New smaller A/C hoses ??
Thread Starter
TECH Regular
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 485
Likes: 123
From: Tyler, TX
New smaller A/C hoses ?? I was told by a friend about some A/C hoses that are smaller and more flexible than the standard hoses. They are calling them reduced vapor barrier hoses. Anyway, they would definitely help me create some space on my street rod build. I've looked around online and there seems to be a handful of companies that offer these, but I'm looking for a little more info.
Has anyone used these?
What brands should I research?
What about the tooling to make the crimps on the fittings?
Any info on these would be appreciated......
Has anyone used these?
What brands should I research?
What about the tooling to make the crimps on the fittings?
Any info on these would be appreciated......
Teching In
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
From: alberta canada
You could go to a truck dealer like Kenworth Peterbuilt or Freightliner and just buy hose and fittings from them. Most truck dealers service departments will crimp the hose fittings for you after you've cut them to length and orientated the fittings and marked them. I'm in the a/c business for cars and trucks and for the small amount of barrier reduced hoses that I need to fix I just go to a dealer.
Vintage Air sells a hose system called EZ-Clip that is smaller in diameter and more flexible than standard A/C hose. It uses a different type of crimp connection, that to me doesn't look as nice, but they're supposed to be foolproof. I used mostly hardline on my car, with rubber at the flex points. If you have someone who can TIG aluminum fittings the possibilities are almost endless.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 78
Likes: 3
From: Houston, Tx
Vintage Air sells a hose system called EZ-Clip that is smaller in diameter and more flexible than standard A/C hose. It uses a different type of crimp connection, that to me doesn't look as nice, but they're supposed to be foolproof. I used mostly hardline on my car, with rubber at the flex points. If you have someone who can TIG aluminum fittings the possibilities are almost endless.
TECH Resident
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 792
Likes: 2
From: SoCal
I plumbed my car using reduced barrier hose, as I needed the smaller diameter for devious path routing. It was nice not having to punch large holes in bulkheads, etc. Perhaps there are more vendors offering the correct fittings for RBH. When I did mine, there was a manufacturer that sold direct; unfortunately, they no longer do. As for the crimping, I took my stuff to my local NAPA store. They had no problem crimping the fittings.
Andy1
Andy1
Trending Topics
Teching In
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 37
Likes: 4
From: El Paso, TX
Vintage Air is way overpriced. I've been able to find good stuff on Ebay at much lower prices than VA. I recommend the hoses. They work really well and you can crimp them yourself. Installs with them are way easier. Here's a thread about them on protouring.com.
Alex
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...t=#post1283687
Alex
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/...t=#post1283687
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
I bought all of my hose and fitting via Cold-Hose. Nice folks and the prices are hard to beat. They also welded up a couple of custom fittings converting Scion hard lines to crimp line which worked out well as the lines into the expansion valve are OEM only. Again prices were very good. I went with the regular sized hose. Bought a Master Cool crimp kit off Ebay for $135 IIRC,,, they do sell ones with the reduced size dies but they do get expensive.
https://coldhose.com/
From their website
Explanation of Reduced Barrier Fittings:
Reduced barrier fittings have the same inner diameter as standard barrier fittings, but the outer diameter is smaller.
In other words the thickness of reduced barrier hose has a reduced outer diameter compared to standard barrier hose.
If you need reduced barrier fittings choose the fitting part numbers with a SR (Steel) or RB (Aluminum) as the prefix. Reduced Barrier Hose:=center
The reduced barrier hose is a thinner wall construction that offers improved flexibility and reduced weight without sacrificing permeation resistance and burst strength. The hose is compatible with most common refrigerants including R12 and R134a. The hose is constructed with a single braid of polyester reinforcement. This hose is designed to exceed both SAE J2064 and OEM manufacturer requirements.
https://coldhose.com/
From their website
Explanation of Reduced Barrier Fittings:
Reduced barrier fittings have the same inner diameter as standard barrier fittings, but the outer diameter is smaller.
In other words the thickness of reduced barrier hose has a reduced outer diameter compared to standard barrier hose.
If you need reduced barrier fittings choose the fitting part numbers with a SR (Steel) or RB (Aluminum) as the prefix. Reduced Barrier Hose:=center
The reduced barrier hose is a thinner wall construction that offers improved flexibility and reduced weight without sacrificing permeation resistance and burst strength. The hose is compatible with most common refrigerants including R12 and R134a. The hose is constructed with a single braid of polyester reinforcement. This hose is designed to exceed both SAE J2064 and OEM manufacturer requirements.
Last edited by gtpvette; Feb 21, 2019 at 02:29 PM.
