Best way to cut braided lines.

[v8s_are_slow]

Have an oil cooler with steel braided lines. Every time I try to cut it, it flares out. Doesn't make it easy to get the fittings over the ends ya know? Using a die grinder with a metal cutting blade on it. Tie the line with electrical tape before cutting hoping it'll prevent it from flaring. It doesn't. Thanks for any tips.

Scott

 

[BrokenTsi]

tightly wrap electrical tape around the spot to cut. Then take a die grinder with cutting wheels and on the fastest setting cut in the center of the tape. The tape keeps the edges from fraying out.

 

[WatchItExplode]

How convenient...I was just asking a similar question in another thread. Would you take the tape off before sticking it into the fittings or leave the tape on the lines?

 

[96whgsx]

Here are a couple of threads on it. Hope it helps:

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=182373&highlight=stainless+braided
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=133392&highlight=stainless+braided

 

[TSIfreek]

Duck tape the end to cut install it in a vice and hacksaw the sombitch

 

[BrokenTsi]

Use electrical tape, thinner. Then you dont need to remove it, and makes putting the hose into the fitting alot easier. I wouldnt use a hacksaw. Dremmel is 100times better if you have 1.

 

[WatchItExplode]

good info, thanks.

 

[TSIfreek]

Yea the dremel is a good Idea but the blades are real small. If you have an air cut off wheel tool along with a compressor that would work best since the blades wont break and its high speed.
I always flush out the lines with a cleaner and water to get all the metal shavings out of the lines.
You can leave the tape on if you want it holds the steal braid in place while installing the fitings. Also use some type of light oil on the fitings and inside of the hoses before installing the fitings on the hose.

 

[hopwoodp]

Hey, Steel braided lines are tough and unless you have the right tool, it will come out kinda ugly. After you make your initial cut, go around the edges with a cutoff wheel and trim the loose strands. This is especially helpfull with PTFE hose fittings. With regular rubber hose/steel braid is okay to have it alittle ruff.

All of the hoses I have on my car are tripple layer teflon steel braided hose w/ high pressure fittings.

Duck tape works best. Electric tape is alittle messy. Another helpful tip is to drop some oil into the hose end to allow easier insertion of the fitting.

For advanced information go to http://tpl.3maw.usmc.mil and search the na-01-1a-20 manual. This covers every aspect to the hose manual.

I have been using this manual for 4 years and it has always been helpful.

 

[hopwoodp]

http://tpl.3maw.usmc.mil/jksearch/manuals/genser/01-1a-20.pdf

 

[99gst_racer]

There is alot of misconception in this thread.

You are on the right track as far as wraping it with tape to keep the outerbraid from freying. I've tried at least 8 different types of tape. Electrical being the worst to use and fiberglass tape being the best. Fiberglass tape is the tape that is clear and has the fiberglass strands that run one way. Because of the fiberglass strands, it's very strong and durable.

Wrap the area that you want to cut, and cut right though the middle of the taped area using a hack saw with a fine tooth metal cutting blade. The newer the blade, the better. Fiberglass tape will keep the line from freying if wrapped tight enough.

Also, make sure you remove the tape from the end before installation of the fittings.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Although I use a Dremmel tool with a new disc to cut mine, I agree that electrical tape sucks. Use some kind of reinforced tape as suggested. Remove the tape before installing the fitting. Lube the hose and install it with a twisting motion, then clean the hose when done.


Jim

 

[SpoOLxExO]

Electrical tape does not "suck". It does just fine holding the braid on small (-6 -8) AN line.

The trick is to use a Carbon Metal cutting blade with lots of teeth on air.

Holding the line in a Vice face out, and spraying WD40 on it to act as a cutting fluid also helps.

Dremel wont do it, neither will Corse cutting blades. All in the setup, like everything!

 

[99gst_racer]

Electrical tape does not "suck". It does just fine holding the braid on small (-6 -8) AN line.

The combination of a hack saw and electrical tape does suck. The problem with the electrical tape is that it easily stretches and has poor adhesion. When you take a hand saw to it and the tape stretches, it releases it "grip" on the hose, and it freys. The fiberglass reinforced hose is much better (and that is why most all stainless braided hose manufacturers use the fiberglass tape also). The tape splits easily, allowing even a hand saw to cut through like butter, and the fiberglass strands stay firmly in place supporting the overbraid from freying.

The trick is to use a Carbon Metal cutting blade with lots of teeth on air.

This is not what you find in your average Joe's garage. However, a $10 hand saw and a $3 roll of fiberglass tape is common and affordable.

 

[project_tsi]

I use a air powered cutting disk.

 

[99gst_racer]

I use a air powered cutting disk.

Yeah, well, you also leave the tape on the ends of the hose too....

The problem with some cutting discs, is their width. They may cut through easily, but many times, it will not be a clean cut.

 

[project_tsi]

And the problem with that is????? I see no leaks, nor do I see the tape.

 

[BrokenTsi]

I have always left tape on the hose when putting on fittings. Makes it 30x's easier, and will never cause a leak. Using a dremmel or air cutting disk is much better than a hacksaw.. Ive installed more an fittings than i can count, including on my own vehicle. Never once had a problem, and i never will using my way.

