Solutions for your plumbing needs!
Michael Salemme
Drag Racing Expert, Photographer & Author at Shop Tour Hardcore Drag Racing. Direct Sales, Technical Support, Fabrication, Hi-Performance Guru.
Most likely, at one time in your life you have seen a killer custom car or race car that has had fittings like these and wondered , how do they work, to how can I use them on my car ? Lets start with how these fittings came about. A/N fittings?were originally designed for use in aerospace and?military applications. The size & specifications were established by the military back in World War II, and stems from a joint standard agreed upon by the Army and Navy, hence AN. The Army-Navy involvement is also the origin of the red/blue color combination that was traditionally used in the anodized finishing process.
AN sizes range from -2 (dash two) to -32 in irregular steps, with each step equating to the OD (outside diameter) of the tubing in 1?16-inch increments.?Therefore, a -8 AN size would be equal to 1?2-inch OD tube. However, this system does not specify the ID (inside diameter) of the tubing because the tube wall can vary in thickness. Each AN size also uses its own standard thread size. A/N fittings use?37° flared tubing to form a metal-to-metal seal. They are similar to other 37° flared fittings, such as ( JIC ), which is their industrial variant . A/N fittings use?37° flared tubing to form a metal-to-metal seal.?
The two are interchangeable in theory, though this is typically not recommended due to the exacting specifications and demands of the aerospace industry. The differences between them relates to thread class and shape (how tight of a fit the threads are), and the metals used.?Although similar, 37° AN and 45° SAE fittings and tooling are not interchangeable due to the different flare angles. Mixing them can cause leakage at the flare. You can get aluminum and stainless steel A/N fittings.
AN O-Ring aka ORB
ORB or O-Ring Boss fittings utilize the same thread as AN, but the type of seal is an O-ring instead of a tapered surface. ORB fittings are commonly found on aftermarket fuel systems: Fuel rails, regulators, and pump inlets for example.
This hose fitting can be used to connect a custom oil line to an 18mm inlet fitting on engine or for trans oil coolers. This custom fitting seals with an o-ring as opposed to using pipe threads.??
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This fitting also swivels after it is fully tightened to ensure a kink free installation.
?The main reason you would want to convert your car over to A/N fittings & lines is safety, then long lasting performance, the lines can be assembled and disassembled many times with out a chance of leaking, not unlike hose clamps.
You have many choices of hoses to chose from, if you are running E85 or Nitro-Methane you need lines like these, because a parts store rubber hose will fail and seep as soon as the fuel flows through it .These are a must for oiling systems, great for wet sump and dry sumps, they have a higher burst pressure rating, 500-1000 PSI, and they also won't collapse under suction .
??Remember :?
When shopping for hoses and lines stick with a well known brand and don't mix brands between adapters and fittings, this will prevent prevent leaks.?Only use pipe sealer on pipe threads and add just a drop of light oil or anti-seize to the flared threads to prevent galling .
Stay tuned for more !
From Shop Tour Hardcore Drag Racing !
Machinist,Tool Maker
2 年Even cleaning the surfaces before putting the fittings together is a must. The right sealant pipe tape or dope is critical as the fuels are corrosive. Antiseeze compounds are available in several grades with silver, copper, or other elements can be prone to the elements