AN hose fitting install

Carlos, looking great. That safety wire looks way better than hose clamps BTW. More racecar. And I like the new oil cooler mounts and shroud. Quality work.

Merry Christmas!

That is the stuff, man. Beautiful work!

Nicely done, Carlos!

Thanks guys. I really wasn't planning on making the shrouds when I started replacing the oil lines. It was just one of those things "Since I'm in here" moments.

This is what it looks like from underneath.

Of course, I've thought of 2-3 other things I could do while doing it.

"Of course, I've thought of 2-3 other things I could do while doing it."

That's OK.  The winter ain't over yet.

Carlos, write them down. That's how I work. I may not get to them ever, but I write them down(and have for over 20 years now). Then they don't get lost in the sieve(brain).

Some of my best work has resulted from "while I'm in there". It's futile, don't resist the madness!

Very clever and useful Carlos.  I have found, over the years, that the custom tools I have made have always worked better than any universal tool I have bought.  I have a "tool box" just for them.  Now when I look in there I can't remember what some of them were for and I can't bring myself to throw them away.  Some look pretty cool and others could be considered "Art" by some !.................Bruce

@Carlos G

I love the fixture to put the push-locks together - really clever. But I'm a bit concerned (I get paid to worry, FWIW) about the safety wire in lieu of a clamp. I'd think the wire could pretty easily cut into the hose after any amount of time.

I really, really like pinch-clamps for stuff like this.

They grip way tighter than work-gear clamps, look 1000x better, and don't cut the hose.

I love 'em. Your mileage may vary.

XRP makes clamps for just this purpose.

https://www.cpperformance.com/...e-ensure-clamps.aspx

I tried to convince Carlos to just go full AN/braided hose. All the oil cooler and engine fittings could remain the same. It would just be hoses and ends. And he'd up with NO clamps at all. He wasn't having it.

The wire he's using isn't a REAL clamp, and I'm quite sure they aren't tight enough to cut through, They are just there as a precaution/safety thing. I think it's fine.

@aircooled Figuring it out and making the tools is sometimes the best part. I even have a tool that holds the heim joints 90 degrees to each other when I balance my carbs.

@Stan Galat I also like the look and simplicity of those crimp on clamps. If I didn't think this method would work, those would be the way I went.

I didn't like that thin wire either so I played with some thicker stuff.

These fittings have a two very pronounced barbs. I installed the thicker wire so that two loops fall on either side of a barb.

The thicker wire is galvanized, but I like that look. I do need to do something with the ends though. Not that anyone would notice, but I would.

@DannyP  Using the tool, this clamp method can be a real clamp. You can adjust how tight you want it. I'm just not going to tighten them down that hard.

It would've been real nice to get new fittings with the new hose, but that would've cost more. I'm trying to save up for some other things.

Oh, I've got a list. I've sat out in the garage on an upturned 5 gal bucket and a beer with the clamshell open going over it over and over.

Goin for baller on a budget.

@Carlos G posted:

These fittings have a two very pronounced barbs. I installed the thicker wire so that two loops fall on either side of a barb.

Would turning just the tip back against itself 180* help or at least make the end of the wire not so pointed and sharp? Would be easy enough to do and if it doesn't work there's no money invested in the attempt.

I was thinking, after filling the tips flat, bending them in 90 degrees to each other so that they'd nest together.

Carlos, I guess I didn't word it right. I know they are real clamps, or can be. I was trying to say you weren't relying on them 100% so they didn't need to be tight enough to cut the hose.