AN fittings pros and cons?

[Ghoste]

Those of you who are using AN fittings, I would like to know what you think are the pro and con issues with them?
This may not be the right forum for this question but I guess I think of AN fittings as more of a modification done to performance vehicles.

[c00nhunterjoe]

i f you are building a fuel system from scratch i would say go for it. i loved them on all of my race cars i had. if you are going to replace sections or just the ends then it is a waste of money.

[oldschool]

there are no cons,i use them alot. 

[Ghoste]

Is there a lot to buy to get into it, tools, ends whatever?

[oldschool]

Is there a lot to buy to get into it, tools, ends whatever?

no ,just need some tape,hack saw or cut off wheel and some wrenches.buy the ends as you need them.

[John_Kunkel]

If you're going to be doing any tubing flaring you'll need a dedicated 37° flaring tool for AN hardware, SAE flares are 45°.

[Rolling_Thunder]

Tools...

37* flaring kit
Tubing Benders (3/8, 1/2 are generally all you need)
The above require specific benders and flaring kits for stainless steele


Tube sleeves
Tube nuts

Hose ends
Braided line

[68 RT]

The only con I can think of is they don't look stock. If that is your thing.

[Ghoste]

Not on this car. 

[Mefirst]

AN fittings and steel braided lines are among the best inventions ever created by man, they come in as a close second, right after Vodka

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[Rolling_Thunder]

AN fittings and steel braided lines are among the best inventions ever created by man, they come in as a close second, right after Vodka

My

Don't forget Duct Tape!

[danmc77]

What makes AN fittings so great?  Never used them - is there something about them that makes them easier, more reliable, or what?  Are they designed different than any other fitting?

[John_Kunkel]

I don't accept the notion that AN hardware is any better than SAE, the flare angle is all that distinguishes them apart and that's simply a choice made by the aircraft industry decades ago.

As long as I can remember car people have had an affinity for anything "aircraft" in the belief that it must be better...it isn't always.

[Rolling_Thunder]

it is just like the MIL spec connectors I'm using for my wiring harness   


I think the idea behind the AN stuff is that it has more appealing asthetics. higher pressure rating...

[John_Kunkel]

The pressure rating is dependent on the fitting/hose material, not the flare style.

[Rolling_Thunder]

agreed - i was more thinking of the braided line...   for some reason people love that stuff....   

[yeahitsgotahemi!]

There is one downside, the cost! Those AN fittings and steel braided hose can get expensive. Other than the cost, I do like AN fittings.

[Ghoste]

What makes AN fittings so great?  Never used them - is there something about them that makes them easier, more reliable, or what?  Are they designed different than any other fitting?

AN comes from "Army/Navy" and it was basically an effort to make military connectors standardized.  The advantage comes in having common threads, flares, and sizes and ease of field repairs.  It became popular for automotive use in racing environments for the same reasons and I imagine the street use spillover came from people emulating the cars they saw on the track.  I don't know that the fittings are any stronger but the braided hoses certainly have a number of advantages as far as pressure, abarasion and heat resistance and so on.
My biggest issue about pros and cons in a street environment was if it was cost effective.  I needed to make a custom fuel delivery setup in an odd location.  If there were other advantages to using AN down the road then it would have been worthwhile for me to make the switch.  I'm of the opinion that for most of the use my vehicles see, a complete switch to AN wasn't cost effective at this time.  None of the answers here swayed my opinion so I went to "plan B" and solved the problem in a different way.

[Mefirst]

I have just upgraded the fuelsystem in my car and used braided fuel lines and AN fittings. As already mentioned, the cost is rather high, but the end result and looks are allot nicer than black rubber fuel lines and screw clamps..

And from a safety point of view I do think the braided hoses and fittings are a better choice than anything else, specially if you plan on racing... If the engine would explode and/or there is a major fire in the engine bay, and the braided lines and fittings would give me 5-10sec more time to get my car to a stop, so I can get out, well then I do think the initial higher cost is well worth it...

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