Plumbing a race car can be one of the more complicated aspects of car assembly. From managing fuel tank and brake fluid systems to connecting engine components with their respective lines, requiring careful thought and quality products – plumbing requires cautious planning.
Fragola Performance Systems offers an assortment of hoses, fittings, hose ends, and tubing to help get your car piping adequately plumbed in. Their Sport-Crimp fittings make things especially easy!
AN Fittings
Fittings are specifically designed to connect with hoses with 45-degree flares. These fittings are frequently utilized in high-performance automotive applications due to their leak-free connection. Furthermore, these fixtures can withstand both high temperatures and pressure; additionally, vibration will not significantly disrupt them.
These types of AN fittings come in numerous sizes and are identified with two numbers that indicate their size (such as “AN6” or “AN8”). Utilizing the incorrect type could result in leaks and diminished performance, so be wary when selecting the fitting kind for use in your application.
Fragola’s AN fittings stand apart from traditional plumbing fittings found at hardware stores by being constructed of aerospace-quality 6061 aluminum with a tapered nipple that prevents fluid from leaking through joints. Machined on precision machines to ensure accuracy and strength, their aerospace-grade seal can resist harsh chemicals found in motor oil, fuel, and coolant while still offering protection.
While AN fittings are widely used in racing applications, their installation requires special tools and techniques. Fragola’s AN hose ends are specifically designed to make this process much more straightforward; available in multiple sizes with or without an integrated crimper kit, Fragola’s O-ring seal provides a tight seal that resists harsh chemicals found in fuel, oil, and cooling systems.
Hose Ends
Hose fittings connect runs of hose to other sections, equipment, or plumbing components. Fittings and hose ends differ from tubing or piping as hose ends have integral connections, while tubes require separate, permanent ones at their ends.
There are various types of hose fittings, each offering different advantages and advantages. Sleeve fittings feature an outer sleeve that retracts to connect and disconnect two hose ends, making them convenient for applications requiring frequent disconnections/connections of hose sections. Cam-lock fittings use fold-down tabs that fold back after being inserted into receivers to lock the hose in place – these are popularly used for fire hose and sludge/sewage pumping applications. Crimp fittings offer superior strength/reliability when correctly crimped; however, they require hydraulic presses with specific dies attached – something only facilities that build large quantities of hoses have access to.
Fragola Performance Systems offers an assortment of AN hose ends explicitly designed to meet any high-performance plumbing application, from bright dipped anodized finishes and bright dipped anodization for show quality finishes, J gauge threads for increased strength and durability, tapered nipples for easier alignment and installation, to meet all your hose end needs.
Hose Tubing
Tubing and hoses differ significantly by having end fittings at both ends, while hoses are flexible lengths of material with or without end connections. Hoses usually contain connection fittings at both ends for transporting liquids, gases, or solids between points – they may even have protective layers made from rubber and PTFE materials.
When selecting the appropriate tubing or hose for your application, it’s essential to keep both environmental conditions and pressure ratings in mind. For instance, in humid and hot environments, it would be wise to select rubber tubing with a good temperature range and chemical resistance for more excellent durability and flexing resistance while still offering strength and flexibility.
Metal tubing is often an ideal solution for applications requiring high temperatures, including applications involving carbon steel tubes that operate at temperatures as high as 500degF and stainless steel tubing capable of reaching temperatures over 2,000degF. When selecting metal tubing, take into consideration any temperature derating factors and severity of service it can handle before making your selection.
One way of connecting a hose or tube is with a male threaded fitting that threads into a female flared cone on its end, enabling frequent removal and reconnection without risk of leakage.
Plumbing Hardware
Plumbing fixtures are an essential element in any building or structure, providing water for consumption while collecting any waste produced by its use. They connect pipes that distribute freshwater to and remove wastewater from homes or structures – such as faucets, sinks, toilets, and showers – which ensure water can enter or leave efficiently and remove waste efficiently from them. Selecting quality hardware and supplies will determine whether your plumbing system runs effectively or not.
Hose-ends and adapters are among the most integral elements of a plumbing system, often made of steel or aluminum and used to join tubing to other components. Fittings come in many styles and materials to meet different applications; one popular compression fitting type allows copper and PVC pipes to connect without glue or solder smoldering using tightening rings that encase each pipe and create sealant bonds between pipes that make for leakproof connections.
Single nipple hose-ends are also highly sought-after. Their socket draws the hose over an adjustable tapered nipple that seals with an internal crush of the hose between the socket and nipple for secure connection and sealing action. Assembling and using this style is typically straightforward and reusable.
Fragola Performance Systems is an American manufacturer of racetrack-grade AN fittings, hose ends, and adapters designed specifically for racing applications. As a family business based out of Southington, Connecticut, they take great pride in manufacturing quality American-made products like Jeff Stacy (President of Sales and Marketing). He competed on both drag and circle track circuits for eleven years as part-owner of his race team!
