When are Ebay AN fittings ok?

So i'm discovering that when i bought approximately 60-80 used AN fittings, it's not really "enough" to do my fuel system. Or, i should say... they aren't all the right ones because they're just common stuff that everyone had, and i need some special ones.

I'm ok with that.

What i'm not really ok with is the outrageous cost of -10AN fittings. I can save about $60 going with Ebay fittings for the 8 -10AN fittings i need for the Escort. While i would probably NOT be ok with trusting these to hold fuel or oil, these are merely valve cover vents.

Go for it? Or put on my man pants and suck it up and just buy some Summit fittings like a red-blooded American?

I used AN-8 push-on hose fittings for most of the underhood stuff for a 3.2L so 10 might be overkill. Look at the exit side on the high pressure pump.... you don't need anything larger than that. The low pressure loop uses AN-10, but that is only 2 fittings - one at each end of the hard line to the tank from the swirl pot.

I'm sorry... i see now how confusing that post was.

The fueling stuff is all -6. Oil is all -8. The -10 stuff is only for valve cover vents.

The fueling stuff was just thrown in there as a way of me bitching at how much money AN stuff was, since i had to buy like 14 additional -6 fittings even after buying a crapton of used stuff.

The valve covers and catch can are already fitted with -10 fittings, i just need 8 -10 hose ends to carry whatever spits out of the valve covers. Wondering if saving the $60 is going to result in my car exploding or a crapload of swearing on my part.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: I'm sorry... i see now how confusing that post was. The fueling stuff is all -6. Oil is all -8. The -10 stuff is only for valve cover vents. The fueling stuff was just thrown in there as a way of me bitching at how much money AN stuff was, since i had to buy like 14 additional -6 fittings even after buying a crapton of used stuff. The valve covers and catch can are already fitted with -10 fittings, i just need 8 -10 hose ends to carry whatever spits out of the valve covers. Wondering if saving the $60 is going to result in my car exploding or a crapload of swearing on my part.

ebay is fine for catch can and vent stuff. If it seals, it seals... it isn't like there is much pressure there like a brake system or where fuel will spray in a nice atomized pattern over your cherry pink headers :)

JIC is your friend....

Well, I was going to say "if you can't afford to do it right, when can you afford to fix it?" But if we're just talking about crankcase venting, I think eBay stuff would probably be fine. Just inspect it closely before you use it.

Being sold on eBay is no guarantee of quality - good OR bad. Heck, even buying name brand is no guarantee. Russell makes a fitting to attach a -6 AN line to the push-on fuel connectors used in most new engines. Great - except that they can pop off. The result is 60 psi, high volume fuel all over the engine bay. Yup, happened to me on the track.

Luckily, there's a much better design available from Russell for about the same price.

Public service announcement time: stay away from the ones with plastic unless you like fire.

What is the difference in the automotive world of "AN" Fittings and the hydraulic world of 37dg Female JIC Fittings?

Datsun310Guy wrote: What is the difference in the automotive world of "AN" Fittings and the hydraulic world of 37dg Female JIC Fittings?

Nothing spec wise however JIC are normaly steel and AN normaly Alum but that not set in stone.

Keith, what made the "plastic" Russell fitting fail?

Its the same design used by OEMs on thousands of vehicles, gotta think its pretty well sorted by now.

Agreed. It should be sorted.

I think Russell must have screwed up a dimension inside the housing that retains the plastic clip. I've seen at least three failures of these on my own car and a customer car (yikes). If you play with one, you discover they just don't get a good lock on the hard line for some reason. You can often yank one off by hand.

Look around, you'll find out it's not just us (here's the first google result for "russell fuel line adapter failure", and another). Russell claims it's improper installation although I've never had any of the OEM ones blow off.

Meanwhile, the two-piece aluminum one cannot come off accidentally. Much more secure. As an added bonus, you can remove them with normal wrenches instead of needing a fuel line tool. Don't take the risk, get the good part. We got our hands on the first production run and shipped replacements out to every one of our customers to prevent future problems.

44Dwarf wrote:

Datsun310Guy wrote: What is the difference in the automotive world of "AN" Fittings and the hydraulic world of 37dg Female JIC Fittings?

Nothing spec wise however JIC are normaly steel and AN normaly Alum but that not set in stone.

I think the difference may be tolerances, but these types of fittings are overkill in most automotive applications, so it makes no difference.

i love it when people say "ebay" as if it's an actual brand name for car parts..

novaderrik wrote: i love it when people say "ebay" as if it's an actual brand name for car parts..

Faster than typing "happy fun time car part factory number 5 of the PRC".

Zomby Woof wrote:

44Dwarf wrote:

Datsun310Guy wrote: What is the difference in the automotive world of "AN" Fittings and the hydraulic world of 37dg Female JIC Fittings?

Nothing spec wise however JIC are normaly steel and AN normaly Alum but that not set in stone.

I think the difference may be tolerances, but these types of fittings are overkill in most automotive applications, so it makes no difference.

For what we all do, the only difference is price.

Keith Tanner wrote: Agreed. It should be sorted. I think Russell must have screwed up a dimension inside the housing that retains the plastic clip. I've seen at least three failures of these on my own car and a customer car (yikes). If you play with one, you discover they just don't get a good lock on the hard line for some reason. You can often yank one off by hand. Look around, you'll find out it's not just us (here's the first google result for "russell fuel line adapter failure", and another). Russell claims it's improper installation although I've never had any of the OEM ones blow off. Meanwhile, the two-piece aluminum one cannot come off accidentally. Much more secure. As an added bonus, you can remove them with normal wrenches instead of needing a fuel line tool. Don't take the risk, get the good part. We got our hands on the first production run and shipped replacements out to every one of our customers to prevent future problems.

Ooofff... good to know, thanks Keith. I need one of those adapters for the factory feed line on the Escort and i'll be running something like 85psi of fuel pressure.

If i had more time, i'd just throw a damn fuel cell in there right now, because i hate hate HATE those connectors in the first place.

I have the screw type Russels on my race car i used a bit of blue LocTite on the treads just to be sure it didn't move. I intend to drill and lock wire them at some point.
I just got a Mastercool flare kit that can put the bump in the line as well as flare a 37deg what ever i want now.

Datsun310Guy wrote: What is the difference in the automotive world of "AN" Fittings and the hydraulic world of 37dg Female JIC Fittings?

FWIW...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AN_thread

"AN are similar to other 37° flared fittings, such as JIC, which is their industrial variant. 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 relate to thread class and shape (how tight a fit the threads are), and the metals used."

Ive interchanged -AN and JIC for years with no issues. Of course, YMMV.

A -4 steel jic fitting should be rated for about 5000 psi, with at least a 4-1 (20,000 psi) safety margin. I'm thinking that should be OK for a car.