There are plenty of good ideas in racing. The excitement comes when a good idea is made even better.
Earl's Performance Plumbing, a division of Holley, has offered quality hose and fittings since its beginning. By developing its Swivel-Seal hose ends, Earl's has made the task of automotive plumbing less of a chore. These ends allow the hose to be threaded directly into a female port. There's no need for an adapter fitting. The coupler can then be rotated independent of the hose end.
There's no doubt it's a good idea, but the engineers at Earl's weren't satisfied with resting on their laurels. The company has recently developed the Ano-Tuff Swivel-Seal hose end. By using hard anodized aluminum, users can expect superior wear characteristics and corrosion resistance. Hard anodizing is an electrical process that forms a thick, hard coating on the outer shell of the material. It is an extreme oxidation process and not a coating, so the material does not debond from the surface.
The process is military-spec type 3 anodizing. It is used in marine applications to make parts impervious to alcohol. Type 3 provides a dull black finish, but the engineers at Earl's apply the process in layers to get a shiny black finish.
The increase is only on the technology side of the parts, as Earl's offers the Ano-Tuff fittings at a cost-effective price. Like all Swivel-Seal ends, these units are designed for use with Earl's Perform-O-Flex or Pro-Lite 350 braid-protected hose.
In its initial offering, Ano-Tuff was available in applications including straight, 45-degree and 90-degree low profile, and 45-degree tube. The company is expected to aggressively expand its offerings in the future. The hose ends are now available in most popular sizes.
There's a certain degree of confidence to be gained with the understanding that the smallest parts are doing the required job. With the hard-anodizing process of these hose ends, the job will be done for a long time to come.
