I've been wanting to have a set of custom made brass oil lines for my 914/6 since I first got it back on the road about 3 years ago. I've not been comfortable using hose to carry the engine oil up to the front cooler and back. It works, but I'd like the brass due to it acting as a heat sink, and since it's rigid it'll never deteriorate like the hose would.

So, about 3 years ago I bought some 1''brass tubing from McMaster, and a cheap tubing bender from Harbor Freight and tried to bend up something that might work. Well, to say the least, there were a lot of wrinkles, and I couldn't make a 90 w/o crushing he tube. So the best I could manage was a set that physically fit the chassis, but would never be functional.
I then commence to spend the better part of 3 years Google searching and calling every tube fabricator I could find, but no one would take a chance. No volume. a one time job, no one wanted.
Then I saw Eric's thread about repo'ing he GT style Hard lines. We talked a little about my application, since it's different due to the 3.6 engine, and I went back on the hunt for a tube former.
Well, I think I finally found him. My bottom line is basically straight with a 90 degree bend where it enters the chassis, and a slight drop back near the thermostat. Well, I asked the fella if he'd form me a L-shape, a 1' leg, formed 90 degrees, followed by a 5' leg made out of 1'' OD x .030 wall annealed Brass. He came through, and now on Monday Ill take the line down to have the ends flared for final fitment.
After that, I'm going to box up my upper test line and send it to them to copy.
So far, So good. Maybe in a month, both lines will be Brass....

Cheers All,

Ron

I Got the ends rimmed and flared. Engine end fits perfectly.

The end going into the interior is still a little long. Tomorrow I'll get my local guy to cut a 1/2'' off the interior end and re-flare the tube.

Hopefully that end will then be a perfect fit, and it'll be on to the top line.

1/2 way there.




Ron

Make sure you have some insulation between the lines or else you just created a good heat exchanger that will try to equalize the oil temperature at the engine side.

I know your description is 1" OD annealed brass .030" but is another name for that 3/4"(ID) sch 40 brass pipe?

OK, here goes a heavy heart story:

I originally used that black wrapped tubing running my oil lines to the front and back. I selected it because it was lighter than the SS wrapped line.

Not a good decision.

The problem with the black line is that that anywhere it gets nicked, i.e., like coming through the frame where there are sharp edges, or even where it just rubs against the metal body, it will fail. As soon as the wrapping fails the hose will burst.

In my case right after, or maybe right at the end of my run at The DeAnza Dual autox. And the line went right in front of the grand stand and oil pumped out all over the road. Very embarassing to say the least and dangerous as well as running a motor without oil isn't a very good idea.

I replaced it with SS braded line.

As much as I like the cool fixed lines in your picture I would worry about something hitting them. It wouldn't take much to punch a hole, which is why the braided lines are better.

And those metal positioninbg clamps could potentially rub right through the copper.

IMHO you should find some way to cover those lines (rubber hose) to give you some protection against vibration, nicks or rub failures.

I like the idea of covering with a rubber hose. We have used garden hoses (split and then wrapped) around hydrauliuc lines at work with great success. These are on large hydraulic stacking units that are used 12+ hours a day for 5 days a week...went from 1 or two failures a year to zero failures in three years (and counting)

You guys are rough, but I like the feed back.




No this is not brass pipe.
0.75" NOM. (1.05" OD X 0.11" WALL X 0.83" ID) BRASS C230 PIPE SCHEDULE 40

This is tubing, 1''OD x .030 wall. same size as the -16(1'') line I'm replacing;



If I were to cover the lines, that would defeat the purpose of using brass to act as a heat sink. I might as well just leave the hose in place. Porsche used a brass oil cooler in the 911's for a few years, and to good results. Also, the post on the Cairo's 6 shows someone set up that car w/copper lines, and those fittings are soldered on. It seemed to work for his previous owner, and that isn't even a cooler, just a long loop. Also, the 914/6 GT lines available, and the Elephant Racing lines, I doubt are installed by owners being covered with hose prior to reinstalling he rocker cover the final time.

Lastly, my goal in all this is to reduce my operating oil temps. Currently my car is running about 205-210 on a hot day. If you look in one of the earlier pics you'll see that the hose shows flattening where it transitions into the car. I do suspect that this restricts the flow, hence effects the temps. The hose needs more radius to turn that can be had in the 914 rocker area. The tube has a nice smooth transition. Hey, if doesn't work I'll just go back to the hose. At least now the bottom one is done, and now I'm going to do the top one.

Ron

Maybe a stupid question but: Why not just use copper instead of brass?
Since brass is just ~60% copper anyway...(yours is probably more than 60% to make it workable).

You could have made the straights with rigid & the bends with flexible and soldered the entire thing. The cost of the entire run of pipe would have been less than the fittings alone.

Copper cracks from time and vibration.

The Young's modulus for pure copper is exactly in the middle of the various brass alloys.
So are you talking about the joints cracking or the tubing?

I would think the brass to be more brittle than the copper (from experience).
That's why it is harder to bend without cracking and/or collapse.

Stu

I think the copper work hardens...
from all of the vibration

usually when copper tubing is used (in a house) it is stationary and not subject to the vibration of a moving vehicle.

(insert California earthquake joke here)

A few pics of the completed look. All back together, no leaks.

I did gap the lines before I replaced the rocker panel...



Ron

Last shot..

Nice work Ron. I know the system in my car worked and Scotty had a hell of a time removing it and the copper had no leaks.

Looks nice. Is there separation between the tube and the long. Just curious, not hammering you, why did you use those conduit style clamps instead of Adel clamps. http://www.aircraftspruce.com/search/searc...ch&search=1