Had a few questions about using braided SS lines for vacuum hoses, oil hoses, amd pretty much everything else in the engine bay.

1) How do the connectors on the tops of the lines connect to wherever they are mounted? They seem to be screw-on (though I could be wrong, I haven't been able to handle one in person), so what is the best way to connect them to the intake (or anything else)? Keep in mind a I am using the AEM intake.

2) Any specific kits already measured and cut for the 8? If not, any decently priced retailers?

Thanks!

Some hoses are better off left stock. I am running mostly braided lines on all my performance cars, just out of need though. Trust me, it sucks paying $125 for two feet of hose that normally costs $2. You will need:

AN fitting with proper thread (if the part is not threaded, you need to drill and tap it) Noobs need not apply.
SS braided hose with proper ID.
A way to cut it (cut off wheel works great, wrap cut line with masking tape or duct tape, mark..then cut.)
Hose fitting (connects to hose, screws onto theaded AN fitting)

They work very well, and are fairly easy once you have done a few. You can go the typcail "tuner" route and go to pep boys and get the braided line kit. It looks similar to the real thing and is cheap and more user friendly, with less likelyhood of damaging anything.

Best places to get it are summit racing and Jegs.

I would definitely order them pre-cut and fitted, mostly for simplicity. Prices aren't that bad from what I can tell, most of the smaller ones are about $6-$7 per foot.

It's either this or silicone, but I'd rather get SS for aesthetics. If I can source out some good prices, all the better. Else, silicone would be "ok".

But you gotta add 4 fittings for each hose, some of which are $25ea. Most are $10-$12. So you are looking at $50 to do one foot in most cases. You can even buy cutters made for it....I'd rather cut my own honestly.

Spectre makes braided hose covers that you simply cut with scissors, slip over the hoses, and secure with screw clamps that have anodized collars on them. Summit or Jeg's.

But you gotta add 4 fittings for each hose, some of which are $25ea. Most are $10-$12. So you are looking at $50 to do one foot in most cases. You can even buy cutters made for it....I'd rather cut my own honestly.

Don't you mean 2 fittings (one on each end)?

According to the Jegs site, 3' -6AN hose + 2 fittings is under $30. Definitely more than anything else, can't argue, though probably less if you cut it yourself, then factor in the cost of tools... I guess you'd have to do a lot of it to justify it.

Any chance for a good DIY link for cutting and fitting these?

Spectre makes braided hose covers that you simply cut with scissors, slip over the hoses, and secure with screw clamps that have anodized collars on them. Summit or Jeg's.

Thanks... looked at those but I don't believe I want to do this right now. I'll see what kind of price tag I end up with the actual SS ones, if it's really too high I may do a portion in SS and a portion in silicone, or just silicone.

Havent seen a link for a DIY cutting, but its really straight forward. A hacksaw will actually work. Taping it up first is the secret. Theres not much to it honestly.

Havent seen a link for a DIY cutting, but its really straight forward. A hacksaw will actually work. Taping it up first is the secret. Theres not much to it honestly.

Yea I saw those tips about cutting. What about the fittings... just slide them on over some sort of gasket?

they simply slide over the hose, and they have a nut that tightens down. So you slide nut over cut hose, slide fitting into the hose...then tighten nut down on the fitting. It tightens the hose on the fitting, no chance of it coming off.

Heres a pic to show you better...the RED nut is what holds the hose on. The blue one connects to the fitting on the car.

http://www.jegs.com/images/photos/500/555/555-100001_1.jpg

Thanks... I tried to make it out from the pics but without a closeup of the interior of the fitting it wasn't obvious. For the blue connector, does it just slide onto the piece on the car (intake, etc) or do I have to tread the fitting on the car (intake, etc) and screw it on?

u can get the stuff u want from summitracing. but their stainless steel hose aint that good in quality. u can try other companies, oh , ebay has some high quality lines, u can actually send those seller a msg, talk to them over msn or email. show them a pic of your hose, they can cut and fit everything b4 they ship it (if they want to have ur business :))

LOL. Yea, summit's hoses are only good enough for 6 second cars, surely the ebay crap is top notch. LOL, thats classic right there.

LOL. Yea, summit's hoses are only good enough for 6 second cars, surely the ebay crap is top notch. LOL, thats classic right there.

