Genesis
Legendary Member
- Joined
- Mar 28, 2005
- Messages
- 5,952
- Hatteras Model
- 45' CONVERTIBLE-Series II (1984 - 1992)
The Parker hose is fine, but I prefer having a clamp of some kind OVER the line on connections for fuel lines.
The Aeroquip FC234 line (this is the fuel-rated hose) has a rough fabric overcoat that is a BITCH to clean once oil gets on it. Ok, make that impossible to clean.
It is expensive - and the best.
Some Parker hose uses the "Push-Lok" couplers, but there are conflicting reports on whether that passes USCG muster for fuel connections unless you either overcrimp (rendering the fitting non-reusable) or clamp (which the fittings are NOT designed for) I like the Parker hose, but am not sure I'd use it in that application. If you have Parker hose with approved two-piece (Aeroquip-style) fittings, then fine - but note that you must match the fitting and hose suppliers EXACTLY. Using Parker hose with Aeroquip fittings is asking for major trouble - the IDs and ODs of those fittings and how they "bite" into the hose is PRECISELY engineered for the hose in question.
In both of the above applications you must assemble the fittings and hose EXACTLY CORRECTLY, or it WILL leak and/or potentially come apart under stress. Neither is good. Done right, both are very acceptable options - but not cheap.
Black, A-1 rated fuel hose is significantly cheaper than either the Parker or Aeroquip hose, uses standard brass barbed fittings and SS hose clamps, passes USCG muster, and works. I've got a fair bit of it on Gigabite now and like it plenty. As my Aeroquip hose wears and needs replacement, I will seriously consider replacing ALL of it with the A-1 black rubber hose.
ALL hose lines need to be replaced on 5-year intervals if used in fuel applications. Many people don't, but you should see how badly deteriorated the interior braid is on some of the FC234 hose I've pulled that's been in service for way too long. Does it still have enough integrity to do the job? I don't know....
Other thing to keep in mind is that flare fittings have potential air leak issues on the suction side. Floscan is ADAMANT about using seal washers on flare fittings, and strongly recommends doing away with them entirely on the suction side of the system. When I put in my Floscans I got rid of all the Aeroquip hose and flare fittings from the tank up to the outlet of the Floscans - and have had no problems with this approach.
For long runs on a bulkhead or stringer (where movement is not at issue) and when fire resistance is a factor NOTHING beats thickwall soft copper. Nothing. Hatteras used it for a reason on these boats. 20 year service life - or more - is not unusual. WHEN it fails it is almost always from external corrosion due to salt water - properly secured it simply doesn't wear out in the usual sense. It is easily cut to exact length required, flared "in place" to fit flare fittings, and if secured on stringers with readily available standard bracketing, with hose off the ends to go to the "final consumer" (e.g. fuel filters, etc) it is arguably the best choice out of all for "hard-attached" runs.
My boat has factory thickwall soft copper from the tanks to the manifold at the forward cockpit bulkhead, and then again from there to the primary filters. I have a vibration isolation/feed loop of A-1 rated hose from there to the filters, and again after the filters to the Floscan transducers. From there I am using what was existing Aeroquip FC534 hose to the engines, and back to the inlet of the Floscan reverse transducer - then again A-1 black hose back to the copper return line.
To those who say that this isn't ok in a "vibration rich" environment I call BS loudly. Virtually every home and commercial (not to mention your boat!) AC system made uses this stuff between the compressor and condensor, and that's a quite high-vibration environment. Go look - its all thickwall soft copper. WHEN that fails it is almost always at the solder joints (which are "hardpoints") - but in boats for obvious reasons we don't solder fuel lines together (BOOM!); instead we flare the tubing and use a flare connection.
If/when the copper fails I will certainly consider replacing like with like. I bet its cheaper than any hose solution and the only cost for installation is a flare and cutting tool - cheap and available at any home center - as is the tubing in rolls! If not, then it will all get replaced with A-1 rubber hose. The only possible exception would be the lines from the fuel pump to the final filter and cylinder head - I am very likely to keep those as the FC234 hose, because of its superior pressure rating and the fact that this part of the system IS under pressure.
The Parker stuff may LOOK nice, but there's no hose on the planet that will retain integrity in a fire the way metal pipe does.
Finally, I will warn you away from crimped connections on anything. That makes your system non-field-repairable. That's ok if you don't mind limping in on one engine if you have a leak somewhere, but I do very much mind and want to be able to fix it on the water. The only way to do that is to use materials that can be field repaired and keep a length of the correct hose on board. If I lose a hose due to some calamity I can replace it on the water with a clamped system - this is also possible with the Aeroquip FC234 hose with the reusable fittings if you have a hacksaw. Its flatly impossible with compression-crimped connections.
