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Fuel pipe
David Jenkins - 12/6/02 at 07:41 AM

What have people done about fuel pipes?

I need to run one pipe from the tank to the X-flow in the front - normal 'suck' mode - no fuel pump (although I will be putting wires in, "for future development").

What material have you used for the pipe (rigid? flexible? copper? steel?) and what sort of diameter?

cheers,

David

theconrodkid - 12/6/02 at 02:31 PM

best stuf i have found is the hard plastic stuf used on 70

David Jenkins - 12/6/02 at 02:47 PM

quote:
best stuf i have found is the hard plastic stuf used on 70


Can it still be bought? and from where?

David

paulf - 12/6/02 at 08:54 PM

I used 8mm microbore copper central heatin pipe from a plumbers, it is easy to bend and the ends can be flared to retain the rubber hoses.
paul

quote:
What have people done about fuel
pipes?

I need to run one pipe from the tank to the X-flow in the front - normal 'suck' mode - no fuel pump (although I will be putting wires in, "for future development").

What material have you used for the pipe (rigid? flexible? copper? steel?) and what sort of diameter?

cheers,

David

stephen_gusterson - 12/6/02 at 09:22 PM

I have been told on TOL that copper is not good with petrol as it sludges up.

I used 8mm stainless steel tubing.

I bought it from www.farnell.com. Cost about 12 quid for 3 2 metre lenghts.

If ya cant find it, let me know and ill give you a part number.

atb

Steve

PS - you can bend the stuff by hand and it doesnt collapse like copper would

theconrodkid - 12/6/02 at 11:09 PM

Re the plastic stuf,i took it of a scrapper,cortina,escorts,most fiats had it where are you?,i can get some from my man or a trip to your local scrapyard

David Jenkins - 13/6/02 at 07:34 AM

conrod - I'm in SUffolk - I'll hold off on that option for a while.

Stainless steel soulds good - and I think I know a local source...

stephen_gusterson - 13/6/02 at 09:11 AM

Just to give more info - I think the tubing is listed as being hydraulic tubing - so at the kinda pressures its working at I dont recon the car is gonna give it a problem!


atb

steve

David Jenkins - 13/6/02 at 12:51 PM

quote:


I have been told on TOL that copper is not good with petrol as it sludges up.


I'd heard this, but it was always a "friend of a friend" type story - so I did a search on Google.

Apparently it's a standard chemist's test to leave a strip of copper in a petrol sample for a given time to see how corroded it gets! On the NZ site I saw they were proposing to change the test from "2 hours at 100C" to "3 hours at 50C". It seems that it doesn't take long to get a measurable result - imagine what 3 months over-wintering does...

So petrol really does affect copper! (something to do with the sulphur it contains).

stephen_gusterson - 13/6/02 at 02:07 PM

quote:
quote:


I have been told on TOL that copper is not good with petrol as it sludges up.


I'd heard this, but it was always a "friend of a friend" type story - so I did a search on Google.

Apparently it's a standard chemist's test to leave a strip of copper in a petrol sample for a given time to see how corroded it gets! On the NZ site I saw they were proposing to change the test from "2 hours at 100C" to "3 hours at 50C". It seems that it doesn't take long to get a measurable result - imagine what 3 months over-wintering does...

So petrol really does affect copper! (something to do with the sulphur it contains).



Are you going to heat some petrol up to 100 degrees to check? Dont do it on a gas cooker!

atb


Steve

David Jenkins - 13/6/02 at 02:39 PM

quote:

Are you going to heat some petrol up to 100 degrees to check? Dont do it on a gas cooker!


Erm... I don't think I'll bother!

(I went back to check whether I'd mixed up degrees C with degrees F - and I hadn't).

It seems that the test is for sulphur content - if the stuff's any good then there won't be any corrosion. However, cheap and nasty fuel may contain the stuff... maybe that's where the petrol/copper thing started.

rgds,

David

paulf - 13/6/02 at 09:19 PM

Looks like another step backwards for me then, i will have to obtain some stainless and start again although i hope my fuel pipe never gets to 100c.
Paul.

quote:
quote:


I have been told on TOL that copper is not good with petrol as it sludges up.


I'd heard this, but it was always a "friend of a friend" type story - so I did a search on Google.

Apparently it's a standard chemist's test to leave a strip of copper in a petrol sample for a given time to see how corroded it gets! On the NZ site I saw they were proposing to change the test from "2 hours at 100C" to "3 hours at 50C". It seems that it doesn't take long to get a measurable result - imagine what 3 months over-wintering does...

So petrol really does affect copper! (something to do with the sulphur it contains).

bob - 13/6/02 at 09:19 PM

So i can use the 8mm copper pipe i bought then.
And only have to worry if my petrol reaches unusually high temps,or its more crap fuel from esso.
I was told about the fuel sludging up after time,but with all the kit manufacturers writing build manuals that say fit copper i'm not sure.

David,so its only at extreme heat the sulpher comes out,or do we need more info?

David Jenkins - 14/6/02 at 07:46 AM

quote:

David,so its only at extreme heat the sulpher comes out,or do we need more info?


I guess it's a temperature v. time thing - high temp, short time or low temp, long time.

I think that this may not be a problem in the UK, as long as you avoid the really cheap and nasty petrol for your local dodgy garage!

I wouldn't rip out copper tube if it's fitted already - only if you get problems.

David

bob - 14/6/02 at 08:22 AM

Thanks David

I have not fitted the pipe yet,so i may wait for the plastic stuff to come along.

Its a shame really as i've got 25ft of the copper stuff,only cost me about a fiver