 

[Digger556]

Mix of aluminum and steel JIC fittings on this thing, though more of the latter:

https://cgm.engr.ucdavis.edu/facility/9-m-centrifuge/

Yup, I'm in one of the pix, not saying which though. In any case, never saw threaded connection fail in service in the years I worked there, though all of us were capable of cross-threading them %) Eric, I have to disagree with you regarding the use of aluminum in industrial settings. I've seen lots of them, especially when weight matters. Galling is more of an issue with aluminum, especially if you are making/breaking connections frequently, and that will wear them out even if you are careful.

A Parker engineer told me once that while the specs are looser on JIC, the ones manufactured on US lines were made on the same machines as actual AN fittings, so they were pretty much identical except for material traceability, markings, plating.

That makes sense. Material is easy and rolling threads is more economical at scale.

So basically a domestic "JIC" fitting is better than a race shop "AN" fitting.

 

[bmc69]

I like the aluminum re-useable fittings but usually end up using a mixture of aluminum and steel..crimped and re-usable. And always 37-degree JIC ends.

Sometimes the "bling factor" matters... ;D

 

[Digger556]

I like the aluminum re-useable fittings but usually end up using a mixture of aluminum and steel..crimped and re-usable. And always 37-degree JIC ends.

Sometimes the "bling factor" matters... ;D

What's HP and torque on that setup?

Must have been an optional V8;D

 

[lars]

I like the aluminum re-useable fittings but usually end up using a mixture of aluminum and steel..crimped and re-usable. And always 37-degree JIC ends.

Sometimes the "bling factor" matters... ;D

Bling? What bling..

 

[gnpenning]

Bling? What bling..

I think he is referring to what appears to be a wire nut in the upper left corner. ;D

Lot's of bling for sure.

 

[lars]

I think he is referring to what appears to be a wire nut in the upper left corner. ;D

Lot's of bling for sure.

Now that you mention it, I think it's probably the Corona on the left inner fender