How to fit a Stilo Drinks Kit to an ST5 helmet
Sprint, touring car and endurance races and rallies are all hot work. Many drivers wish to hydrate during a race - The Stilo ST5 F, GT & R helmets are all equipped with a drinks port allowing you to attach a drinks kit to your car.
We've put together a conclusive guide to all the parts you need and how to fit them into your Stilo ST5 helmet.
Items you’re going to need:
For the inside of the helmet:
- YA0602 - Water tube
- YA0603 - Male quick coupling
- YA0601 - Bite valve
The three above are available as a kit: YA0600
Parts external to the helmet
Or
a complete in-car helmet drinks system such as: Raceflask Complete In-Car Drinks kit
Tools
- Sharp knife or scissors
- Small screwdriver or pen
Method
Helmet set up.
1. Locate the drinks port on the helmet. 
2. Remove the relevant cheek pad from the inside of the helmet by gently pulling back on the front - the part adjacent to the chin padding. Simply pull it back, there's no need to remove it from the helmet. 
3. Locate the drinks port rubber bung inside the helmet. Using a small screwdriver or pen, push out the small plastic stopper from the centre of the bung.
4. You can now insert the male part of the drinks kit into the bung from the outside of the helmet. When in place, the wider part of the connector will sit flush with the rubber and protrude on the inside.
5. You can now press the water tube onto the male connector.
6. Replace the cheek pad - note there's a groove ready to accept the drinks tube without squashing it.
7. You will notice the pipe is far too long and will need to be cut with a sharp blade. Your goal is to position it below the microphone in a place you'll be able to pull it into your mouth with your tongue. Remember you can always cut more off, so start with a position that appears too long and adjust.
Bag set up
If you have purchased the Stilo YA0605 Drinks System you will simply be able to plug the included/attached, female connector on the hose into the helmet.
Mounting your drinks kit inside the car will be dependent on what space you have available. Many drivers choose to mount drinks bags to the back of the seat or to the roll cage but you will need to get creative in order to position it in a safe and practical way.
If you have purchased a drinks kit like the Turn One In Car Drinks Kit you will need to replace the bite valve on the end with a Stilo Female Quick Coupling (YA0604).
You may find the hose needs to be cut as the proprietary bite valve will have stretched the hose and it won’t fit with the Stilo part.
Carefully use a sharp blade to cut as close to the old valve as possible - or where required if you wish to shorten the hose.
Press the Female Quick Coupling fully into the hose and it's ready to be attached to the male coupling in the helmet.
Care and Cleaning
We’d always recommend thoroughly rinsing out your drinks system before use.
In order to prolong the life of your drinks system, it’s advisable to allow the tubes to fully dry out after use. If you use an energy drink or something with sugars in it’s vital that the system is rinsed after use.
If you notice mould or dark spots growing in the pipes it might be time for a change, but it’s very easy to revive a system that is tasting or smelling off by allowing it to soak in very salty water. Just add a large amount of table salt to warm water (not boiling) and allow to dissolve. Run the solution through the system and allow to soak overnight. Rinse thoroughly before use. You can also use products for cleaning babies bottles.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you require any more information on Stilo products and accessories.
