Quote:
Originally Posted by bentfab
I've been mixing the two ever sense I started plumbing. A lot of times especially in brake systems the two mix between SAE and AN. It's a matter of knowing when and how to make it work.
Not true about the flares... Think about it.... A flare is a flare(double single). It can be 10* 25* anything. As long as the two matting surfaces (male-female) are of the same angle you will have a perfect seal(which never happens)  Also typicaly double flares are used on the softer mild steel tube to help strengthen the tube because it's to thin or soft to start with. So by folding over it self your thickening the tube. Where as S.S. tube is a harder metal (typicaly a thicker wall too) there's only need to single flare. If you tried to double flare S.S. at least the stuff I use and sell it will split.
Remember AN came from the military to speed up the process and the diversity on the vehicles. They were also using it on hydralics which is a really thick wall tube that only requires a single flare.
My best theory is over the years and the transitioning from the military into the automotive world with the mix of SAE 45* and AN 37* this will always be a mis-understood topic that gets way over anilized.
Mark |
Thanks for the clarification Mark. I didn't explain it very well. I should have addressed the difference between the tubing and fittings. But understand it exactly the way you laid it out.