There are quality vendors on ebay. its just sad that you cant use the search function properly.

once again, u failed @ life. learn how to search, moron.

Post proof your chinese crap is better, then we'll talk.

Post proof your chinese crap is better, then we'll talk.

rofl

what you dont know how to search on ebay? wow, seriously, u fail big time.

i'm willing to put good money down on the fact that nycgps has more posts about searching than anything else ;)

now back to my last question -- assuming i have the hose setup with 2 fittings appropriately sized for my intake, do I simply need to slide them on or do i need to modify my intake so I can screw the fittings on?

Let me answer your original question :

1. it has been discussed b4, someone actually did replaced all the vacuum lines with those braided SS lines. you can try to search for it. if u cant find it, let me know. For oil lines. not sure if u're talking about fuel or omp lines or whatever, but u might want to leave those alone.

2. I do not think anybody sells a "specific braided ss vacuum lines" kit for Rx-8. so you will have to cut and connect it urself.

I've searched quite a bit on this one actually. Found lots of people talking about fuel lines, brake, clutch, etc, but no one who's done vacuum lines.

I did mean the OMP lines for the oil... I wouldn't touch fuel lines myself. Though I am likely getting the SOHN adapter soon so I may just remove these lines if possible :)

I don't mind cutting them and fitting them myself as long as I have a good idea as to what's involved in connecting the fittings properly.

Hmm, I read the exact opposite, vacuum lines but not fuel lines. (forget about brake and clutch, u can get those anywhere :))

anyway, if u're goign to get Sohn adapter then just wait till u're there, maybe drop a line to Richard to see if he is willing to do the dirty work for you (pre-cut them and stuff, at a reasonable cost of course :) , no free lunch )

Ive done fuel lines, power steering, oil lines and water hoses on several different cars, but never vacuum lines. I wouldnt mess with the fuel lines unless you are really really pressed for things to do. So much adapting to get it to work correctly, just a pain for a stock car.

Fuel, brake and clutch i can get easily, not even thinking about them. Definitely not touching fuel myself.

Overall though, only thing I need to figure out now is how those fittings connect (screw? rubber gasket + slide on?). I'm sure I'd figure it out if I ordered some but I'd rather be prepared.

There are quality vendors on ebay. its just sad that you cant use the search function properly.

once again, u failed @ life. learn how to search, moron.

Lol

You two need to rinse the sand out. :lol:

not to jump into this but I was going to do this on a 300zx some time ago and accually had everything including the fittings for the fuel, but from what I had read and some of the guys over in the Z forums suggestion against it, I ended up not doing it.
Their reason being, unless the lines are coated with a plastic sheath the stainless steel begins to rub up against the soft aluminum of the plenum and you end up with alot of harsh looking scratches along the top

not sure how realevent that is to the RX8 since I have not look at all the lines
but I would figure unless you were making a show car it prob is not worth the money and trouble

just my humble 0.02 cents worth

Tony

This might help you some.
download the pdf file and go to page 7. it shows you step by step instructions on how to assemble the lines and fittings.
http://www.russellperformance.com/dl/07_russell_auto_cat.pdf

Your hardest part about the install is, putting the fitting on the car. If you can handle that part, you are set. The fitting to hose connection is nothing to it...you got that covered, trust me. The fitting on the car is threaded on each end, one threads onto the car...thats the tricky one if you dont have threads already on the car.

Yea OK so it is threaded... that's what I was afraid of -- the AEM intake is def. not threaded, neither are most (if any) of the vacuum lines. I guess this is where it gets complicated!

Any easy way to make threads? lol... I will probably end up with silicone for these if this is gonna be a huge PITA.

You don't have to have threads. You can use fittings that have worm drive clamps to tighten the hose/line to the something that doesn't have threads.

But those clamps look like ass for what he wants to do. Its easy to make threads, and easy to screw it up. You need the exact size of the fitting, so you can buy a tap. It basically screws in like a screw, and cuts threads (watch out for debris). Just dont break the tap in the part ( 99% of the time, part is trash at that point...tap is harder than drill bit). But, I have done hundreds and broke maybe 5 taps total. Go slow, back and forth, and dont force the tap. Go in 1/2 turn incriments back and forth with oil. If the hole is open on the other side, its much easier.