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LTX and LSXPutting LT1s, LS1s, and their variants into Third Gens is becoming more popular. This board is for those who are doing and have done the swaps so they can discuss all of their technical aspects including repairs, swap info, and performance upgrades.
I recently started making new AC lines for my car and wanted to make them look better than the bare rubber hose. After I crimped them, I sleeved them in techflex and then cleaned up the ends with some heat shrink hose clamps. They turned out way better than I hoped for. I will likely go this same route with my cooling hose and ditch the -20AN line.
Back in 2022 I did something [boring to most people] and read the whole Raychem heat shrink catalog and made myself a spreadsheet to help me select products. I never shared it here because it is too large to be printer friendly, and this forum won't accept it as an attached file to a post.
I recently started making new AC lines for my car and wanted to make them look better than the bare rubber hose. After I crimped them, I sleeved them in techflex and then cleaned up the ends with some heat shrink hose clamps. They turned out way better than I hoped for. I will likely go this same route with my cooling hose and ditch the -20AN line.
Will that heat shrink be able to withstand the pressure from the AC system? Ive been using those (gates) on my heater hoses, but am reluctant to use them on the AC lines. Less those are different from the gates shrink fittings im using.
Will that heat shrink be able to withstand the pressure from the AC system? Ive been using those (gates) on my heater hoses, but am reluctant to use them on the AC lines. Less those are different from the gates shrink fittings im using.
The AC hose and fittings take all the pressure. The heat shrink is just for aesthetics and works great. I only use it to make everything "pretty".
Got it. its crimped the standard way under that heat shrink? You crimping the coolant lines too?
For AC yes. They are normal lines underneath the "decorative heat shrink". Coolant is different. I am using the gates heat shrink in place of the traditional worm clamps. I'm using normal coolant hoses, jacketed in a sleeve and secured to my barbed AN rad fittings. They work great and seal up when the engine is at temp (hard to get a heat gun around the engine bay to get all sides of the shrink). The downside is you need to razor cut them off should you need to remove a hose. Keep a hose clamp on hand just in case.
The downside is you need to razor cut them off should you need to remove a hose. Keep a hose clamp on hand just in case.
This is why i only used them on the hard line side of the hose. I bought the big ones for the rad hoses, but couldn't decide which side to use the clamp one. Since i usually remove them entirely when i need to disconnect it for whatever reason.
Will that heat shrink be able to withstand the pressure from the AC system? Ive been using those (gates) on my heater hoses, but am reluctant to use them on the AC lines. Less those are different from the gates shrink fittings im using.
All are G-Plus brand from ebay. Lower is cherokee upper rad hose (cut to fit). Heater hose are two 90* elbows w/ 2" cut off for the opposite end
Exception is the upper radiator hose. That is OBX-r for a mid 2k corvette.
