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BIG BALLS MAGEE Mon Nov 05, 2007 12:40 pm

i have some small copper tubing i was thinking of using for fuel line anyone heard of trying it?

Letterman7 Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:01 pm

Do a search, dude. This has been covered before lots of times:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=261698

Glenn Mon Nov 05, 2007 1:34 pm

Not a good idea.

But I have used copper for a mechanical oil pressure gauge and in over 25 years it has not leaked.

90volts Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:20 pm

yep, mine is copper. been fine for the few years i've had it now.outside the tunnel.

Jimmy111 Mon Nov 05, 2007 2:34 pm

There are only 2 down sides of using copper for a fuel line. One is Cost. It costs even more than stainless steel line. The other is that copper is soft. everything that it will rub against is hard and will wear thru it eventually.

There is no problem with vibration or pressure. Just look at a typical refrigeration unit or your air conditioner outside. There is a small copper tube that carries the freon to the inside of your house. That tube does nothing but vibrate all day long and it is capable of over 350 PSI working pressure.

Copper tube is also much less supceptable to mechanical damage than either steel or stainless steel. it something hits it it will just smash flat because it is more ductile than steel or stainless steel.

All that being said Stainless steel is your best choice if available.

Letterman7 Mon Nov 05, 2007 3:49 pm

90volts wrote: yep, mine is copper. been fine for the few years i've had it now.outside the tunnel.

Oohhhh..and you offroad that thing, Mike? Keep a piece of tubing and some band clamps just in case, do ya?

Elwood Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:02 pm

I went to Napa and purchased Fuel line. 1/4" and it was like less then $1.00 a foot. Comes in a 24 foot roll and they are required to sell it by the foot even though they didn't want to.
I bought 12 feet. The 24 foot roll would probably be enough for 3 shortened buggies.

Anyway, cheap and easy. If they don't have they can and will get for you.

HeidelbergJohn4.0 Mon Nov 05, 2007 5:12 pm

Every inboard powered boat I've ever owned had copper fuel lines. Plenty of vibration, a harsh environment and crappy fuel quality is a given. I've never had a problem, just keep them inside the buggy and switch to a soft line from your last hard point to the engine.

dunebuggydave Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:23 am

given the rising cost of copper I would suggest agianst it....I mean you wouldn't want someone that needs a dollar stealing your fuel line to turn it in for scrap value so they can go get a 40....kidding of course. I wouldn't do it just for this simple reason of rocks and debir that might kick up around the engine.....even if you don't offraod you now how good the roads are here in TX.

90volts Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:37 am

definately. i have hose from tank to body, rubber grommet there to keep it from moving, copper along the tunnel to rear of pan , back to hose through the chassis out back. but rather than have hose in the pass compartment i have copper.
good idea about carrying extra tube, didn't think of that. think i'll add it to the kit. thanks.

Flat4Tom Wed Nov 07, 2007 11:29 am

I reran a new copper fuel line in my Deserter GT several weeks ago. Using tips on the samba, it took all of about 20 minutes to do. I even got it in the original fuel line tunnel openings. Before anyone says anything, yes the rubber grommets are back as well so it won't rub on metal.

A PO somewhere along the line ran the last copper fuel line behind the front axle beam, through the tunnel access hole (left the cover it- it's MIA), and back out the clutch / throttle cable exit hole. What a piece of work! :x

I've not yet tried running the engine yet, lots more work to do before that day.

YMMV,
Tom

BIG BALLS MAGEE Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:23 pm

so i ran brake line for fuel line i just stubbed mine out where the clutch cable goes seems to be fine and got to run the engine :D :D :D :D :D

dirtbugger Wed Nov 07, 2007 8:00 pm

If you're really worried about rubbing you could try this trick in any areas where there is a slight chance of a rub occurring. Get some old fuel line or rubber hose that's about the same ID as the fuel line OD. Split it along its length and secure it around bends and straight sections with very small zip ties


joescoolcustoms Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:51 pm

What about aluminum Fuel line?

I ran for around 10 years a 1/2 inch aluminum fuel line in my drag car. Talk about vibration and abuse. I left the line againt a trans brake at 6700 RPM, carried the front wheels 80 to 90 feet, shifted at 7800 rpm to 8100 rpm. I installed the fuel line with aircraft tubing, rubber lined SS clamps. Each end was flaired then adapted to SS braided 5/8 ID hose on the engine side. Many high revving V8's run aluminum line. Chevorlet shitched to aluminum in the early eighties and still runs it today in some models.

Don't say "you only run in pristine environment", because the wheel tubs get the snot beat out of them due to sticky slicks picking up gravel and throwing it everywhere. Oh yeah, fuel pump in the rear pushing the fuel to the front vibrating with direct connection flaired fitting and 14 PSI applied to the line.

Next racecar I built I used SS braided 1/2 inch line front to rear because I could install it in 1/4 the time.

I had a stock steel line fail in a bug in 1983. I went to NAPA, bought 10 foot of rubber fuel line, snaked it through the pan tunnel, zip tied it where possible and ran it for another 100,000 miles.

Copper, yes, just fasten it so it won't rub itself to death.

lostinbaja Thu Nov 08, 2007 4:10 am

I see absolutely no advantage to running copper instead of steel fuel line. Do it the right way and run steel line.

joescoolcustoms Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:11 am

Quote: I see absolutely no advantage to running copper instead of steel fuel line. Do it the right way and run steel line.

I see a couple of reasons to want to run copper vrs steel. The first hugh reason is purly for corrosion resistance. Sure, if a vehicle is driven daily, it is not as much of an impact, but for a buggy owner who stores their buggy all winter and condensate could get into the tank and lines, corrosion would be nil with copper.

Copper and aluminum are easier to feed through the tunnel than steel because it is more maluable.

I myself will run high grade rubber fuel line through the tunnel of my buggy. No corrosion and little worry about passing through fthe frame horn and tunnel wall. So what if it bounces around a little in the tunnel.

Glenn Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:39 am

joescoolcustoms wrote: I myself will run high grade rubber fuel line through the tunnel of my buggy.
In New York State your car won't pass a Safety Inspection with all rubber line.

90volts Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:57 am

just out of curiousity, what was installed in a bug when it was new?

Glenn Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:59 am

90volts wrote: just out of curiousity, what was installed in a bug when it was new?
Steel, 6mm OD, 5.5mm ID

EMPIImp69 Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:00 am

I think the easiet thing to do is like BIGBALLS said, use steel brakeline that comes in 6-7ft lengths. You can even flare the ends with steel line and hardline it so you can use a brass union in the middle if you need to. I am not sure how well copper line will hold up to a flaring tool.



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