PRI 2017: Koul Tools’ Innovative Answer to Damaged -AN Fittings


It’s a Saturday night pit thrash at the dragstrip, and you get a heavy scratch or burr on one of your male -AN fittings. The more extensive problem results when your fitting becomes a “leaker,” because no matter how hard you crank down on that -AN fitting, it is leaking whatever gas or fluid at the juncture.

Koul Tools has developed another one of their “cool tools,” this time to save the damaged -AN fitting. The repair process is straightforward with their new Fitting Fixer. Richard Raczuk explained the efficient way their new tool set can get you back to racing and leak-free.

“We first insert the male -AN fitting into the guide which both holds the fitting in place and guides a lapping tool over the fitting. We then place the lapping head onto a drill and lubricate,” Raczuk demonstrates further. “The lapping head is inserted into the guide and against the fitting. You then spin the drill it intermittently while applying light pressure about a half dozen times. Inspect the sealing surface to see if there are still any imperfections. Just repeat the lapping process until you have a clean surface.”

Screw the fitting into the appropriate sized guide. Holding the lapping head upward, spray a light lubricant into the cavity. This allows the lube to stay inside.

The Fitting Fixer lapping head utilizes an inverted cone. It is coated with a diamond-dust abrasive to repair the conical surface and restore the seal with the flared fitting.

One of the awesome features of the small two-part guide and lapping head is that you can easily repair hard to remove or welded fittings such as those on a fuel tank, for example, by threading the guide over the fitting at its location as long as the lapping head and drill fit in the area as well.

Insert the lapping head into the guide and over the fitting. Spin the lapping head on the fitting, releasing every 2-3 seconds to prevent clogging of the abrasive residue. After about 5-6 passes with the drill, remove the fitting. Next, clean and inspect the sealing surface. Repeat step 5 if necessary.

As part of their display at the 2107 Performance Racing Industry Trade Show, Koul Tools had this Fitting Fixer for sizes -3, -4, -6, and -8 size -AN fittings. Fitting Fixers may be purchased individually or in a 4-pack set. More sizes and sets will be available in the future.

See more info at: https://koultools.com/product/fitting-fixer/

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About the author

Todd Silvey

Todd has been a hardcore drag racing journalist since 1987. He is constantly on both sides of the guardwall from racing photography and editorship to drag racing cars of every shape and class.
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