Transmission oil cooler hose as fuel hose

[btoscano]

How bad is it transmission oil cooler hose as fuel hose? Will this be reliable for the short term? How about the long term? I was out of my normal area when I changed the hose and it seemed better to use transmission oil cooler hose than using regular gasoline fuel line.



Brian

 

[sdstriper]

What hose type is it? C5D etc, SAE rated?

 

[Sri Ram]

As I understand it, ATF hose is generally made of tougher stuff than run-of-the-mill rubber fuel hose due to the nature of ATF. You should find it out-performs the reg rubber stuff. Either way, it's no big deal to swap out a bit of hose down the road if you have the hose and tools. Anyone else know more and care to chime in?

 

[btoscano]

I had to splice a piece of Gates hose marked SAE J1019 hose and a piece of NAPA transmission cooler oil line together. I can't recall the SAE ratings on the NAPA hose, if any.

 

[sdstriper]

The sae rated hose sounds like a high temp multi-fluid hose, diesel fuels even. I would swap out the Napa stuff if it's not rated, better now then wait for a surprise. If the SAE hose is C5D it is good to go, that's good info too, I have a Gates catalog.

 

[JLEONARD]

If it's rated for oil or transmission fluid or hydraulic fluid it should be fine for diesel.

I've used hydraulic hose for diesel in my boat and it is fine.

 

[sdstriper]

It's really a matter of how long it will last, a long time, or a long long time...

 

[btoscano]

The gates hose was specifically marked "Transmission Oil Cooler Hose 3/8 SAE J1019" on the hose itself. Unfortuantely the shop only had 3 feet of it. The 3/8" was measured on the inside.



I will say that for slipping OVER the existing quick connect fittings the 5/16" ID NAPA hose was a tighter fit. (I asked for 3/8" and what they gave me was noticably tighter than the Gates hose and measured 5/16" ID).



I joined the two together with a 3/8" brass barbed fitting and used 2 hose clamps on each hose end. I used a screwdriver the first time around and then when I got back to my real tool box snugged things up with a 1/4" drive palm ratchet.



Brian

 

[sdstriper]

Even if the hose is hot oil rated it still might not be recommended for fuels. The hoses inner most tube must have the rating for fuels for maximum use. Lifespan that is. For instance, Nitrile hose is excellent for petroleum based oils but poor for diesel fuel. I'm no expert but that is a fact from the reference materials I have. I have and use several different forms of reference because I am not an expert. I would rather spend a little time with referencing things than constantly swapping parts and wasting materials.



C5D high temp multifluid hose is sae j1019 rated and saej30r2 fuel resistant. Other C5 multifluid hose is not fuel resistant. Like I said, I am no expert and I bet it would work for quite some time but I thought I would at least let you know what the book says.

 

[Sri Ram]

To further confuse matters, the last time (and hopefully the last time!) I had my truck at a diesel shop, they replaced the fuel hoses. One was a blue thingy, the other regular rubber. The rubber one had degraded nearly through within a year--all gooey and sticky oozing rubber . There was no indication of leakage, but after reading SD's comments, I wonder if they spilled fuel on the outside of the hose which wasn't as fuel-resistant as the inside(?). I replaced it with a length of Goodyear rubber fuel hose from Schucks. So far no probs. Anyone had this happen to their fuel hoses before?

 

[sdstriper]

I recommend getting a Gates catalog to anyone who wants a good reference book for hose, fittings etc. Everything you ever wanted to know and then some. There really is a science to getting the right stuff the first time. Fitting info alone will save you a lot of hassles, ruin a component forcing the wrong fitting on some time, that'll teach ya. Or have a leak turned blazing inferno! Or undersized hose ID, no big deal... Nomographic Chart will tell the truth about flow capacities...