How to Assemble Goodridge Fittings: Step-by-Step Guide on 200 & 600 Series

Trying to figure out how to assemble Goodridge fittings? 

A Goodridge braided hose that's been assembled wrong looks identical to one that's been assembled right. The difference shows up under pressure, when one of them leaks and the other doesn't.

Goodridge 200 and 600 series fittings are reusable and well engineered, but the assembly tolerances aren't forgiving. Skip a step, mix up parts between series, or stop tightening half a turn early, and the fitting either leaks straight away or holds for a few sessions and fails later.

This guide covers full assembly instructions for both series, taken from the Goodridge Ltd handbook: tools, hose preparation, the assembly sequence for each series, mandatory pressure testing, and the common mistakes that catch people out.

Goodridge 200 vs 600 Series: What's the Difference?

The two series look similar from the outside but use different internal construction and different fitting types. Mixing components between them is the most common assembly failure on a first build.

200 Series Hose with 236/336 Fittings

The 200 (and 210) series uses a stainless steel overbraid with a synthetic inner. The fittings are two parts: a socket (typically red) and a main fitting body (typically blue). Common applications include fuel lines, oil lines, and other high pressure fluid transfer where a PTFE inner liner isn't required.

600 Series PTFE Smooth Bore Hose and Fittings

The 600 series is built with a PTFE inner tube wrapped in a stainless steel overbraid. The fittings are three parts: main fitting body, olive, and socket. The olive is the critical extra component. It sits inside the stainless steel overbraid against the PTFE tube and forms the seal when the socket is tightened. Assembly also requires a Goodridge mandrel to flare out the stainless steel overbraid.

 

Which Series Should You Use?

For brake and clutch lines on most road and competition applications, 600 series is the standard choice. For fuel, oil, or any application where a PTFE smooth bore is preferred (better chemical compatibility, lower friction, wider temperature range), use 600 series.

We recommend to use 200 Series for low pressure applications and where PTFE smooth bore is not required. Some applications include, Fuel, Oil, Water etc

Tools and Parts You'll Need

Most of this is standard workshop kit. The two things worth getting right are a smooth or soft jaw vice and the correct lubricant. Note the 600 series needs one extra tool that the 200 series doesn't.

For Both Series

• Smooth jaw vice (aluminium or soft jaws to avoid marking the fitting)

• Fine tooth saw blade or cut-off wheel

• Good quality wrench, ideally an aluminium AN spanner

• Duck Oil or similar commercial lubricant (Goodridge specifically recommend Duck Oil)

• Masking tape

• Clean rag and compressed air for clearing debris

• Tape measure or ruler to cut the hose to the required length

• Old rag or cardboard to protect painted surfaces nearby. Brake fluid strips paint on contact and damages most plastics

For 600 Series Only

Appropriately sized Goodridge mandrel, matched to your hose size. This is used to flare the stainless steel overbraid away from the PTFE inner tube. Trying to do this with anything else risks tearing the PTFE.

Parts

Goodridge hose in the correct series and dash size, plus matching Goodridge fittings in the right series, size, and angle (straight, 30, 45, 90, 120, or 150 degrees). Don't mix series. A 600 series socket won't seal on 200 series hose, and vice versa.

How to Assemble Goodridge 200 Series Fittings

The procedure below covers 236 and 336 series fittings on 200 or 210 series hose, taken from the Goodridge handbook.

Step 1: Cut the Hose to Length

Measure the required length and bind masking tape tightly around the hose at the cut point. Cut through with a fine tooth saw blade or cut-off wheel, leaving the tape on both ends so the stainless steel overbraid doesn't fray. Clean any loose debris from both cut ends and inside the hose.

Step 2: Disassemble and Identify the Fitting

On a clean flat surface, separate the fitting into its two parts: the socket (typically red) and the main fitting body (typically blue).

Tip from Goodridge: wrap a small piece of tape behind the socket. This gives you a visual reference to check whether the hose is being pushed out of the socket during tightening. If the tape mark moves, the assembly needs to be restarted.

Step 3: Feed the Hose into the Socket

Hold the socket in the smooth jaw vice. Feed one end of the hose into the socket by turning clockwise and pushing. Keep turning and pushing until the hose finishes just behind the socket threads.

Step 4: Fit the Main Body

Hold the main fitting body in the vice. Lubricate the thread with Duck Oil. Push the hose and socket assembly over the spigot of the main body and start to thread the socket onto the fitting by hand. Hand tighten until it becomes too tight to move.

Step 5: Tighten with a Wrench

Use a good quality wrench to finish tightening the socket onto the fitting. Keep going until the socket is one full turn from the back of the fitting hex. That visible gap is your confirmation the assembly is complete.

Step 6: Pressure Test

Pressure test the finished assembly before installing it on the vehicle. The procedure is covered below.

How to Assemble Goodridge 600 Series Fittings

The 600 series uses a three part fitting and adds two extra steps: flaring the stainless steel overbraid with a mandrel, and pushing an olive onto each end of the PTFE inner tube. Skip either and the fitting won't seal.

