Fevre

Was trying put my plastic line back in the fitting in the block but the small metal insert need to be opened up a little to fit the line through. I had pressed on a small rod and was trying to get it off when it flew across the workbench and out of sight. :mad F! I wanted to fire up my car and was not going to do it without my oil pressure qauge. Well after I was finished :cuss: my head off, I decided to figure something out. Well best I could come with was using part of a rubber vac port cap to seal it off. I cut off a piece about 1/8" long and used it in place off the metal fitting. Works geat! I used to get a very small amount of oil puddling around the top of it but now there is no sign of oil what so ever.

randy72

Plastic oil lines are bad news. My brother had one either break, melt or get cut at the big end of Lapeer Dragway two summers ago. Fire and complete loss of oil pressure at 5,000 RPM/ 100 MPH is not good. He got new paint and I got what was left of his engine...Recommend changing to copper ASAP.

Gordonm

Copper is worse than plastic. It has a very high fatigue to vibration. Copper will crack and break faster than plastic. The best would be a braided line. I'm still running plastic but should switch to a braided line for safety

Fevre

Braided line is what I am thinking too.

Robert N

:iagree: Out in Arizona, we have a house cooling device known as a "swamp cooler'. It cycles water through pads and a blower forces air throw the moist pads creating cooling by evaporation. (extremely efficient and cheap to operate with our humidity levels near zero). Water is feed generally through 1/4 inch copper. That lasts one season before switching to plastic. Never made a full season without replacing the copper due to some sort of failure.

Ki m Le

I couldn't deal with it any more, so I converted my 72 to electric one from the later model!

Jughead

I haven't seen SS braided line & fittings that small. The fitting would be 2AN for a 1/8 in line.

Robert N

Summit sells them in 3 lengths.

randy72

OK guys, I agree that the braided is probably the safest way to go, but I seem to be in the minority on copper over plastic. I also agree that for cracks due to vibration, the plastic is probably better. However, I've seen a lot more lines (not just oil pressure) that were cut, melted or chafed through (typically fairly quick failures) than were cracked from lack of vibration durability (usually a long term failure)....Thoughts?
Not looking to start a flame war here, I'm seriously trying to understand.

(spelling error fixed)



[Modified by randy72, 7:02 AM 6/11/2003]

Fevre

Spoke a little too soon on the leak, have a little pool of oil again. Going to try to tighten it a touch more to see if that helps. Not ready to tear the car apart yet again si I am hoping I can keep it to minimum

Jughead

Ok, kick me and call me stupid but I couldn't find a 2AN, 1/8 SS braided hose at Summit? Auto meter makes a "kit" but it changes the hose diameter to 3/16", and for $30....don't know if it's worth it. I like the idea of slipping a larger diameter vacuum hose over the 1/8 to control any ruptures. Will increasing to a 3/16" hose affect the pressure reading? :confused:

Robert N

Nope, gotta kick me. The braided line IS 3/16. Given the 1/16 increase in size, I don't see any impact on pressure being much if any, but TTT for a better answer.