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Hoses
Pontiac V8 Hoses
Line First, Fittings Second — Hoses for Pontiac V8s
Hoses are the part of an AN system that has to live in the engine bay. The dash size sets how much fuel or oil the line passes, the liner decides what you can run through it, and the cover decides whether a header eventually eats the line.
Butler stocks Russell ProFlex stainless braided hose in -4, -6, -8, -10, -12 and -16, sold by the foot, plus Russell Twist-Lok push-on hose in -6 by the foot or in a 25 ft roll. Russell lists both as compatible with hydrocarbon and alcohol based fuels, so a pump gas or E85 Pontiac V8 is covered either way.
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1. ProFlex or Twist-Lok
Butler carries two Russell hose families. They are not interchangeable, either in how you assemble them or in where they belong on the car.
| Russell ProFlex | a stainless steel outer braid over a nylon inner braid and a reinforced CPE synthetic rubber liner that will not collapse under extreme heat. Russell lists a temperature range of -40 degrees F to +350 degrees F and NHRA approval for competition use. This is the hose for a run that passes near headers. |
| Russell Twist-Lok | a lightweight synthetic rubber push-on hose for jobs where a stainless braid is not necessary. Russell rates it to 250 psi with Twist-Lok ends, calls it suitable for most fuel and oil systems, and says not to use it for power steering. Butler stocks it in -6 at 0.375" inside diameter. |
| Both handle modern fuel | Russell lists ProFlex and Twist-Lok as compatible with hydrocarbon and alcohol based fuels, lubricants and additives, which matters on ethanol blended pump gas as much as on a dedicated E85 combination. |
2. What the dash size actually means
The dash number is a size code, not the diameter of the hose in your hand. Russell publishes a nominal inside diameter for each size, and that is the number to build around.
| -4 is 1/4" nominal | small oil and fuel lines, fuel pressure gauge lines and vacuum lines. |
| -6 is 3/8" nominal | carburetor, fuel and oil lines. Most street Pontiac V8 fuel plumbing lands here. |
| -8 is 1/2" nominal | fuel, oil and water lines, and the step up when a big inch combination outgrows -6. |
| -10 and -12 are 5/8" and 3/4" nominal | fuel, oil and water lines plus heater hose duty, and the usual sizes for pump feed and cell plumbing. |
| -16 is 1" nominal | large fuel, oil and water plumbing. |
3. Buying hose by the foot
ProFlex here is sold per foot, so enter the footage as the quantity. Twist-Lok -6 comes either by the foot or as a 25 ft roll for plumbing a car front to back.
| Measure the route, not the straight line | a frame rail run picks up length at every bend, and each hose end consumes length of its own. |
| Match the end to the hose family | ProFlex takes Full Flow style hose ends, Twist-Lok takes Twist-Lok ends. Mixing the two is the most common mistake on a first AN build. |
If you are unsure how much to buy, call Butler with the pump, the carburetor or EFI unit, and where the tank sits. That is usually enough to get the size and the footage right the first time.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Email our tech team at tech@butlerperformance.com. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.