 

[95GSXBLUR]

Personally, I've used Re-enforced tap with a dremel/cutoff wheel or an air tool cutoff wheel. Whatever I have access to at the time. I normally left the tape on, cutting the center of it, and also put a small amount of air tool oil on the fitting before sliding it in the hose. It seemed to work well, no leaks. -6an from tank to filter, to rail, to reg then to return. -6an oil cooler lines, and oil filter relocation lines. No leaks, no problems.

PM for questions.

 

[99gst_racer]

And the problem with that is????? I see no leaks, nor do I see the tape.

I have always left tape on the hose when putting on fittings. Makes it 30x's easier, and will never cause a leak. Using a dremmel or air cutting disk is much better than a hacksaw.. Ive installed more an fittings than i can count, including on my own vehicle. Never once had a problem, and i never will using my way.

On a standard An fitting, on the hose end, there are 3 seperate seals. Due to the extremely high tolerences, there was no intention for making room for tape on the end of the hose. While it may fit when forced, it could easily compromise the #1 primary seal on the fitting. Then you are left relying solely on the threads of the fitting to seal the fluid transfer. It can also affect the "lock" on the hose in the "cutter and nipple" area of the fitting. The fitting is designed to seperate the outerbraid from the hose at the locking area. With tape on the end, the seperation process cannot take place. Therefore, you would not be able to push the hose nearly as far onto the fitting, and this can easily lead to the hose blowing off under pressure.


And I pulled this directly out of my XRP catalog:

"INSTALLATION TIPS

Step 1. Wrap hose tightly with tape at cutting point. Use a fine tooth hacksaw, cable cutters, or XRP cut-off blade, cut the hose in the middle of the tape. IMPORTANT: Remove tape after cutting, being careful not to frey the braid. Failure to remove tape can impede hose assembly and lead to fitting blow off. Under no circumstances should the tape be left on the hose during assembly."


I also called Earls, and they too recommended removing the tape, but did not have much else to say on the subject.


It's cool that you guys haven't had any leaks as of yet, but I personally am not ready to chance anything with the fluid transfer on my car. If anything in my post is not understood, I can supply diagrams.

 

[bfdahl]

all of the above........are more trouble that its worth

I thought that DSMs were suposed to be the anti-bling!?

however i did try the electical tape and die grinder method the other day and it worked fine for me.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

Well since I did the electrical tape and die grinder with cut-off wheel and it sucked a big one for me, I'm trying the masking tape and fine toothed hacksaw method this weekend. I couldn't find any fiberglass tape which was gonna be my 1st choice.

Another guy pm'ed me with an idea of wrapping it in tape and hitting it with a good hit with a chisel on concrete. Sounds like an okay idea cause I wouldn't think it'd give it much time to make the strands flare out, but my car is parked over at my parent's place and don't think they'd appreciate a big hole in their slab of concrete.

I'll try it out this weekend though and let ya'll know how it goes. Thanks for the input!

 

[99gst_racer]

I couldn't find any fiberglass tape which was gonna be my 1st choice.

I bought my roll of fiberglass tape at Walmart, but I'm sure it can be found almost anywhere.

all of the above........are more trouble that its worth

I thought that DSMs were suposed to be the anti-bling!?

Huh? WTF What are you referring to?

 

[hopwoodp]

Has anyone thought of using teflon steel braided hose?

Teflon has an advantage over rubber synthetic hose in a few different ways.

1. rubber generally needs to be replaced every three years.(technically).
teflon last a life time.
2. teflon doesn't transfer any heat.
3. Teflon can hold much higher pressures. (not like it really applies to oil or fuel for us)

Another thing I wanted to mention to everyone, was that I use black shrink wrap on all of my hoses. Why, well it looks like the stock rubber hose and no one can tell the difference.

I use teflon(steel braided) hose for the main fuel line from the tank to the rail. If anyone has a question about the construction of these particular hoses go ahead and ask. These hoses are not build the same way that rubber hoses are. The fittings cost a bit more. but hey, you get what you pay for.

Just a thought.

 

[kahl23]

If you look at the instructions found on all of the major manufacturers (i.e. Earl's and Aeroquip) they tell you to remove the tape before putting the fitting on. I personally feel that since this does splay the end, there must be a reason for it. As for how to do it, I was taught on a thread a while back that you need to pull it at an angle, as the guy who told me said "If you remove it like an ACE bandage, it will splay everywhere." I've tried this and it's definately better, but not good enough. What I do is use a worm clamp. I completely unscrew the clamp. cut the hose and undo the tape. I then wrap the clamp around the hose below the cut and lightly secure it. I then move it up so there is between 1/8 and 1/4 inch of hose left exposed. I then tighten the clamp to the point where the hose just starts to distort and I then loosen it until the distortion disappears. This keeps all of the strands in place as you try to start threading the fitting. Once you get the end into the fitting, just completely loosen the clamp and remove it. Make sure you get the hose all the way into the fitting so it doesn't back out when you screw in the other part of the fitting. Since the andodizing on these things is so fragile, it's hard to not scratch them when you are new. Grab a blue and red sharpie and fill in the scratches that you will inevitably have. Of course, that's only if you care about bling, and apparently we aren't supposed to .