Oil Cooler / Accusump Lines?

[arpenn]

I have an oil cooler and accusump to install in our race car. My question is, has anyone used anything other than stainless braided lines to plumb their oil cooler or accusump? I hate building braided lines. Just looking for an easier & less expensive option that will still function safely.

[Greg Amy]

Check the rules, depending on where you mount those components...

"All oil lines that pass into or through the driver/passenger compartment shall be metal or metal braided hose."

Braided lines are popular, for a reason...they're good stuff.

[dhardison]

I have an oil cooler and accusump to install in our race car. My question is, has anyone used anything other than stainless braided lines to plumb their oil cooler or accusump? I hate building braided lines. Just looking for an easier & less expensive option that will still function safely.

I can't help with the expensive part of braided lines, but for ease of assembly you should try the fitting tools from "Koul Tools" (http://www.koultools.com/). Braided line assembly has always been a PITH (pain in the hand) for me as well, but these tools make it a cinch. Summit Racing carries them as well.

Oh btw, these are NOT for use with TFE (teflon lined hose). I found that out the hard way.....

Dan

[DavidM]

There's some easier hose to work with out these days for low pressure (<150 psi I think) applications. Check the usual suspects like Pegasus and other race shops. I'm not sure if it's carried in sizes big enough for oil lines. Like Greg said, check the rules depending on where stuff is located.

David

[Knestis]

I've forgotten what they were but we used to use a commercial product line (Gates I think?) for oil coolers/filters in the engine bay. We called it "blue hose...?" It had a rated working pressure of 300psi and was a push-lock rubber stuff, and plenty tough for what we did. It wasn't as crash-proof as SS but it worked like a champ and was way cheaper.

K

[Tom Blaney]

Here are some pictures from the install I did in the CRX, although the other suggestions are valid, you can't beat aeroquip for durability, easy cleaning, and if you use electricians tape wrapped really really tight around where you are going to cut the hose, and cut it in the middle with a sharp saw it is not that bad, and once the coupler is slipped over the hose the black tape can be pulled off and it's a piece of cake. By the way, I mounted the accusump all the way in the right rear corner of the back deck and it helped the weight jacking (just give yourself some crash room)

http://raceshop.sbmsinc.com/aeroquip.htm

[mustanghammer]

Bite the bullet and use stainless. Last year I had an AeroQuip -10 push lock hose come off of an AeroQuip -10 fitting on my oil cooler. The result was a siezed engine. I followed all of the Aero-Quip instructions for building the hose, used all of the correct matching parts and did not use a hose clamp (also per AeroQuip instructions).

The deal is that the push lock hose is rated at 200PSI at 250F. However, you have no idea how hot the oil coming out of an engine is. Eventually the heat must have gotten to the hose on my car. The hose simply came off - no warning - no signs of leakage before the race.

Oh and the guy that sold me a replacement engine for my car......had the same issue on his EP car at Memphis.

I now have all -10 Stainless on my race car and will never use anything else.

[JohnRW]

IMO, the best way to cut stainless braid hoses:



Once you're done, wash out the dust etc. in your parts-washer or w/ brake-clean (regardless of what you cut it with...saw...axe...you should rinse it out afterwards).

Tom's advice on electrical tape is A+. I also "dress" the cut stainless braid just a bit with a grinding wheel so that it's got a bit of a bevel...makes for an easier "push" into the back of the fitting.

I also have end fittings with air line connectors on them, so I can pressure test each line before installation. Just use a little soapy water sprayed on the connectors and look for bubbles. Never had a leaker...but I'm sorta anal about oil & fuel lines.

[arpenn]

Thanks guy's for all the help. I will bite the bullet and use braided, hopefully your suggestions will help with assembly. I sure don't want to loose a oil line and toast the engine, and I forgot about the rule that if an oil line goes throught the drivers area that it must be braided. Thanks again for the help. I will keep you posted on the project.

[Sandro]

I have actually had really good luck wrapping braided hose in electrical tape, and then using a chop saw to cut it straight. Blow out the dirt with air gun and then wipe with a q-tip as far as you can reach.

[Ron Earp]

I have found braided assembly easy using a stone age method.

I quit the electrical tape/hack saw cutting method once I figured out the cut off wheel technique Cut off wheel seems to be much cleaner, I recommend doing that as others have mentioned.

But the hard part of getting the fitting on the hose is actually easy - I clamp the hose in a vise with the end to be fitted sticking up. Clamp the house about 4-5 inches away from the end where the fitting will go. Then I put the fitting on the end and pound it on with a rubber mallet. The hose (at least in 6, 8, and 10 sizes) is stiff enough to stand up to pounding to get a fitting on. Sounds odd but works well and I have never had a leak with the AN lines I've done (not that many, maybe 30-40 fittings).

YMMV.

[betamotorsports]

I've installed XRP Push Lock hose with their clamps on a number of customer race cars for oil and fuel plumbing inside the engine compartment. Careful routing and judicious use of heat sleeve have kept the plumbing systems working fine over the years.