Fuel Line Tubing

[elanfan1]

As Leslie said make sure you carry a fire extinguisher but not just any Fire Extinguisher. I am shocked as to how often I see a 0.6kg or 1kg extinguisher expected to put out a car fire - these will not extinguish a lighted fart!

Minimum I'd recommend is 2kg - even these might shock you as to how little time they give you to get the fire out!

[sprinter55]

Good point on size of the extinguisher......hope I won't need to though !

Thanks for the advice on the fuel lines Tim

Terry

[oldelanman]

Excellent info Tim - thanks.
More information here on the effects of ethanol in fuel including a list of materials adversely affected by it (most of them used in our cars). It seems the permitted amount of ethanol in petrol is set to increase from the current level of 5% to 10% in 2013 - not good news for older cars !
http://fbhvc.co.uk/bio-fuels/

Regards,

[VDB 50K]

use 8mm copper plumbers tubing,easily bent and u can also use the 8mm olives at the pump-both I/L & O/L.No probs,no corrosion,no deterioration been on mine since rebuild 20yrs ago...never trusted the plastic sent from Spyder,not robust enough.Forget all the bullshit about stats, go for something tried and tested in the plumb trade.

[trw99]

Bill

As I understand it there is some concern about using copper plumbing pipe as fuel lines.

It may not be sufficiently resistant to modern fuels, some people have found it to be too soft, particularly when trying to push some hose types onto it, copper will work harden and become brittle, can fatigue, even fracture when attached to a chassis to stop it vibrating. Apparently, it could split in a crash and vibration can lead to fatigue fracture.

On the other hand, CuNiFer, an alloy of Copper, Nickle is sometimes used for brake/fuel applications and is generally considered OK to use. "Cunifer is seamless, copper nickel alloy DOT approved brake line used for OEM and replacement brake lines, fuel lines, power steering and cooling lines."

I hasten to add I am not speaking from personal experience here. I would always use original or as near to original spec as I could find, so copper or Cunifer pipes attached to my carbs wouldn't look right to me! My personal preference would therefore be to use the correct J30R9 hose.

Tim

[alaric]

Hi. I used 1/4" copper nickel brake pipe pushed through fuel hose that has a 1/4" internal diameter. The original plastic pipe had 1/4" external diameter so the banjo union that's on the fuel tank on the +2 fits straight on with a new olive. At the engine end I've used the same fuel hose between the end of the cuni pipe and the fuel pump. I used a short length of the cuni pipe on the fuel pump and another new olive. The fuel hose through the length of the chassis tunnel gives me some confidence that I won't get a fuel spillage or contact with the prop shaft as it keeps the hose straight between the P clips and the ends of the chassis tunnel. I forget how many P clips I used now - possibly only one as they aren't easy to fit.

Hope that helps.

Sean.

[DeanG]

I recall hearing about a problem with coper tubing work hardening due to vibration and cracking. It would be worth an internet search befor comitting yourself.

On a related note. In the USA fire extinguishers are designated by class and a number e.g., B10 - for flamable liquids where a pan of 10 sq ft filled with a flamable liquid could be extinguished by an untrained individual who read the instructions and then started fighting the fire as soon as the pan was fully burning. It seems that GB uses a different system. Anyway if you have practice you can put out a much bigger fire. Without practice and in less than ideal conditions e.g., wind blowing, obstructions in the area of the fire, heated metal... expect much less. I often wonder about the training of course marshles (even in F1) when I see them struggle to put out a car fire.

If you can find training through a local fire department it could save a life or a car. Anyway, stay upwind of the flames, aim at the base of the flames, start spraying from a few feet away. I learned that staying away part during training when I walked up to the burning tray of oil and squeezed the valve. A wave of flame swept up and over me, instant sun tan on all exposed skin! I was fortunate in that the fire department where I was employed I was able to expend several hundered lbs. of agent during practice. It also allowed them to dispose of waste oil.