Brake lines

[OlBuzzard]

I'm finally getting back to my '36 Ford tudor humpback after remodeling our old house.  I haven't built a street rod since the '60s so the RRT has been a wealth of information--I've mostly been lurking though I did introduce myself a while back as Buzzard.  My question is what I should use for running my fuel line.  An old hot rodder here told me to use 3/8" copper tubing but I just wanted to verify that is safe.  Thanks!

[WZ JUNK]

I have used the steel line that auto parts stores sell for brake line.  I recently used some steel tubing on a customer car that he had bought in a coil from Summit.  It was cheap but difficult to work.  It had to be straightened and then bent into the shape of the fuel line.  I understand you can buy aluminum fuel line from Summit that is easier to work.

I would not use copper even though I have seen it on many old cars.

[enjenjo]

I would not reccommend copper fuel lines, I use Bundyflex steel tubing from the auto parts store.

[32tom]

I have used the steel line that auto parts stores sell for brake line.  I recently used some steel tubing on a customer car that he had bought in a coil from Summit.  It was cheap but difficult to work.  It had to be straightened and then bent into the shape of the fuel line.  I understand you can buy aluminum fuel line from Summit that is easier to work.

I would not use copper even though I have seen it on many old cars.

I use the steel too even though I think the copper hazzard is exagerated some.

The coiled tubing can be rolled out in the crotch of an angle iron to get a staighter effect. The angle iron straightens the tubing in both planes instead of only one on the floor.

[Dave]

I'm finally getting back to my '36 Ford tudor humpback after remodeling our old house.  I haven't built a street rod since the '60s so the RRT has been a wealth of information--I've mostly been lurking though I did introduce myself a while back as Buzzard.  My question is what I should use for running my fuel line.  An old hot rodder here told me to use 3/8" copper tubing but I just wanted to verify that is safe.  Thanks!

I used summit aluminum on the 32 and also the 34 I sold . No problems with it..
Dave

[Jimc]

I got the Summit Aluminum for a t buckey i had.
Sold the bucket, and the new owner is still running the Aluminum.

Jim

[Ed ke6bnl]

I have used the steel line that auto parts stores sell for brake line.  I recently used some steel tubing on a customer car that he had bought in a coil from Summit.  It was cheap but difficult to work.  It had to be straightened and then bent into the shape of the fuel line.  I understand you can buy aluminum fuel line from Summit that is easier to work.

I would not use copper even though I have seen it on many old cars.

I use the steel too even though I think the copper hazzard is exagerated some.

The coiled tubing can be rolled out in the crotch of an angle iron to get a staighter effect. The angle iron straightens the tubing in both planes instead of only one on the floor.

As a kid I had copper oil lines to feed the over head valves on my Ford motor continuesly would crack and brake, copper work hardens and fails. My experience Ed ke6bnl

[Dirk35]

I too used the aluminum line that Summit sells. Super easy to work with, but the AN fittings are pricey. Id think you could get the fittings that go to a barbed fitting and use line clamps to save you some green. Then, itd only cost you the two AN fittings.

[OlBuzzard]

Thanks to you all.  I've ordered a new Summit catalog today.

[av8]

The coiled tubing can be rolled out in the crotch of an angle iron to get a staighter effect. The angle iron straightens the tubing in both planes instead of only one on the floor.

Excellent tip, 32tom. I'll use it on the next brake job I do. I plumb five or six cars each year for Vern Tardel and it's always a struggle to get the straight runs straight in all planes. Thanks!

[bowtietillidie]

I have used the steel line that auto parts stores sell for brake line.  I recently used some steel tubing on a customer car that he had bought in a coil from Summit.  It was cheap but difficult to work.  It had to be straightened and then bent into the shape of the fuel line.  I understand you can buy aluminum fuel line from Summit that is easier to work.

I would not use copper even though I have seen it on many old cars.

I use the steel too even though I think the copper hazzard is exagerated some.

The coiled tubing can be rolled out in the crotch of an angle iron to get a staighter effect. The angle iron straightens the tubing in both planes instead of only one on the floor.

 Here is another way to get tubing straight .    I unroll a whole coil at a time than I always have some straighted out for the next job.   I use two old vice grips with a washer welded to the adjuster screw big enough to get a com-a-long hook in to . Next I place two cars face to face and far enough apart to get the lenght of tubing and my rigging hooked up . Make sure the cars are in park and the e-brake set. Next hook the com-a-long to the frame of one of the cars and the other end to the vice grips , take the other pair of vice grips and a short lenght of chain , hook the chain to the frame of the car  and to the vice grips . Now clamp the vice grips very tightly to the tubing now tighten the com-a-long, With steel tubing pull a Good strain on it . Releace the tension look at your work if is still  not straight as a string pull on it harder . This will not hurt the tubbing in any way and makes for a very nice looking job. I used this method for years as a constrution boilermaker . I never had a failure because of streched tubing, so I feel it is very safe                  BOWTIETILLIDIE