Home made oil lines?

[pookie]

I was wondering if anyone had modded up their own oil lines? I was at Home Depot and saw where the had brass pipe in the plumbing section that looked identical to the brass oil lines on cars with front oil coolers. With a pipe bender, welder, and a tap and die for attaching different fixtures you could go to town. I have all the tools including the pipe bender, I was just wondering if anyone has ever tried it. Anyone know if the brass tubing such as that found in plumbing would hold up enough to the oil temps our cars produce? I assume it would but...Anyone else ever tried something along these lines?

Thanks in advance

[MichiganMat]

Yeah baby, you're a GruppeB member through and through...

[Joeaksa]

Know of one member who made his air conditioning lines out of brass tubing. Soft lines at each end and hard on the bottom of the car, less hose to leak and just screw on new ends when a leak appears.

He likes them and says they work well...

Joe A

[DW SD]

Are you able to weld Brass? I thought plumbing lines are copper? Also, my impression of copper tubing is that it will crack easily with vibration and load. I realize water pipes vibrate, but not like a vehicle.

Great idea if it works. Would love to see it! OR read about it!

Doug

[randywebb]

Great idea if it works. .... yeh, but:

Search up some comments on the material -- it is not a regular alloy. The post is from someone knowledgable -- might have been Bill Verburg or Jim Sims.

You will want to be absolutely certain the pipe (tubing) you use is able to take the vibration and pressure that the factory stuff can....

[Jim Sims]

"Home Depot and saw where they had brass pipe in the plumbing."

Brass pipe and tubing is rather expensive and is rarely used for home plumbing; sure it wasn't copper you noticed?

Jim

[Plavan]

Just get a "Cool Collar" and forgetaboutit

[Dave Taylor]

What about using steel pipe...either black or galvanized? It can be bent, welded, threaded, etc. Plenty strong enough.

[klatinn]

Hi,

I'm running copper 3/4" oil-lines since over 10 years to a front mounted oil cooler. Used regular plumbing fittings for turns, soldered with plumbing solder. No leaks and no vibration problems either. Pipes are mounted to frame at 2 foot intervalls with plastic mounts. Soldered copper has more 'give' than welded steel, so I assume it's more vibration resistant. Domestic water pressure can be much higher than the oil pressure in the oil return line to the tank anyway, where this cooler is plumbed in. As to additional cooling because it's copper? I doubt it has any more effect than a cool-collar. I used it because it's easy to work with and easy to get.

Regards,
Klaus

[pookie]

Man I am such an idiot sometimes. Yes the piping I saw was copper. (I just wanted it to be brass). Obviously someone has done this in the past, so it is possible. It just seems that if it could be done then it would be a worthwhile savings. Time would be the only real investment as the tubing is pretty cheap. The is a guy I work with who used to be a plumber and worked with this stuff all the time, I'll check with him and find out if it can be welded/soldered or what can be done to get the proper attachments. My oil lines work, but they are not perfect, a couple of dents and there awfully dirty. As opposed to paying mad $$$$ for some new ones I might see if I can make this work.

Klaus,

Did you just bend the tubing to match the curves of the original oil lines or did you make your own pattern? It said you used plumbing fittings for turns, so I assume you didn't bend the copper, you just formed it to the car? What oil cooler are you running in the front? I have a Mocal cooler with A/N fittings on it but it mates to the factory oil lines on the car. Also what temp gauge do you have the lines running to? Factory of aftermarket? And lastly....Do you have any pics of your setup?

Thanks

[lin7310948]

if you decide to redo your oil lines, i would be interested inpurchasing the old "dirty" ones. i am nearby in south carolina and could pick up!

thanks,
larry lin7310948@charter.net

[klatinn]

Hi,

My setup is in a VW bus that's also used for towing.
In that setup the air-cooling is not very adequate and prone to high oil temps. The oil cooler I use is a BEHR racing oil-cooler I picked up in Germany (apparently was originally intended for a 935). It's a radiator style, about 2-1/2 feet wide, 8" high and 3" thick with AN fittings. It fits perfectly between the frame-rails of the bus behind the front axle (angled 45 deg with underbelly scoop). No matter what the weather or load, my oil temp stays at 190degF (stock oil-temp pickup location using VDO sender and gauge). I'm using a separate oil thermostat to regulate the oil-flow to the cooler.
To fit the bends when replacing 911 lines, you could use soft copper piping. It bends easily and is plenty strong enough. A trick to make copper even more plyable is to heat it red hot with a torch, then quench it in cold water. Different to steel, copper gets very soft with this treatment.
Oh yeah, I got brass AN fittings from a hydraulics supplier and brazed them to the end of the lines. Connection between cooler and copper lines is with short runs of steel-braided hose.
Sorry, never took any pictures.

Regards,
Klaus

[DW SD]

WOW - interesting!
Klaus - innovative!

Doug

[911pcars]

If I'm correct, the factory lines are brass.

Steel can be used but it's really heavy.
Aluminum could be used if it's the right hardness and supported securely, like A/C lines.

Brass can be used in home plumbing, but it's more expensive than copper; so it's copper we get.

Any chemists here? I remember in college (no. of eons ago), someone mentioned something about oil and copper; not sure whether it was about various pressure levels work-hardening the copper or something in the copper affecting the oil.

Sherwood

[Mike Bonkalski]

McMaster-Carr has 6061 Aluminum (T6 hardness) in a 3/4" ID for $17.45 (6 Ft. Length). Hmmm.

[911pcars]

Mike,
If you're contemplating this, go for it. However, you might be breaking new ground in this obvious choice for an oil line (light weight, excellent thermal conductivity). I would study all the potential drawbacks, if any, before proceeding. A heavier-than-normal wall thickness might be in order to protect it against damage from rocks. Perhaps route the tube in a protective sleeve or partially through the body.

Sherwood

[Jim Sims]

"My oil lines work, but they are not perfect, a couple of dents and there awfully dirty."

It will be far easier to repair and clean up your old factory OEM lines than make new lines from copper. Dents can be readily worked or pulled out if you anneal the brass or cut out and replaced with copper or brass sleeves.

Typical copper tubing/pipe has poor fatigue life (per unit weight of material) when used in high-cycle fatigue service such as that found in vehicle applications.

Jim

[widebody911]

I (very) briefly considered making my own lines, but decided that the cost if I got it wrong was greater than the miniscule savings. Get a set of Elephant Racing lines and apply your inventive genius somewhere else.

[jase007]

You can use the copper lines.

I have a F right fender oil cooler in my track only 356 [headlight removed - screen for lenses] piped to brazed connectors and lines all the way back to the engine bay.

Also have remote filter attached under hood in front running off of flex lines to the cooler.

***important*** No thermostat installed in my setup.

One could be installed remotely but I haven't ever done it and car has been tracked hard since install back in 1994-96. Never run the car below 40-50 degrees F anyhow so haven't needed it. Always run about 180-200 on the track in FL, GA, VA, NY, CT, etc... race weather.

Multiple motors, trannys, crashes, etc... never had a leak or problem with the lines in many years of HSR / SVRA / PCA and others racing events.

FWIW

Jason

[Bill Verburg]

Factory are plain ole brass, nothing special, but they do have the correct ends and shape

You could use k copper tube, it's sort of flexible, but you will have an issue w/ the ends.

aluminum is prone to vibration cracks, I wouldn't on my car. Factory tried to use the al. frame tubes on 917s for oil, not very successfully I might add.

Most DIY are aeroquip.