Product Guide — SC Fastening Systems
Brennan Hydraulic & Pneumatic Fittings Guide
What’s in the Brennan lineup — and how to pick the right fitting for your fluid power system.
A hydraulic or pneumatic system is only as reliable as its weakest connection. That’s the entire reason Brennan hydraulic fittings have become a go-to standard across construction, agriculture, manufacturing, and energy — connections that don’t leak, don’t fail under pressure, and are available in the exact configuration a system actually needs.
At SC Fastening Systems, Brennan is one of our primary hydraulics and pneumatics lines, covering everything from basic steel adapters to precision instrumentation fittings. Here’s what’s in the lineup and how to choose the right one.
Brennan hydraulic fittings & adapters
The core of the Brennan line is its hydraulic steel adapters — the workhorse connections used to join hoses, tubes, pipes, and valves across a fluid power system. These are built to meet or exceed JIC/SAE and international specifications, with configurations covering:
- Steel adapters — general-purpose connections in a huge range of thread and port combinations
- Pipe adapters and 37° flare adapters — for standard threaded and flared connections
- SAE split flange adapters — for high-pressure, larger-diameter hydraulic lines
- BSPP adapters — for equipment built to British/metric standards
O-ring face seal & flareless tube fittings
For high-pressure hydraulic applications where a leak simply isn’t acceptable, Brennan’s O-ring face seal (ORFS) fittings create a leak-free metal-to-metal connection backed by a captured O-ring. Flareless bite-type and double/single ferrule tube fittings offer a similar leak-resistant seal for tube-based systems, and are available in metric bite-type configurations for equipment built to international standards.
ORFS fittings are increasingly the standard for high-pressure hydraulic systems specifically because they seal on a flat face rather than tapered threads — a more forgiving, more reliable seal that holds up better to vibration over time.
Flange fittings and conversion adapters
Flange fittings — available in both forged and one-piece swept configurations — handle the largest, highest-pressure connections in a hydraulic system. Conversion adapters solve a different problem: mixing equipment built to different regional or industry standards (SAE, metric, BSPP) without needing to replace entire lines or fittings.
Pneumatic push-to-connect fittings
On the pneumatic side, Brennan’s push-to-connect (PTC) fittings allow tubing to be inserted and locked into place without tools — a fast, reliable connection method for compressed air lines, pneumatic controls, and automation systems where lines are frequently reconfigured.
Instrumentation fittings, valves & accessories
Rounding out the line, Brennan’s instrumentation fittings and valves are built for precision measurement and control systems, while live swivels, support clamps, and test point fittings round out the accessories needed to build and maintain a complete, serviceable fluid power system.
| Application | Recommended Brennan fitting |
|---|---|
| General hydraulic connections | Steel adapter or pipe/flare adapter |
| High-pressure, leak-critical systems | O-ring face seal (ORFS) fitting |
| Tube-based hydraulic systems | Flareless bite-type tube fitting |
| Large-diameter, high-pressure lines | Flange fitting |
| Mixing SAE, metric, or BSPP equipment | Conversion adapter |
| Compressed air / pneumatic controls | Push-to-connect fitting |
| Measurement & control systems | Instrumentation fitting or valve |
By industry
Choosing the right Brennan fittings for your industry
Steel adapters and flange fittings built to handle high-pressure hydraulic systems on mobile equipment.
Durable adapters and tube fittings for equipment that spends its life in dusty, high-vibration environments.
Push-to-connect pneumatic fittings for fast reconfiguration of compressed air and control lines.
Brass and steel fittings built to meet DOT compliance standards for brake and air systems.
The bottom line
Brennan built its reputation on one thing: connections that don’t fail. With more than 120,000 styles and sizes covering hydraulic, pneumatic, and instrumentation applications, the line has grown well beyond a basic adapter catalog — but the core promise stays the same. Matching the right Brennan fitting to your pressure rating, standard, and application is what keeps a fluid power system leak-free and running.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between a hydraulic adapter and an O-ring face seal fitting?
Standard steel adapters typically seal using threads, while O-ring face seal (ORFS) fittings seal against a flat face using a captured O-ring — generally a more leak-resistant option for high-pressure systems.
Can Brennan fittings connect metric and SAE equipment?
Yes — Brennan makes conversion adapters specifically to bridge SAE, metric, and BSPP standards, so equipment built to different regional specs can be connected without replacing entire lines.
Are push-to-connect fittings as reliable as threaded fittings?
For pneumatic (compressed air) applications, push-to-connect fittings are widely used and reliable, offering fast, tool-free installation. They’re generally not used for high-pressure hydraulic applications, where threaded or ORFS fittings remain standard.
Browse our Brennan fittings line or contact SC Fastening Systems for help matching the right fitting to your application.