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Teflon version of Stratoflex 111

What is the proper aviation teflon version of the Stratoflex 111-4 hose (MIL-H-8794)?

I want to redo my brake lines and thought it best to buy a few feet and just have a tractor place put the old fittings on the new hose. Sounds like that will result in least downtime. Comments?

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

It depends to an extent on whether you can get a drawing of the hose.

I would contact Saywells (Worthing, UK) who are an agent for Parker and who have made up various hoses for me. All in Teflon. They have even made the Socata-style ISO (metric) thread hoses which a few years earlier were “impossible”; obviously intentionally by Socata to make sure people buy from Socata (€2k for the engine compartment hoses, with an EASA-1 ). But with no drawings they needed the original hose to copy.

I would not use a rubber hose in a plane

I would also not use a tractor shop to make them up Not when you can get one made up to the highest standard and pressure test it, for say €75.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

But with no drawings they needed the original hose to copy.
I would not use a rubber hose in a plane

Thank you for the Saywells reference.

Ideally I’d want to source the proper teflon hose and fittings, and someone local make them the same day. I don’t want to remove them and ground myself for two weeks, because, realistically, that’s the pessimistic turnaround time from Poland to the UK. Well, maybe one week, if the stars align. Which I guess would be acceptable.

The local Parker rep, who did the hoses for our club tractor, hence the tounge in cheek reference above, said “bring pictures and I’ll tell you what I can and cannot do for you”, but they also don’t stock 111 of any diameter. I guess I’ll try that, and if he says “nope” I’ll see what Saywells can do for me.

I can also source them from the US, some places have the measurements and will make OPP parts for me, but that becomes $1k for 6 hoses I need and 4 I don’t, and $300 for shipping, plus VAT, and we’re at $1600 for 6 hoses. And to add insult to injury, the pilot side hoses will be teflon, but the ones on the gear legs will be rubber. The co-pilot ones, which I don’t need, will also be rubber. Seriously. Nope.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

Saywells ship AOG stuff all the time, fast. A bizjet owner whose plane is AOG is not a pretty sight

Obviously I would check they can do it first, before sending them any hoses.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

The AOG bizjet owner also probably doesn’t really care how much it costs to get the stuff NOW. ;-)
I’ve emailed Saywells, perhaps they have the measurements, and if not, I’ll have a line of communication open and know what to expect.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

What plane is this for?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

If they aren’t straight fittings, a critical factor is the alignment of the fittings end to end. In that case, if the fittings are misaligned made-up hoses look great on the bench, but will not fit.

When I replaced the hoses on my plane, some of which were rock hard and 25 years old at the time, an A&P friend and I made them up. I wouldn’t recommend it if you can buy them ready made, but I would also be nervous about shipping sample hoses to a vendor. I’d be inclined to remove the hoses, measure them and supply the data.

The plane is a 1980 Mooney M20K.

I tried reading the tags on the hoses today, but mission impossible. Will try with borescope tomorrow.

4 hoses in the belly, each different, 2 identical ones on the gear. Have the Mooney part numbers from Parts Manual, but no way to convert that to hose/fitting/etc.

Good call about the issue with shipping the originals without measuring them from every angle.

tmo
EPKP - Kraków, Poland

You can also get hoses with a right angle end which can be rotated.

More on hoses here here and especially the rotatable joint here.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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