Any reason I should not use the lightweight, thin-walled alumunim tubing offered by Jeg's and Summit as 1/2" hard-lines for a fuel system or transmission cooling system on a serious street/strip car? The plan is to flare the ends and use AN-fittings for connections, and to clamp the system in place. Of course, I'll still use steel-braided or a NHRA-approved version of the non-metallic flex lines where appropriate. I prefer the clean appearance and light weight of hard lines. I know they're a serious pain to route and flare, but I'm more concerned with the possibility of failure due to fatigue induced by vibration. Any experience with the stuff out there? Again, thanks in advance for your input.
I think it is great. It needs to be properly supported and routed but so does anything else. Some think that it will work harden and crack but again if installed right this will not happen. You need a 37* flaring tool. The standard 45 degree tool will not work. I had a friend take a cheap 45 tool and recut it.
I second Doug. Well supported it will be fine. The off-the-shelf rubber insulated P-clips work great for this. Support the ends of the tube as close to the ends as possible, as your fitting and hose weight will try to cause fatigue. Keep in mind the aluminum tubing will be the first to lose the battle when it comes to stone pecking and abrasion, so shield it with rubber hose or plastic convolute where it needs it, keep it away from sharp sheet metal and frame edges and surfaces in general. Also, the aluminum will pick up and transfer exhaust system heat quickly, so consider thermal protection where it makes sense. Keep us posted on your progress! Devon
Been using it for many years on many vehicles...never a failure. Don't forget to use the 37 degree "sleeve" along with the nut, and not just the nut. If you fail to use the sleeve, (like some do!), then you may very well encounter problems. And like the others said, support it well and cover it in high abrasion areas. Steve
Thanks for you input, everyone. A few years experience as both a military and aerospace company hydraulic mechanic early in my adult life provides me with a fair amount of knowledge regarding clamping procedures and end fitting installations. That being said, I suspect that, at least once, I'll flare the ends of a tube and then discover that I forgot to install a farrule and/or nut first. Actually, my greatest concern was in regard to the strength, quality, etc. of the readily available thin-wall tubing compared to genuine mil-spec tubing. Sounds like, it properly installed and shielded (where necessary), it should work well for either the suction side or the pressure side of a carburetor-based fuel system and maybe even transmission cooler lines. Thanks again.
