AN fittings

[cegusman]

About to order my fuel cell for the k5. Need a few AN fittings. Looking at summit you have several different brands of fittings. Summit, Aeroquip, Russell... Summit ones are cheaper. does that mean crappy quality? Any brand I need to stay away from?

 

[4X4HIGH]

I personally like Earl's fittings, my next choice would probably be Aeroquip then Russell. Whatever you do it is best to stay with the same brand fitting for ALL of your fittings. A true AN fitting is 37* seat whereas all standard automotive stuff is 45* and there are some companies that make a 45* AN fitting. You do not want to mix 37* and 45* fittings.

 

[mrk5]

I've used the summit fittings without any trouble.

 

[JDNobodi]

Actually, AN has a 37Eseat.
Anyway, I've used Summit brand fittings. The finish could be a little better but the fittings work. I also used Jegs brand and the quality is the same as Summit. Another problem is color fade.
The lower fitting circle in red is a Jegs or Summit fitting and was originally black. The sunlight alone made the fitting to fade. The upper fitting circle in orange is an XRP brand and it still has its black anodized.

 

[cegusman]

Are there any problems connecting aluminum to steel fittings?

 

[mrk5]

I have an aluminum -6AN to 3/8"NPT adapter on my JKW steering box endcap. The hose end for the ram is steel. Everything seems to be working fine. You don't have to put much torque on the AN fittings for them to seal.

 

[JDNobodi]

Those fittings are a compression JIC fitting. I first used a steel fitting to get the seat started and then used the aluminum fittings. It did leak after I started the blazer, but after tighten the fittings more, It has not leaked again.
I did have a problem trying to single flare this tubing. The tubing is seamed tubing from Car Quest, and it split at the seam. I had to use the compression fittings to be able to hook up to the AN fittings.

The tubing double flare fine.

 

[GNERGY]

I've used the Jegs fittings and stainless braided hose with good results and no leaks. The fittings do fade, maybe a little clear lacquer would stop that.
Tarey

 

[cegusman]

not worried about color fade. Just need fittings to go from the cell to a bulkhead fitting through the floor then to hose barbs to connect to the rubber fuel line. Just having a hard time getting all the fittings from the same manufacture. Need to go from -8 at the cell down to -6 feed -4 return to fit the correct hose barb fittings needed.

 

[UPS]

I have Summit fittings and they have worked well so far.

The Summit -8 braided hose is alot cheaper looking than some other brands of hose. It has less stands of wire in the braid and the rubber is thinner.

I've had good luck mixing JIC fittings and AN fittings. Some people say you shouldn't do this. I haven't found out why yet.

 

[ryoken]

it's pressure related due to the thread cut... a true JIC is good to a couple thousand psi, AN on JIC, much less.. but usually fine for most apps...

I've run Russell Endura's and Pro Flex hose for decades and never had a complaint... I've also been pretty happy with anything Summit badges under their own name usually...

 

[loafer]

I've used Russell, Earl and Summit. In my opinioin the Summit ones are not worth it. I ordered over $300.00 worth of summit -6AN fittings for work a year ago and most of them leaked (gasoline, 60psi). I called Summit and they wouldn't do anything about it. I replaced the fittlings with Earl's, and no problems. I might have got a bad lot of them, who knows, but upon close inpection of the fittings the seating surfaces of the summit ones appeared to have tool marks from whatever tool they use to form the sealing surface. Bad quality control, which is the reason they are cheap I guess. I was able to use some of the summit ones by inserting those little thin aluminum flare gaskets.