The Aeroquip FC234 line (this is the fuel-rated hose) has a rough fabric overcoat that is a BITCH to clean once oil gets on it. Ok, make that impossible to clean.
It is expensive - and the best.
Some Parker hose uses the "Push-Lok" couplers, but there are conflicting reports on whether that passes USCG muster for fuel connections unless you either overcrimp (rendering the fitting non-reusable) or clamp (which the fittings are NOT designed for) I like the Parker hose, but am not sure I'd use it in that application. If you have Parker hose with approved two-piece (Aeroquip-style) fittings, then fine - but note that you must match the fitting and hose suppliers EXACTLY. Using Parker hose with Aeroquip fittings is asking for major trouble - the IDs and ODs of those fittings and how they "bite" into the hose is PRECISELY engineered for the hose in question.
In both of the above applications you must assemble the fittings and hose EXACTLY CORRECTLY, or it WILL leak and/or potentially come apart under stress. Neither is good. Done right, both are very acceptable options - but not cheap.
Black, A-1 rated fuel hose is significantly cheaper than either the Parker or Aeroquip hose, uses standard brass barbed fittings and SS hose clamps, passes USCG muster, and works. I've got a fair bit of it on Gigabite now and like it plenty. As my Aeroquip hose wears and needs replacement, I will seriously consider replacing ALL of it with the A-1 black rubber hose.
ALL hose lines need to be replaced on 5-year intervals if used in fuel applications. Many people don't, but you should see how badly deteriorated the interior braid is on some of the FC234 hose I've pulled that's been in service for way too long. Does it still have enough integrity to do the job? I don't know....
Other thing to keep in mind is that flare fittings have potential air leak issues on the suction side. Floscan is ADAMANT about using seal washers on flare fittings, and strongly recommends doing away with them entirely on the suction side of the system. When I put in my Floscans I got rid of all the Aeroquip hose and flare fittings from the tank up to the outlet of the Floscans - and have had no problems with this approach.
For long runs on a bulkhead or stringer (where movement is not at issue) and when fire resistance is a factor NOTHING beats thickwall soft copper. Nothing. Hatteras used it for a reason on these boats. 20 year service life - or more - is not unusual. WHEN it fails it is almost always from external corrosion due to salt water - properly secured it simply doesn't wear out in the usual sense. It is easily cut to exact length required, flared "in place" to fit flare fittings, and if secured on stringers with readily available standard bracketing, with hose off the ends to go to the "final consumer" (e.g. fuel filters, etc) it is arguably the best choice out of all for "hard-attached" runs.
My boat has factory thickwall soft copper from the tanks to the manifold at the forward cockpit bulkhead, and then again from there to the primary filters. I have a vibration isolation/feed loop of A-1 rated hose from there to the filters, and again after the filters to the Floscan transducers. From there I am using what was existing Aeroquip FC534 hose to the engines, and back to the inlet of the Floscan reverse transducer - then again A-1 black hose back to the copper return line.
To those who say that this isn't ok in a "vibration rich" environment I call BS loudly. Virtually every home and commercial (not to mention your boat!) AC system made uses this stuff between the compressor and condensor, and that's a quite high-vibration environment. Go look - its all thickwall soft copper. WHEN that fails it is almost always at the solder joints (which are "hardpoints") - but in boats for obvious reasons we don't solder fuel lines together (BOOM!); instead we flare the tubing and use a flare connection.
If/when the copper fails I will certainly consider replacing like with like. I bet its cheaper than any hose solution and the only cost for installation is a flare and cutting tool - cheap and available at any home center - as is the tubing in rolls! If not, then it will all get replaced with A-1 rubber hose. The only possible exception would be the lines from the fuel pump to the final filter and cylinder head - I am very likely to keep those as the FC234 hose, because of its superior pressure rating and the fact that this part of the system IS under pressure.
The Parker stuff may LOOK nice, but there's no hose on the planet that will retain integrity in a fire the way metal pipe does.
Finally, I will warn you away from crimped connections on anything. That makes your system non-field-repairable. That's ok if you don't mind limping in on one engine if you have a leak somewhere, but I do very much mind and want to be able to fix it on the water. The only way to do that is to use materials that can be field repaired and keep a length of the correct hose on board. If I lose a hose due to some calamity I can replace it on the water with a clamped system - this is also possible with the Aeroquip FC234 hose with the reusable fittings if you have a hacksaw. Its flatly impossible with compression-crimped connections.
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I think the FloScans will slowly pay for themselves in fuel savings with the price of fuel today and it just made sense to change the fuel lines at the same time. Vic
