Braided lines?

[sharky]

Ok, my 95 teg is getting pretty long in the tooth - new engine, new gear box and ill be finishing uni at the end of the year which means new car. But, im worried about the resale and wanting to clean up the engine bay (cos it looks like s**t atm) and i was thinking a nice de-grease + steam clean and installing some braided lines. This is basically to make everything like neat and clean as best i can.

Has anyone had experience with installing braided lines and whether this is a job someone with limited technical experience can do?

[dsp26]

as in those hose dress up kit braided lines for the engine bay?

their easy... just depends how pedantic/neat you wanna be

[Limbo]

If your taking about braided line they use for oil hoses....

Braided lines are abit of a pain to put in. The ends have a tendency to flick up and stab you as you put the fittings on.
It is doable by a novice.

This is my experience from putting braided hoses into speedflow fittings
Here's the trick. Use some duct tape to tape up a nice part of braided hose that is not yet moved. Cut the lose threads with a thin angle grinder blade, leaving the taped bit. It should have kept the hose threads in a neat pattern.
Now you need a small flat head screwdriver and then work the braided hose into the fitting. You might want to use some of the oil they sell it helps. Then you need to start at one point and then work your way around it. Takes a few goes to get good at it. I stabbed myself quite a few times.

The bigger the hose the harder it is to get it in.

Or you can buy pre-fab braided lines and just hook them up. Can't rem how much they charge for it now, but they will fit the ends on for you for a fee.

Then just screw them in

[JohnL]

If the rest of the car isn't really pretty then nice new braided lines will just show up the rest of the car as being sub standadrd. IMO they'll look a bit strange and out of place in a slightly tatty engine bay, cleaned up or not.

For resale you'd be better off just leaving it look stock, most buyers won't be impressed by it, and others will be put off because it might make them think the car has been owned by a hoon. Just 2c worth of wisdom...

[dsp26]

Limbo: yeah their all loose and sorta prickly at the ends.. depends on the kit you get but you can fold them in before threading them through and get that locking end piece to hold it.

Did it for a friend for radiator hoses which is the easiest as its the biggest and loosest... fuel lines would be annoying as well

[sharky]

cool, thanks guys

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