Need to Route a Hose in a Tight Space? Take the E-Z Route!

 

To address the common challenges of choosing a replacement coolant or return line hose, ask these questions:

1. Will the bend radius of the replacement hose allow for easy installation?
2. Will the replacement hose be pliable enough for routing in tight engine compartments?
3. Can the replacement hose withstand the heat requirements of the fluid?
4. Can the replacement hose tolerate the chemical properties of the fluid?
5. Is the replacement hose readily available, or can it be made in your own shop?

 

Typically, engine applications require formed hose in order to accommodate the tight bend radii and other requirements. However, formed hoses are usually only available from the equipment dealer, are expensive, and have a long lead time.

Consider an alternative – Parker family of E-Z Form Hoses. E-Z Form hoses have many advantages over Pre-Formed hoses used for coolant, water, and oil suction/return lines. A breakdown is provided below:

1. Regarding adequate Bend Radius, E-Z Form hose is designed to handle extreme bends while allowing full-flow, kink–free performance.  While Pre-Formed hoses can offer similar performance, E-Z Form hose eliminates special tooling / fabrication costs, and long lead times.

2. One of the most common reasons for premature hose failure is improper routing involving hoses bent to extremely sharp angles (less than the manufacturer’s recommended minimum bend radius). Extreme bends cause hose to stress and/or kink, and fail prematurely. E-Z Form hoses are specifically designed for routing in tight spaces, where extreme bends are necessary.

3. E-Z Form General Service Hose is rated to 257°F, Series 7399 E-Z Form is rated to 302°F. When specifying a hose to use for a particular application, it’s important to use a hose that will tolerate the temperature of the media running through the hose.  As with excessive bending, excessive heat can also result in premature hose failure.    

4. Knowing what the chemical properties of the fluid that will be running through the hose is will make choosing the correct hose easier and safer.  There are three types of E-Z Form hose for varying applications:

E-Z Form GS Hose (GS stands for General Service), E-Z Form MP Hose (MP stands for Multipurpose), and 7399 Series E-Z Form, which is designed for high temperature applications.   The GP hose has a Black EPDM inner tube and is used for applications such as air, coolant, mild chemicals, water as well as vacuum service.  The MP hose has a nitrile rubber inner tube and is used with E-Z Form for applications such as: Biodiesel, diesel, ethanol, gasoline and oil. Both the GP and MP hoses operate at full vacuum, so they can be used in a suction / return line application.  They both have similar working characteristics such as an operating PSI of up to 75, and are rated for full vacuum. However, because their inner tubes are made of different rubber compounds, they both have specific uses depending on the media conveyed. 

The Series 7399 is a high temperature oil suction/return hose, and can also be used in non-SAE applications as a power steering hose. As is the case with the other two E-Z form Hoses, it is extremely flexible. 7399 series has a black CPE inner tube, is distinguished by a yellow layline, and is rated from full vacuum to 150 PSI in all sizes.

5. E-Z Form hoses are readily available from Motion & Flow Control Products, Inc. but if you are using pre-formed hose in various sizes, you would benefit from stocking E-Z form hose at your shop. Not only is E-Z Form less expensive than a comparable size pre-formed hose, it can also save money by reducing your inventory. Instead of multiple pre-formed hoses, stock just one of two varieties of E-Z Form Hose in bulk. You can cut your hose to length as you need it, and eliminate need for managing (and paying for) inventory of multiple pre-formed hoses.

The E-Z Form hoses can be either used with hose clamps, or you can have fittings crimped on to create a custom assembly.

For more details, please see the individual E-Z Form Hose pages:

• 7395 Series E-Z Form GS – General Service
• 7219 Series E-Z Form MP – Multipurpose
• 7399 Series E-Z Form – High Temperature

Please contact us with any additional questions by clicking on the button below.

 

Posted by Roger Winchell