Builders;
There are two phrases that people use around aircraft construction and maintenance that make my skin crawl, challenge my anger management training, and earned me the ancient moniker “The Worlds Worst Buddhist” (for my talk of tolerance, but failure to demonstrate it) These phrases are:
“It will be alright” – If that was certain, there would be no need to say it around in an attention to justify the corner being cut;
“These are just as good” – If they were, the original product would have never been developed, nor would I have specified it by brand name.
In this story we will look at hose ends, and see how the second phrase should not be uttered in my presence when I speak of Earl’s brand hose ends.
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On the Left, Earl’s Brand “Swivel Seal” hose end. These are the only hose ends I use on anything. I may drive junk trucks, drink cheap beer and have the wardrobe of a homeless person, but when it comes to hose ends, these are the only ones I ever use. If you care to know their pedigree, read the Earl’s site and find out that every single car that finished the Indy 500 for 30 years was 100% equipped with Earl’s hoses and fittings. They cost about 30% more than run of the mill ‘ok’ hose ends.
The hose end on the right is a Summit house brand fitting. It has an end like a certified Aeroquip, but it doesn’t work like one. Lets look at the next picture to see an issue.
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Above, same Summit hose end. The shoulder between the nut and the flare is disintegrating. This was overtourqued by the person who installed it, but still, it should not have done this. This is junk. If you look above, the person who made the hose also put silver anti seize on the nipple, and that is a no-no. The only thing that goes in the hose is oil.
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Above, these are Swivel Seal hose ends. Notice how different the nipple end is. (Earls also makes a barbed style end that is not called “Swivel Seal” , do not use them, they are for low pressure applications. ) This nipple end cuts its own o-ring of sorts out to the Earl’s hose. (While we are on it, the ONLY hose to use is Earl’s Auto-Flex) Lets look at the next picture……
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Above, a hose that was assembled, that I took apart to show you how the nipple end of the Swivel Seal hose end cuts a prefect circle into the end of the hose. This stuff isn’t just good, it is also easy to assemble.
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Pay attention to conversation and internet posts, and look for people using the two phrases above. They are not just phrases, they are a mind set, one you want to give a wide berth in aviation.
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PS, I thank everyone in advance for not using either of the phrases to me, even joking, as I try to watch my blood pressure, and because the title “Worlds worst Buddhist” may sound funny, but no one wants to meet him.
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William
Good tip, nice hack, fanatic, OCD, control freak drama……NO! THIS IS A DAMN PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT!! Pay Attention. This is Insider, evidence based, experience based, ‘do it like this or go home’. It is also the kind of love based attention to detail that is meant to save our lives. Thank you Mr. William!
I was laughing through the whole post. Not laughing at you, William, but at how true it is. Good comedy has truth at the core, and there’s a lot of truth in what you wrote.
Hoses on an airplane are not there to water the plants. Their failure or misuse or misapplication usually affects flight safety. Well made tools and products make things work better, and are often easier to assemble. Going cheap on an item like an oil hose or connection is kind of like someone scrubbing the decks of a boat when there’s a hole in the hull.
You can’t be called “The Worlds Worst Buddhist” because your priorities are straight. In flying, safety is the most important goal, and being tolerant of unsafe practices and materials is not being in tune with nature: it’s a matter of life and death.
BTW, I have taken fashion advice from you. My work T-shirts are mostly black, as you said yours are, so that the stains from stuff I’m working on don’t show.