X-Mozilla-Keys:                                                                                 
I had a long talk with my old buddy Earl of Earl's supply
today. Earl built up the business from a garage operation
in the 60's selling surplus  when I first met him to a 
multi-million dollar operation it is today with several 
large world wide locations. Earl's fittings look like AN 
but they don't pass FAA muster. This the key idea that 
allowed Earl to get rich.

The racers wanted AN looking fittings but they did not want 
to pay for FAA certification. He started making and selling
AN look-a-like fittings to people that did not need real 
AN fittings. They are probably just as good as AN fittings
but they don't have the FAA required paper trail.

I asked him if there was anything new in radiator plumbing
and he said not really -20 (1-1/8 ID) and -24 
(1-3/8 ID) are still used for radiators but it is still 
stiff and hard to bend. He cautions that it will
fatique and break most rad necks unless they are designed
for it.  Size 28 (1-1/2 ID) and size 32 (1-3/4 ID) are 
available in "Econo Fit" which is another
name for hose clamps. Earl does have some stainless steel
corrugated pipe used for rad hose but it is not exactly
smooth inside. That is called "Form-A-Flex". That too is held
on with hose clamps. 

Earl sells wiggins couplings made by 
others but he does have wiggins to hose adaptors in
the -20 and -24 sizes. These come in stright, 45 degree
and 90 degree bends. These are called EZ-Loc or MALE 
Hose Ends in Earl's parlance. 

The price of just the  wiggins
couplings, less the the tube end parts and O rings is
about $40 in the 1-1/2 inch size. I think we can make
some for less than that in quantities of 100 or so.
If anybody is interested let me know.

BTW Earl calls the wiggins couplings Tube Flex Couplers
just so the Earl's sales person knows what you are 
talking about.

These accomodate a 1/4 inch of expansion and 8 degrees
total misalignment for vibration isolation. Of 
course they can also rotate 360 degrees for 
initial alignment.

Paul Lamar
 
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