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[GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106877] Sat, 27 November 2010 10:09 Go to next message
emerystora is currently offline  emerystora   United States
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Registered: January 2004
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Senior Member
I know there has been a lot written lately on the "right" air bag fittings to use with your GMC air lines.

Before there was such a thing as the GMCnet with its great advice, back about 1984, I decided to do something about my leaking plastic fittings.

I went to the hardware store and bought some 1/4" brass compression fittings in straight and in 90 degree and then some nylon "glands" and the little brass inserts such as used on refrigerator ice makers. Those fittings are still working fine on my GMC 26 years later. They haven't leaked nor required replacement so I just haven't bothered to replace them with the Parker or other such fittings.

Once when crossing a bridge north of Boston in 1986 my right airbag suddenly went flat. I got over the bridge and pulled to the curb right in front of a little hardware store. Examination showed that my air line had rubbed on my tire and burned a small hole into it. I went into the hardware store and bought a brass coupling and the inserts and nylon glands and repaired the line. It has been there ever since and, again, I have not seen the need to replace it with a new line.

I still have some spare fittings and inserts and glands in my toolbox just in case.


Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM


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Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106884 is a reply to message #106877] Sat, 27 November 2010 12:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
bukzin is currently offline  bukzin   United States
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Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
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Good info.


I am unclear regarding the 'glands'.

Have you posted and photos?


Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106887 is a reply to message #106884] Sat, 27 November 2010 12:29 Go to previous messageGo to next message
emerystora is currently offline  emerystora   United States
Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004
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Senior Member

On Nov 27, 2010, at 11:12 AM, Richard wrote:

>
>
> Good info.
>
>
> I am unclear regarding the 'glands'.
>
> Have you posted and photos?
> --
> Bukzin
> 1977 Palm Beach
> Chico California
The "glands" are sometimes called "wedding rings". For copper tubing they are the round "things" with a hole in the center that you slide over the tubing and which the nut compresses to seal the fitting. Nylon ones are available for plastic tubing but you need to use the brass inserts to keep the tubing from collapsing. Just look for ice maker hookup parts in the hardware store.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM


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Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106889 is a reply to message #106877] Sat, 27 November 2010 13:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
Senior Member
Emery,

The "right" fittings are whatever works and obviously yours are "right!"

When I bought Double Trouble (1975 Avion with Power Level system) it had
JR's valves in it but all the rest of the system was a hodge podge of
fittings and lines that had spliced, patched, chafed, rubbed, with bodgy
valves in the OEM air bags. I decided to replace the lot along with the OEM
air bags (I got one new spare with the coach and Ken Frey supplied the
second). I bought all new colored air lines from McMaster Carr.

I was down at the COOP when I did this job so I took a piece of my air line
from McMaster-Carr over to see Florida Motion & Control who supply fittings
to Jim B. They showed me four different types of air line fittings:

1) the fittings you note below with the brass insert tube and metal ferrule
2) a fitting that had a brass insert tube machined into the fitting itself
with plastic glands (ferrule)
3) Parker Hannifin (PH) push in air brake fittings - with o-ring seals
4) PH fittings with a SS tube pressed into brass fittings with Teflon
coating on the pipe threads, brass a brass ferrule.

Since 3) & 4) were DOT approved for air brake systems I figger'd they'd be
the best. I settled on number 4) because they were cheaper than 3). I felt
that 3) was for use in a system that required R&R as they were easy to undo
and I wouldn't be undoing the system (hopefully). I also installed two of
the manifold kits that Jim B sells and added a gage to each side.

So far so good as the rear air system has performed flawlessly.

Regards,
Rob M.
USAussie


-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org
[mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Emery Stora
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 10:10 AM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings

I know there has been a lot written lately on the "right" air bag fittings
to use with your GMC air lines.

Before there was such a thing as the GMCnet with its great advice, back
about 1984, I decided to do something about my leaking plastic fittings.

I went to the hardware store and bought some 1/4" brass compression fittings
in straight and in 90 degree and then some nylon "glands" and the little
brass inserts such as used on refrigerator ice makers. Those fittings are
still working fine on my GMC 26 years later. They haven't leaked nor
required replacement so I just haven't bothered to replace them with the
Parker or other such fittings.

Once when crossing a bridge north of Boston in 1986 my right airbag suddenly
went flat. I got over the bridge and pulled to the curb right in front of a
little hardware store. Examination showed that my air line had rubbed on my
tire and burned a small hole into it. I went into the hardware store and
bought a brass coupling and the inserts and nylon glands and repaired the
line. It has been there ever since and, again, I have not seen the need to
replace it with a new line.

I still have some spare fittings and inserts and glands in my toolbox just
in case.


Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM


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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106890 is a reply to message #106884] Sat, 27 November 2010 13:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
USAussie is currently offline  USAussie   United States
Messages: 15912
Registered: July 2007
Location: Sydney, Australia
Karma: 6
Senior Member
Richard,

Glands are also known as ferrules. They can be made of plastic or the same
material as the fittings.

The cut/compress into the OD of the tube to keep it from blowing out of the
fitting.

IIRC from my days of building ground support equipment at the Johnson Space
Center Parker Hannifin used single piece ferrules and Swagelok used two
piece ferrules.

Regards,
Rob M.
USAussie

-----Original Message-----
From: gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org
[mailto:gmclist-bounces@temp.gmcnet.org] On Behalf Of Richard
Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 12:12 PM
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings



Good info.


I am unclear regarding the 'glands'.

Have you posted and photos?
--
Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
Chico California
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Regards, Rob M. (USAussie) The Pedantic Mechanic Sydney, Australia '75 Avion - AUS - The Blue Streak TZE365V100428 '75 Avion - USA - Double Trouble TZE365V100426
Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106891 is a reply to message #106887] Sat, 27 November 2010 13:11 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bob Maxwell+   United States
Messages: 75
Registered: November 2010
Location: Belén, New Mexico
Karma: 0
Member
Emery,

Just joined and we are going to look at the '76 Palm Beach that CW has on
their Abq lot. Estelle and I hope to have our own GMC soon. This kind of
info will be very helpful. We live in Rio Communities. I used to live in the
'01 zip code in Cuyamungue instead of up in Los Alamos.

There are a few GMC owners on our RV Forum where I run the Virtual Campfire,
on goes by GMChosier, in Noblesville IN as I remember.

Bob Maxwell†
Elkhart HS, '59

www.rvforum.net

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved
body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting "...Thank
you Jesus ...what a ride!"

Subject: Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings

>The "glands" are sometimes called "wedding rings". For copper tubing they
are the round "things" with a hole in the center that you slide over the
tubing and which the nut compresses to seal the fitting. Nylon ones are
available for plastic tubing but you need to use the brass inserts to keep
the tubing from collapsing. Just look for ice maker hookup parts in the
hardware store.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM


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Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106897 is a reply to message #106891] Sat, 27 November 2010 15:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Hardie Johnson is currently offline  Hardie Johnson   United States
Messages: 483
Registered: January 2004
Location: Raleigh NC
Karma: 0
Senior Member
bmaxwell wrote on Sat, 27 November 2010 14:11

Emery,
Just joined and we are going to look at the '76 Palm Beach that CW has on their Abq lot. Estelle and I hope to have our own GMC soon. This kind of info will be very helpful. We live in Rio Communities. I used to live in the '01 zip code in Cuyamungue instead of up in Los Alamos.
There are a few GMC owners on our RV Forum where I run the Virtual Campfire, on goes by GMChosier, in Noblesville IN as I remember.

Bob Maxwell�
Elkhart HS, '59
<>

Bob, very interesting, I am sure some of will join in your forum. BTW, when you use an old email and change the subject it does not change the number sequence and shows up in the old thread. Be sure to start a fresh one for a new topic.


Hardie Johnson "Crashj"
1973 26 foot Glacier, White Thing
Raleigh NC
Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106900 is a reply to message #106889] Sat, 27 November 2010 16:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
emerystora is currently offline  emerystora   United States
Messages: 4442
Registered: January 2004
Karma: 13
Senior Member

On Nov 27, 2010, at 12:03 PM, Rob Mueller wrote:

> Emery,
>
> The "right" fittings are whatever works and obviously yours are "right!"
>
>
I just want all to know that I was not trying to be negative on the use of Parker or DOT approved fittings.

With the knowledge gained from the net I probably would go out and buy them if I were doing the work today. However, I thought that I was being very inventive at the time.

I actually have some Parker fittings in my tool box just in case I need to replace any of the old ones.

My posting was mainly to let people know that if they have an emergency situation the hardware store ones work very well to make a repair on the road.

Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Santa Fe, NM


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Re: [GMCnet] Air Bag fittings [message #106902 is a reply to message #106884] Sat, 27 November 2010 16:40 Go to previous message
Ken Henderson is currently offline  Ken Henderson   United States
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Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma: 9
Senior Member
"Gland" = "Sleeve" = "Wedding Ring" = "Sleeve" = "Ferrule" = Little brass or
nylon ring which slips over the tubing after the nut is put on it. When the
nut is tightened on the fitting, the ferrule (as I've always called them) is
squeezed tight against the tubing and against the seat in the fitting to
provide a gas-tight seal. The brass ones can be permanently deformed into
the tubing, thus the need for an insert when the tubing is not metal.

Ken H.



On Sat, Nov 27, 2010 at 1:12 PM, Richard <bukzin@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> I am unclear regarding the 'glands'.
>
>
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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