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Technical Copper Oil Pressure Line

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by silver66SS, Dec 27, 2019.

  1. silver66SS
    Joined: Oct 27, 2010
    Posts: 18

    silver66SS
    Member
    from Alabama

    I'm switching out an electric Stewart Warner oil pressure gauge for a mechanical one like it. I've got a copper line kit to use with it and wanted to see how some of you have it routed. This is in a 64 Falcon with a 302. I know it needs to have at least a coil or two due to vibration, but where should that be? Gauges are mounted to the bottom of the dash in a stainless gauge panel. Pictures would be great!
     
    loudbang likes this.
  2. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 12,286

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    It makes the most sense if the coils are nearest the vibration spot, so near the engine sending unit.
     
  3. BJR
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 9,816

    BJR
    Member

    Make the coils between the engine and the firewall. That's where the line stops moving, once it passes into the body.
     
  4. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Yuppers Billy pretty well nailed it. Every copper (or any other) oil pressure line I have seen break broke right at the fitting where it attached to the engine. Usually when they ran in too straight of a line to the firewall.
    Routing through the firewall, it's been too long since I have been under the hood but is there a rubber or plastic plug anywhere in the area it needs to go through? I worked on a rig about 20 years ago that they had just drilled a hole big enough for the line to go through with no grommet or anything else around the line and after time it had worn though the oil line where it rubbed.
     
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  5. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    Put a couple loops somewhere between the body and engine, and also replace the line every decade, as preventative maintenance. They generally last a lot longer than plastic, but still can get work hardened and break. I've had a couple metal lines leak over the years, but they weren't catastrophic like when a plastic line goes.
     
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  6. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 19,142

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    I can vouch for that!
    Many years ago I sold the freshly rebuilt 250 out of my 67 Nova to my brother to replace the 250 in his 73 Chevy pickup, the oem copper oil pressure gauge line broke off at the fitting on the block. He had loaned it to my nephews' ex wife and it broke on the freeway unbeknownst to her, pumping the engine dry, what a mess.
     
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  7. Mike VV
    Joined: Sep 28, 2010
    Posts: 3,029

    Mike VV
    Member
    from SoCal

    Working on two cars right now, both have plastic...

    One is stainless braid over Teflon tube with bulkhead fitting thru the fire wall.

    The other is plain ol nylon tube. My last car, I used the nylon...93,000 miles, no leakage. I did overlayer it with, unshrunk...shrink tube. Both for a little safety and to make it not stand out so much.

    Mike
     
    Desoto291Hemi likes this.
  8. This must be why mine broke, and sprayed oil everywhere. Big mess. Good to know when next i install a copper line gauge.

    After the copper line broke i installed a plastic line. Never had another issue.
    What is so catastrophic about plastic over copper ?
     
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  9. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,941

    squirrel
    Member

    If you do the plastic line properly, it will probably be fine. If it's a bit too close to exhaust or something really hot, it can get brittle and just break off completely, suddenly. Metal lines usually only crack, and don't break off all the way, so they drip for a while before squirting all the oil out
     
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  10. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    The plastic does age. I had some unused plastic oil line in my box of gauge stuff. No idea how old it was, but it snapped like uncooked spaghetti.
     
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  11. Lots of smoke there
     
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  12. Elcohaulic
    Joined: Dec 27, 2017
    Posts: 2,212

    Elcohaulic

    I sleeve my metal lines in clear plastic hose with a clamp at the top by the gauge, no clamp at the engine side so the oil can drain if I spring a leak..
     
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  13. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,216

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    '73 Chevy pickup still has the original plastic line after 413k miles , 4 engines and 46 years , nothing catastrophic yet .....LOL.
     
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  14. pirate
    Joined: Jun 29, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    pirate
    Member
    from Alabama

    Just out of curiosity why are you changing from electrical to mechanical. Is accuracy an issue?
     
