PTFE hose, what the heck is it? Why is PTFE hose better than rubber?

So you have heard about Hot Rod fuel hose and this PTFE stuff they are talking about? Cool let's see if we can answer some questions about it. 

PTFE is short for Polytetrafluoroethylene - That's a long word, but being long must mean it's good! The most common name for PTFE materials is known by the trademarked name TEFLON. 

Mr Hot Rod fuel hose why the heck do I need PTFE hose on my new Hot Rod build?

Well there are a few benefits that PTFE hose offers over regular rubber lined hoses. 

The first - PTFE hose acts as a vapor barrier and prevents gasoline odors from seeping out into the garage or shop when your ride is taking a break from doing burn outs. 

Second - PTFE lined hose has supreme chemical resistance and supports a bunch of automotive fluids that regular rubber just can't. The most common of which is blended gasoline containing ethanol. Regular rubber hoses break down from exposure to this gasoline and eventually degrade to the point where they may begin to leak or spray fuel - Pretty dangerous. 

Third - PTFE lined hose has a very high temperature tolerance - In fact the hose that is sold by Hot Rod fuel hose has a working temperature range of -60 degrees Celsius to over +200 degree Celsius. Perfect for running plumbing on your hot rod.

Fourth- Hot Rod fuel hose PTFE lined hose has a very high working pressure, again making sure you can use it for all types of automotive and hot rod applications. AN6 size is good to 2500PSI and AN8 is good to 2000 PSI - more than enough pressure for even the most demanding applications. 

Anything else? Yes actually - The braiding available on our hose ensures a long life and sharp looking install. When you choose stainless steel it has a sharp look and gives a professional Hot Rod feel to your plumbing project. Black nylon if you want a more subdued look. But did you know that the Black nylon still has a stainless steel liner. We just cover the stainless with the Black nylon for a different look. 

Now Available - Blue and Red nylon braided PTFE lined hose by Hot Rod fuel hose in size AN6.

So PTFE hose sounds pretty good - Anything that sucks about it?

Well I don't think anything makes PTFE hose "suck" but there are some things you need to know. 

1- With PTFE lined hose you need to use appropriate fittings by the same manufacturer of the hose to ensure a good seal on the fitting. As the seal is created with a ferrule rather than just an insert as on rubber hose more care is needed during cutting. See our Installation Instructions for more information. 

2- The bend radius on PTFE hose is more strict as it will kink more easily if you go past the specifications. See our article on Bend Radius for more information. 

And not the case with Hot Rod fuel hose but if you are shopping around PTFE hose is generally more expensive than rubber lined hoses - Hot Rod fuel hose is priced very aggressively often times better price than rubber hoses and will last for a very long time.