Step 1: Cut the Hose to Length

Cut the hose to your required length using a fine tooth saw blade or cut-off wheel. Clean any loose debris from both cut ends and the inside of the hose. Lubricate the threads with Duck Oil before assembly.

Step 2: Identify the Three Parts

Place the fitting on a clean flat surface and disassemble. The 600 series fitting has three parts: the main fitting body, the olive, and the socket. Check all three are present before going any further.

Step 3: Push Two Sockets onto the Hose

Push two sockets back-to-back over the stainless steel overbraid, working from the non-flared end. If the hose has an outer cover, remove it before this step so the sockets fit over the bare overbraid.

Step 4: Flare the Stainless Steel Overbraid

Using an appropriately sized Goodridge mandrel, flare out both ends of the stainless steel overbraid from the PTFE inner tube. This separation is what allows the olive to sit correctly in the next step.

Step 5: Fit the Olive

Push an olive onto each end of the PTFE inner tube, under the stainless steel overbraid. Start by hand, then finish by pushing the olive against a flat solid surface to make sure the PTFE tube is fully home in the olive.

Step 6: Thread the Main Body

Hold the main fitting body in the smooth jaw vice. Lubricate the thread and push the hose over the spigot. Start to thread the socket onto the fitting by hand.

Step 7: Tighten with a Wrench

Use a good quality spanner to finish tightening. The socket should end one full turn from the main fitting hex.

Critical: under no circumstances should the socket be loosened in an attempt to adjust alignment after assembly. If the alignment is wrong, cut the hose and start again. Loosening the socket compromises the seal at the olive and the fitting can no longer be trusted.

Pressure Testing Your Assembled Hose

Goodridge state explicitly that finished assemblies should be fully pressure tested before use. On a brake line, a leak that shows up on track is a brake failure.

A correctly tightened socket can still leak if the hose wasn't fully seated, the olive wasn't pushed home, or the cut wasn't square. None of these are visible from the outside once assembled. Pressure does the inspecting for you.

To bench test: fit a blanking plug to one end and a pressure source to the other. Pressurise to 1.5x the expected working pressure for the application. Submerge in water and watch for bubbles, or apply soapy water and watch for sustained foaming. Hold pressure for at least five minutes and check the full length of the hose, not just the fittings.

Common Mistakes and Troubleshooting

Most assembly failures come down to one of four mistakes. Here's what to look for, what causes each one, and how to fix it.

Hose Pushed Out of the Socket During Tightening (200 Series)

Symptom: the tape mark you placed in step 2 has moved away from the socket.
Cause: the hose wasn't seated correctly behind the socket threads in step 3.
Fix: full disassembly, check the hose end is clean and square cut, and start again.

Socket Hasn't Reached the One Full Turn Position

Symptom: no visible gap, or the gap is too large.
Cause: either under tightened, or the hose wasn't fully inserted at the start.
Fix: continue tightening to the one full turn specification. Don't exceed it.

PTFE Inner Tube Not Seated in the Olive (600 Series)

Symptom: leak at the fitting under pressure test.
Cause: olive wasn't pushed fully home against a flat surface in step 5.
Fix: full disassembly, re-flare the overbraid, refit a new olive, reassemble. Don't try to fix this by tightening harder.

Trying to Adjust 600 Series Alignment After Assembly

Goodridge explicitly state the socket must not be loosened to reposition the fitting after assembly. Doing so breaks the seal at the olive. If alignment is wrong, the fitting has to be cut off and the assembly started again with a new hose end.

Wrapping Up

Assembling Goodridge fittings isn't difficult, but it rewards patience and punishes shortcuts. Cut square, seat the hose fully, tighten to the one full turn mark, and always pressure test before the hose goes near the car. Get those four things right and a Goodridge assembly will outlast the components around it. 

If you'd rather have the hoses built for you, Race and Rally is Ireland's only official Goodridge G-Tech centre. That means we can assemble any hose in the Goodridge range, in either of our stores, to the exact standards Goodridge specify. We also stock the full Goodridge hose and fitting range, if you'd prefer to build your own, and the official assembly diagrams, torque references and series-specific notes are in our assembly instructions and technical information collection. Get in touch if you're unsure which series your application needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What lubricant does Goodridge recommend?

Duck Oil specifically, or a similar commercial lubricant. Don't use brake fluid, grease, or penetrating spray for the assembly threads.

Do I really need the Goodridge mandrel for 600 series?

Yes. Flaring the stainless steel overbraid by hand or with another tool risks damaging the PTFE inner tube, which will fail under pressure.

Do I need to replace banjo washers every time?

Yes. Copper and aluminium banjo washers are designed to crush and conform to the mating surfaces on first installation. Once they've sealed, they won't seal again. Always fit new washers when disconnecting and reconnecting a banjo bolt, even if the old ones look fine.

Where can I find the official assembly instructions?

Goodridge publish the full assembly instructions in their EU parts catalogue from page 195 onwards and you can find guidance on the 200 Series and 600 Series on our Assembly Instructions page.

After assembly and pressure testing, the hose is ready to install. For brake lines, bleed the system thoroughly once the hose is fitted, and check torque on all banjo bolts before the first run.