Having plumbed two oil coolers recently, I went through the frustrating learning curve of dealing this. It's not too difficult, but I thought I would pass along a few hints/tips that I had to learn the hard way.
First of all, carefully read the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Read them several times because every point made is there for a reason. I used Fragola hoses and hose-ends, so followed their instructions online Fragola Series 3000 Hose Cutting & Assembly
My first attempts were failures. Yours might be also. So start with the longest hose you want to assemble. That way, if you have to recut the end of the hose and it becomes too short, you can still use that hose for one of your shorter hoses.
When cutting hose, I found that a cut-off tool worked great. After cutting, turn the hose 90 degrees in the vise and check to be certain that it is square. You can use the cut-off tool to trim it square as required.
Threading the hose into the fitting correctly if very important. First of all, don't thread it too far. You want it to go to the bottom of the fine threads. So, the coarse threads should be completely covered and the fine threads should be completely exposed. Stop just short of the fine threads.
One thing I did different than the instructions... When threading the hose into the fitting, I pointed the fitting UP in the vise, then pushed and twisted the hose DOWN into the fitting. This was much easier than trying to do it horizontally, as shown in the instructions.
If you've done all of this well, then the final step of threading the two pieces together is the easiest step. However, be very careful. The fittings are aluminum, so if you don't have the pieces aligned EXACTLY, you will cross-thread and ruin a very expensive fitting.
As specified in the instructions, keep pressure on the hose towards the fitting to help it bite and not back out. I started each fitting with my hands until it became too difficult to turn, then used one hand to turn a wrench while the other hand continued to apply pressure onto the hose.
I'm sure there are others out there that have more experience than I do. Please comment as appropriate.
First of all, carefully read the instructions provided by the manufacturer. Read them several times because every point made is there for a reason. I used Fragola hoses and hose-ends, so followed their instructions online Fragola Series 3000 Hose Cutting & Assembly
My first attempts were failures. Yours might be also. So start with the longest hose you want to assemble. That way, if you have to recut the end of the hose and it becomes too short, you can still use that hose for one of your shorter hoses.
When cutting hose, I found that a cut-off tool worked great. After cutting, turn the hose 90 degrees in the vise and check to be certain that it is square. You can use the cut-off tool to trim it square as required.
Threading the hose into the fitting correctly if very important. First of all, don't thread it too far. You want it to go to the bottom of the fine threads. So, the coarse threads should be completely covered and the fine threads should be completely exposed. Stop just short of the fine threads.
One thing I did different than the instructions... When threading the hose into the fitting, I pointed the fitting UP in the vise, then pushed and twisted the hose DOWN into the fitting. This was much easier than trying to do it horizontally, as shown in the instructions.
If you've done all of this well, then the final step of threading the two pieces together is the easiest step. However, be very careful. The fittings are aluminum, so if you don't have the pieces aligned EXACTLY, you will cross-thread and ruin a very expensive fitting.
As specified in the instructions, keep pressure on the hose towards the fitting to help it bite and not back out. I started each fitting with my hands until it became too difficult to turn, then used one hand to turn a wrench while the other hand continued to apply pressure onto the hose.
I'm sure there are others out there that have more experience than I do. Please comment as appropriate.
