Koul Tools Simplifies Installation of Hose Fittings

From its not-so-humble beginnings as an American military tool dating back to World War II, the AN fitting has today become the standard in automotive performance plumbing. The AN thread specification comes from a joint standard agreed upon by the US Army and US Navy (thus the “AN” connection to the name) and ranges from -2 to -32 in 1/16-inch increments. Those increments are measured as the outside diameter (OD) of the tubing, but does not specify the inside diameter (ID) of the tubing since tube or hose wall thickness can and does vary. AN fittings use a 37-degree flare to form a metal-to-metal seal and can be used with either hard line or flexible hose.

Stainless steel braided hose and AN fittings are great as a sealing solution, but traditionally have been excruciatingly difficult to assemble.

Flexible stainless-steel braided hose is great in terms of sealing capability and flexibility for routing but can be a bear to assemble. The other solution is to use hoses with swaged-on fittings that are not reusable and require hose dimensions to be scienced-out to the exact length required – not exactly an easy task to do when underneath a vehicle or contorted into an impossible position while measuring dimensions.

In fact, bloodied fingers can be seen and numerous expletives can be heard within earshot of any shop where performance hose is being assembled – unless that shop is using the hose assembly tools from Koul Tools. They are designed to take the drama out of the process and return sanity to the person installing the hose assemblies.

The company offers a variety of tools designed to help the enthusiast, shop or mechanic put AN assemblies together quickly and efficiently, while saving a ton of time and a lot of unnecessary angst in the process. How much angst? Read on to find out just how simple these tools make the process, and you’ll wonder why they aren’t in your toolbox yet.

Left - Koul Tools' AN Hose Assembly tools - these save your time and your fingers from the abuses of stainless-steel hose. Right - The Koul Tools EZ-ON Hose Press is designed to turn the push-lock hose assembly process into quick work.

Pain And Misery On Assembly

There are a number of ways to assemble reusable AN fittings without using any special tools, nearly all of which involve cutting the hose to length and then attempting to twist it into the hose socket without cutting up your fingertips or wrecking the hose in the process. We’ve seen people using a cut-off wheel, a super-sharp chisel, a hacksaw and various other ways to trim the hose to length. None of these methods address the actual assembly of the hose and fittings, which has always been a labor of hate.

Clockwise from top left - If your particular socket requires a shim in the tool, place it behind the socket. The tool is placed in the vise, and the hose end is twisted into place through the funnel in the tool. Once the socket is taken apart, depth of the hose in the socket is checked, and then the socket can be placed in the vise jaws for installation of the fitting.

When the hose is cut, due to the braid the ends of the hose can become frayed, and this is where the bloody fingers came into the picture in the past – trying to stuff the frayed ends of the hose into the fitting’s socket, then screw in the center section of the fitting, was horrific enough to cause many a racer to swear off this type of hose assembly altogether.

Left to Right - A couple of drops of oil on the fitting's nipple, and the threads of the hose socket, the proper sized AN wrench, and some elbow grease, and you've got a fitting that's installed and ready to go - without bloody fingertips or any cursing at all. They really do work as easily as advertised!

The problem no longer exists as Koul Tools has developed its AN Hose Assembly tools, which are available from -4 to -16 sizes in a variety of kits designed to satisfy the needs of the enthusiast and racer. The tools themselves are manufactured from a high tech composite that resists wear and simplifies the assembly process by holding the fitting’s socket in place – and in the process, won’t mark up the beautiful new fittings you just spent a pile of money on.

Koul Tools Install Tips

  • Make sure to use the proper spacer or shim to ensure the fitting can’t spin in the tool
  • Use a few drops of oil in the conical entrance of the Koul tool
  • Twist the hose into place, don’t just push it straight in
  • It’s possible to over-install the hose; if so, just twist it back out to the proper depth
  • Ensure the fitting is snug in the capsule, use adapters if necessary
Koul Tools owner and lifelong inventor Dick Raczuk is the former owner of Kerker Exhaust, and back in the ’70s and ’80s had a side job as a tool maker for Honda, along with a passion for hot rods.

