TheSamba.com :: View topic - Original 8mm fuel lines: steel, copper or both??

Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:06 pm

I am of the opinion, based on the original fuel lines that I have inspected, that the original fuel lines were copper plated steel. Many people now are "reproducing" them in pure copper. Original ones would turn grey/greenish, but you could shine them up to a fairly bright copper sheen. But keep rubbing and you will get to steel. And a magnet will stick to them also.

Do others concur with this??

I make up a few sets by copper plating some 8mm steel tubing.

Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:22 pm

the lines on my '51 are definitely steel. if they were plated i can't tell, the outsides are "rusty".

Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:39 pm

Wouldn't pure copper be too soft to use safely?

Sun Feb 14, 2010 8:56 pm

work hardens really quickly and cracks

Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:02 pm

Copper fuel lines were used on aircraft in the early years, and they learned the hard way about "work hardening". Lives were lost. When copper is "worked" or bent back and forth, it gets brittle and hard, and eventually cracks.

But in cases where both ends of the lines are secured to the same ridged structure (fuel pump to carb, both bolted to the case) and in a low vibration, low revving engine, this usually isn't an issue. I don't think there is any danger in using copper lines on VW engines. And since the originals were copper plated, copper lines look pretty nice. But next time you go check out a "100% OG" split, bring a magnet..... :wink:

Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:16 pm

They were all STEEL. Copper is bad. It cracks.

Sun Feb 14, 2010 9:37 pm

Here's one of several that I have, you can see the copper plating as I cleaned it with ScotchBrite pad, but you can also see a spot where I scuffed it with sandpaper and went through the plating, you can see steel. A magnet clicks on this one hard.

Mon Feb 15, 2010 1:24 am

Yes steel covered with copper for rust protection.

Mon Feb 15, 2010 10:19 am

The same issue with brake lines.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=222593&highlight=brake+line