air lines - refresh

[Aernan]

Tonight I discovered a 3/8 to 3/8 coupler mid span in one of the air lines which was leaking air.

I found the union behind the air tanks against the frame rails facing the drive shaft splined section. I would like to replace the whole hose to remove the union and add reliability there. I'm guessing it is ther ther due to previous damage or there was a T that was removed reducing to a union. Maybe someone could shed some light.

While searching for the hose I was able to find the section in the TM
15 MOOZZ 0FW39 12420572-006X TUBE,NONMETALLIC MAKE FROM HOSE V
P/N: J844TYBSIZE 3/8 BLACK (81343),
CUT TO LENGTH.......................

I was able to find lots of 3/8" DOT approved lines.

Has anyone considered replacing some/all of their lines with lines of other colors? It looks like I can get the hoses in any color I like.

 

[Givinup]

Tonight I discovered a 3/8 to 3/8 coupler mid span in one of the air lines which was leaking air.

I found the union behind the air tanks against the frame rails facing the drive shaft splined section. I would like to replace the whole hose to remove the union and add reliability there. I'm guessing it is ther ther due to previous damage or there was a T that was removed reducing to a union. Maybe someone could shed some light.

While searching for the hose I was able to find the section in the TM
15 MOOZZ 0FW39 12420572-006X TUBE,NONMETALLIC MAKE FROM HOSE V
P/N: J844TYBSIZE 3/8 BLACK (81343),
CUT TO LENGTH.......................

I was able to find lots of 3/8" DOT approved lines.

Has anyone considered replacing some/all of their lines with lines of other colors? It looks like I can get the hoses in any color I like.

I'd love to hear more about your experience when you replace them. This is next on my list to check all connections and replace and label the lines when necessary. I have a few leaks that I havent tracked down yet.



Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[Aernan]

I finally got a spray bottle full of soapy water. It made finding my leaky wheel seal easy. Turns out I have a $1.00 o-ring that has gone bad.

The leak under the truck was very loud with the truck off and easy to find. I shot some WD40 on it and rotated the union 90 degrees and forced both ends in. It didn't immediately stop the the leak but when I got back from my errand the leak was done and after driving home also no leak.

It's not clear/obvious which air lines go where and do what to me yet. I might use a non black color for the line I am replacing simple to make it easier to understand which air circuit it's part of in the future.

 

[DiverDarrell]

I’ve replaced a bunch of airlines in the dash, converted to push lock fittings that are dot approved. And airlines were also dot approved. No more leaks, and easy to install. Heck after I did that I bought 3/4 airline to plumb my garage compressor system with.

 

[Aernan]

Update. My local NAPA says they can only sell me 3/8 air brake line by the whole box which is $250 ft and it's $1 a foot. I think they must just not know how to enter the cut length. I'm going to order some off Amazon.

While searching for the airline I stumbled on some cheap unions that would be great to keep in the truck for emergencies. At less the a buck each you can search amazon for:
"Utah Pneumatic 10 pack Plastic Push To Connect Fittings Tube 3/8 od Straight Push Fit Fittings Tube Fittings Push Lock (3/8 Straight)"

 

[yertnamreg]

Try looking at Grainger I believe they sell smaller lengths of both hard and soft brake line.

It sounds like you need hard line, but if you do need some soft line try finding a hydraulic hose shop. I just replaced two hoses and the shop I went to made me nice stock crimp style hoses.

 

[wandering neurons]

I've used my local John Deere tractor shop for soft lines, mostly power steering on the M1081, and hydraulics for my RV. But got it done right then and there, no waiting.

 

[jasonjc]

You can get it form Oreillys by the foot and in colors.

 

[Aernan]

You can get it form Oreillys by the foot and in colors.

I'll give that a shot for the next airline.

 

[aleigh]

Maybe this is a nerd thing but I am kind of curious what color standard OP has in mind. We know blue for service brakes and red for parking brakes, and I see commercial trailers with green hookups which I always took to be the lights / electrical. But what colors might be picked for the other systems?

I also have been replacing hose as-I-go and also going to the push fittings. I've had problems with some of the 1/4" fittings leaking (DOT from NAPA). Seems like they are good or not out of the box no matter how carefully I cut the synflex, but have not had many problems. The bad ones, seems like the retainer ring doesn't quite pop out and they just never quite make a good seal. Weirdly they always 100% work great with the stock mil 1/4" so I wonder if the newer synflex is a little more anemic on the O.D? Shrug. My NAPA will cut to the foot so I don't know why yours is giving you a hard time. Also man the fittings are expensive. I stick with DOT because I want to live but jeez I bet there's a lot of 30 cent china fittings on the road...

I extended my lines to the hydraulic manifold (along with extending the manifold hoses) so I have enough slack to remove it from the truck.

 

[Floridianson]

The one thing I have found when I have use any dot Synflex fitting is when it seems to be tight then I tighten it even more. Then came the dot push lock so much easer and faster.

 

[Aernan]

I think the airline I am replacing is part of the CTIS. I'm going to stick with the black hose because I don't have any better ideas of which circuits to make what color.

 

[aleigh]

Well, at least black matches the prospects of CTIS working...

 

[Floridianson]

I don't know if they ever stuck with colors for control. Red to me would be emergency. Service blue. Major air black. Maybe yellow for air brake/ air to service treadle. Seems to me color is not a problem being able to identify quick maybe. One could go with one color it up to you. AS for the CTIS system I too might stick with cloth sheath air line.