Now that the oil coolers and filter are mounted, we started work on making the oil lines. We are using Earls Performance UltraPro Braided Stainless Steel, PTFE Lined -10AN Hose. This double-helix, ribbed PTFE hose is extremely flexible with an impressive 1.772” minimum bend radius and is up to 35% lighter than traditional rubber hose with stainless steel braid. Operating Temperature of -67*F to over 400*F and 500psi max working pressure
We started the fabrication of our -10AN oil lines by wrapping the stainless steel braiding with aluminum tape to hold the braids together while we cut the line in half with a cut off wheel.
After cutting the hose to length, we slid the AN hose end ‘socket’ fitting over the cut hose.
Next, we removed the tape and pulled back the braids slightly, trimming them as needed, to expose the corrugated PTFE inner hose.
Then we screwed the “olive” onto the PTFE hose until it’s just past flush with the PTFE hose. Using a razor blade, we cut the PTFE hose to be flush with the olive.
We slid the socket over the olive to secure the socket onto the fitting making sure no loose stainless steel strands would interfere with the threads.
After applying Earls Assembly Lube (PN: 184004) to the fitting threads and nipple, we worked the braided hose toward the hose end, ensuring that none of the braid gets between the socket and body threads during assembly.
Once the first couple threads have been engaged by hand, we used an AN wrench to tighten the assembly of the hose end.
After doing this process to both sides of the hose, we had completed AN hose. It’s a good idea to blast compressed air through the hose to ensure there is no debris in the hose before installation.
Quick Reference:
Page 1 – Stock FD RX-7 Oil Coolers
Page 2 – Hayden HD Cool 778 Oil Coolers
Page 3 – Oil Cooler Ducting
Page 4 – Improved Racing Remote Engine Oil Filter Mount & Thermostat
Page 5 – How to Make Earl’s Performance Stainless Steel Hose
Page 6 – Oil Plumbing Series vs Parallel & Radium Low Profile Swivel Fittings
Page 7 – Raceonly Billet Remote Oil Filter Pedestal & Front Iron Oiling
Page 8 – Raceonly Billet Oil Filler Neck & Improved Racing Catch Can
Page 9 – Crank Venting from Gutted OMP Port & Turbo Drain Fittings
Page 10 – Raceonly Billet Power Steering Reservoir
11 comments
I don’t think I could park this thing on the street knowing the man hours invested.
Good job. Helluva build.
This has been a great build to follow along. I noticed in the radiator articles you were calling it the BJR radiator. Are there plans for some of these parts to go into production?
I called it the Billy Johnson Racing (BJR) Radiator to give it a name because it was a custom build to my specifications for the FD platform. I’ve sold a few to people who reached out to HQ Engineering and ordered one, but this is a high-end motorsports radiator that’s priced in line with similar 50mm motorsports radiators (>$1,000) that should outperform anything on the market from my research based on its dimensions and efficiency (that fits within stock frame rails). The majority of FD owners are street guys who are use to $400-500 drop-in replacement radiators that are only slightly better than stock. If you need a significant improvement in cooling, you’ll have to spend more than double that wherever you go.
Thank you 🙂 It’s far from over…
Wow, beautifully done!
Out of curiosity why did you go with stainless braided lines over nylon braided? I’ve been choosing nylon braided lines since they’re lighter and easier to work with but I don’t have the experience with A/N lines you do.
I’m a big fan of nylon and use it in many applications, especially for those areas that will not see abrasion or impacts. We chose stainless because it was the only option at the time in the PTFE UltraPro -10AN hose, stainless is generally better protected for mission-critical fluids like oil lines that might see debris impacts, and because this new hose is so flexible and light, there really aren’t any downsides other than maybe a few ounces per foot. This -10AN is very light (37% lighter than traditional rubber w.stainless braid) and is extremely flexible with a 1.772″ minimum bend radius (vs 6.0″ minimum bend radius for the all-rubber Super Stock hose and 4.0″ for the rubber-lined stainless steel braided Auto-Flex hose). The UltraPro and new Ultra Flex 660 Stainless & 650 Kevlar Steel & Pro-Lite 390 Nylon hose are a significant improvement in quality than the impression that you or I might have on thinking of Earls as old-school, old-technology ‘hotrod’ hose vs many high-end motorsports hose brands. I’d bet that once you experience UltraPro & UltraFlex hose first hand, you’ll change your impression on Earl’s, like I did.
Thanks for the info Billy. I’m actually working on an oil cooler and catch can setup for Project EF Civic. I was going to use Earl’s nylon braided line but I will definitely take a look at the UltraFlex lines for the cooler itself. It’s a shame this sort of info isn’t easier to find on their website.
Happy to see that parallel flow oil cooler setup. A bit curious to hear that in prior history, others’ experience with the parallel vs series flow didn’t show dramatic differences in performance. I wonder if that was due to airflow restriction of the factory bumpers. Anyway, the reduction in pressure drop is worth the parallel setup alone. But I expect your setup to do well as you’ve properly accounted for the airflow.
Any particular reason you went with the Radium catch can over the Improved Racing one? Or just personal preference.
Love the update. Love all the blue anodized parts. Love the attention to detail.