“I was actually working on installing a twin-turbo Northstar engine into a Graham Hollywood, and there was an immense amount of plumbing involved in building this car,” remembers Raczuk. “There are times where you can cut a stainless line and it slips right into place, but other times when you cut it, it frays all over the place; with our tools it doesn’t make a difference.”

The tool is placed into a vise with the socket portion of the fitting inside. Then, the funnel section of the assembly tool allows the builder to screw the hose right into the socket without ever touching the ends of the hose, and never so much as nicking a fingertip in the process.

Once the hose is installed into the socket, the hose end gets placed into the vise to secure it and prepare it for installation of the fitting itself. It’s recommended at this point to have a set of aluminum jaws for the vise to prevent marring up the fitting, or electrical tape can be wound around the fitting to protect it from damage.

We’ve even seen people wrap the fitting in thin fabric to protect it, but it’s always advisable to have the proper tools for the job. A set of AN wrenches is also preferable to avoid marring the finish.

The Graham Hollywood that inspired the idea behind Koul Tools’ AN Hose Assembly tools – after fighting with all of this stainless line Dick Raczuk invented the Koul tools.

Complete Solution For Push-Lock Hose

One item gaining popularity with racers over the last several years is the push-on style hose, which simplifies the installation process by removing the socket from the equation and taking the stainless steel out of the picture to offer a substantial weight savings.

The push-on hose is accepted by NHRA and the other major sanctioning bodies for use, but much like the stainless-steel hose, was difficult to install at best. Raczuk saw a need for a complete tool to perform the installation job from end to end, and thus the EZ-On Hose Press was born.

Clockwise from top left - The EZ-On Hose Press is just that - easy on! Install the proper adapter into the press, seat your fitting, ratchet the hose into place, and that's it. The money and time and frustration saved by purchasing this tool will pay you back in spades the very first time you use it.

In the past, installing the push-on hose was a challenge; although it would seem simpler than the stainless-braided design, holding the fitting in place and pushing the hose on without marring the fitting was another huge challenge – so Koul Tools developed a super-simple solution in the form of their investment-cast-steel EZ-On Hose Press.

The manufacturer recommends that you boil water, then put the hose into the water until it reaches 200 degrees. Then you’re struggling with this 45 degree fitting and a hot hose – give me a break! – Dick Raczuk, Koul Tools

“I had to build some push-on hoses for a project. Sometimes with a straight fitting you can push it right on, but not usually,” says Raczuk. “The manufacturer recommends that you boil water, then put the hose into the water until it reaches 200 degrees. Then you’re struggling with this 45-degree fitting and a hot hose – give me a break! All you have to do with the EZ-On Press is lube the inside of the hose and the outside of the fitting, and it goes on in three seconds.”

The Hose Press is delivered with adapters from -4 to -16 AN fitting sizes and is so simple in operation you’ll wonder why you didn’t design it yourself. Each adapter is color-coded and fits only one size of hose.

The Hose Press holds the push-lock fitting in place, then clamps the hose in between a pair of ribbed jaws with simple adjustment wheels. Simply place the adapter in place in the jaws, sit the fitting in place, put a bit of oil on the fitting and inside the hose, and clamp the hose into the press jaws. A simple 17mm socket on the end of a small air gun or even an electric drill makes quick work of the assembly process – just check out the video below.

How To Use The EZ-ON Hose Press

About the author

Jason Reiss

Jason draws on over 15 years of experience in the automotive publishing industry, and collaborates with many of the industry's movers and shakers to create compelling technical articles and high-quality race coverage.
Read My Articles

Horsepower delivered to your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from EngineLabs, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
EngineLabs NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


LSX Mag
Late Model LS Vehicles
Dragzine
Drag Racing
StreetMuscle
Muscle Car & Hot Rods

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • LSX Mag Late Model LS Vehicles
  • Dragzine Drag Racing
  • Street Muscle Mag Muscle Car & Hot Rods

EngineLabs

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

EngineLabs

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading