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Braided Hoses


Tarkers

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Whilst in Le Mans this year, there was the inevitable amount of peering into engine bays - usually in envy - to see what was going on and how it was done.

 

I am now an expectant father waiting for the delivery of a 1.6 SL and I want to do the engine bay "properly".

 

Does anyone know where I can get those steel braided hoses from?

 

The only ones i've seen so far are in Halfords - these come in a kit form and really are just a sleeve to go over the original rubber stuff, with fake aluminium tightening nuts on the end that are simply jubilee clip covers.

Is this what they're all like or are these for the boy racers doin' up a 1.3L Escort to look like a Cossie?

 

Cheers

Tarkers

 

 

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Err no, not all steel braided hoses are the same. Some are cosmetic and some are the real McCoy (i.e. aircraft spec hydraulic hose standard)

 

I've just had Baby B dry sumped and had the hoses done in pukka braided version with Earls fittings - not cheap but looks the D.B.s

 

Try www.raceparts.co.uk for hoses and fittings.

 

Peter

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Err no, not all steel braided hoses are the same. Some are cosmetic and some are the real McCoy (i.e. aircraft spec hydraulic hose standard)

 

I've just had Baby B dry sumped and had the hoses done in pukka braided version with Earls fittings - not cheap but looks the D.B.s

 

Try www.raceparts.co.uk for hoses and fittings.

 

Peter

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The larger diameter braded hose for coolent and oil have a tendancy to saw through things like other hoses, aluminium body panels and it takes the powder coating of the chassis very nicely.

 

It may look good, but it is very expensive and heavy.

 

In my experience I have never had a hose failure (I run high grade rubber hoses on my dry sump system), only the couplings on the end vibrating loose, which can happen on any hose.

 

Save your money!

 

 

 

Fat Arn

 

See a meaty Vauxhall car here

See the Le Mans Trip Website here

See the Lotus Seven Club North Kent Website here

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Arnie,

 

What spec is the rubber hose you use for the dry sump system ?? I'm weighing up the various options and *thought* that rubber hoses weren't an option (due to pressure rating and the way the hose fittings are sealed on the end of the pipework).

 

And the next question is where did you get it ??!

 

Thx

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I had some steel braided PTFE lined hoses made up for the high pressure side of the fuel system of my car by the hudraulic hose workshop in a local agricultural merchant (Bredys in Dorchester). This included straight and right angled JIC fixings.

 

These cost a fraction of the prices advertised in the DT catalogue. Can't quite remember how much, but it was a two figure sum for the whole lot.

 

The only drawback is that the end fittings are in steel, not ali, but I doubt if the weight saving is significant. In appearance they look just like good quality steel braided brake hoses, only thicker.

 

 

Apparently the spec is that they can withstand about 4000psi and being ptfe they are very heat resistant.

 

I also got some cotton braided hoses with a high spec for the low pressure side of the system, again for a fraction of the DT cost.They had a loft full of hoses I could look at to chose the precise bore needed.

 

Suggest you consider a hydraulic hose engineer.

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Try Paul at Hose direct Web page www.hosedirectltd.co.uk stocks everything hydraulic and silicone hoses and more sorted my car out with hoses not standard hoses and did not want paying until the job was finished He sent one hose I fitted it then the next and so on He is based in Doncaster very helpfull

 

Paul

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Andrew Senior has the right idea. Although I have been tempted to buy hoses from the motorsport factors, they are always at least 4 times more expensive than the local industrial/agricultural supplier.

 

All hoses are rated to a pressure level many/many times greater than an engine dry sump system could ever achieve and the temperatures are not a factor either because fundamentaly the hoses are all made by the same few large industrial companies to pretty similar specs.My supplier told me they have to cope with boiling hydraulic oil in some uses. One further advantage of a local company is that they can make you a bespoke hose that looks and fits exactly right and you can go back and modify it in a few minutes. Weight is not a factor either on locally supplied hoses coz most of them can supply aluminium fittings if you want.

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Thanks All, plenty of info there,I'll get onto it.

 

One other thing from those who have already fitted this type of thing, I am reasonably mechanicly minded and had no problem assembling a Classic VX (now on the Caterham Website for sale - the silver live axle), however,not really having had a good poke around on a K series (the 1.6 SL doesn't arrive for another 3 weeks), can you tell me how this type of hose is fixed to the engines pipework (the male connection). I assuming it's some kind of compression joint with a peened end (like a flexible brake hose), but how does the male connection fix to the engine - is there any serious re-engineering required?

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I can second the recommendation for Paul at Hose Direct....I did not fancy paying the overinflated prices for silicone hoses a month or so back and managed to trace Paul.

 

His prices were very reasonable and will sell strange short lengths, rather than only dealing in metres, as all the main dealer try on!

 

He got my order a little mixed up and sent some hoses of the wrong diameter. When I offered to return the incorrect items, he declined and simply put the correct ones in the post at no cost. Can't see DT doing that somehow?

 

Andrew

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I've had faultless (and friendly) service over the years from

 

BGC Motorsport

Emneth

Wisbech

Cambs PE14 8DF

01945 466690

fax 467342

 

 

a small outfit who seem to care a lot - loads of realistic advice,

replacing hoses on reusable fittings etc, as I recall almost nothing charged for assembly; principally Earls/Goodridge, plenty good enough.

 

As a guide, a couple of years back, I had my stainless brake fittings re-hosed, olived, new crush washers and locknuts for under a tenner inc. p&p.

 

 

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