  15. 54vicky
    Joined: Dec 13, 2011
    Posts: 1,599

    54vicky
    Member

    if putting a hole in firewall without using existing grommet.use a length of vacuum line and sleeve the copper line I used to do this on any I installed race and street.cuts down on vibration and protects it going through firewall.you can use windshield washer hose.I have also used the nylon when it was easier to route had copper line leak at gauge many years ago but after using rubber hose no more,
     
    Last edited: Dec 28, 2019
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  16. TrailerTrashToo
    Joined: Jun 20, 2018
    Posts: 1,289

    TrailerTrashToo
    Member

    46 years ago, gauge sets were still made in the USA. Now cost reduction reigns supreme ("If we buy the plastic line from the Peoples Republic of Tinpanastan, we can save 1/10th of a penny per foot...")
     
  17. blazedogs
    Joined: Sep 22, 2014
    Posts: 535

    blazedogs
    Member

    I had plastic oil pressure line,it broke and as Squirrel mentioned plastic usually when it breaks, breaks clear through not just a pin hole.
     
  18. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,216

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    Rubber hose ????
     
  19. silver66SS
    Joined: Oct 27, 2010
    Posts: 18

    silver66SS
    Member
    from Alabama

    Yes, that is the reason. I'm currently restoring a 64 Falcon 2 door hardtop. I built a late 80's 5.0 for it and I bought brand new Stewart Warner electric oil pressure and water temperature gauges. The oil pressure was showing over 60 psi which is too much. Actually, it was closer to 70. I had an older mechanical gauge and some nylon line I switched out temporarily to check it. It was reading 50 psi cold and dropped when it warmed up. I know someone else who has the same SW sending unit with a different series of gauges and it also reads 60 psi when cold. That is with a 350 small block Chevy engine.
     
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  20. If you use copper pay attention arround electrical stuff.
     
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  21. 56sedandelivery
    Joined: Nov 21, 2006
    Posts: 6,695

    56sedandelivery
    Member Emeritus

    When I used the copper line, I had issues with "telegraphing"; you could actually hear the valve lifters ticking away via the copper line. Replaced with plastic, and the noise went away. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
     
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  22. jetnow1
    Joined: Jan 30, 2008
    Posts: 2,152

    jetnow1
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from CT
    1. A-D Truckers

    I know of someone who had their engine rebuilt in their Mercedes, the mechanic recommended they
    change the copper line to the oil gauge, she refused, said she spent enough. Less than 1000 miles it broke, shop told her the warrantee was void as she was warned the line should be replaced. Listen to Jim on periodic replacement.
     
  23. earlymopar
    Joined: Feb 26, 2007
    Posts: 1,608

    earlymopar
    Member

    Several companies sell a braided line for connecting the sending unit and gauge although I'm not clear what the internal line material is (inboard of the braid).

    - EM
     
  24. 54vicky
    Joined: Dec 13, 2011
    Posts: 1,599

    54vicky
    Member

    you may want to read what was written
    it should be nylon depending on country of origin
     
  25. Beanscoot
    Joined: May 14, 2008
    Posts: 3,053

    Beanscoot
    Member

    As Butch/56sedandelivery has said, a copper line can telegraph noise. I installed one in an old Russian car I had many years ago, and it probably doubled the noise level inside the car.
     
    Cosmo49 likes this.
  26. G'day, I have had 100% success using Auto meter braided stainless oil pressure lines. They are high pressure teflon with the protective coating. They do not telegraph noise and they do not seem to leak. I have never had to replace one on any of our drag cars. I use them on our street cars as well. A little bit more money but the sure work.
     
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  27. 03GMCSonoma
    Joined: Jan 15, 2011
    Posts: 314

    03GMCSonoma
    Member

    I would go with a braided line. Speedway has this one for $19.99. It costs me more than that to go to the zoo to watch monkeys f*** and throw common biological end products at you.

    https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Braided-Pressure-Gauge-Line-Kit,4147.html
     
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  28. 9200 IH
    Joined: Apr 20, 2014
    Posts: 25

    9200 IH
    Member

    I know this is comparing apples to oranges but I just had a copper oil pressure line break on my semi. Before I knew what was happening it was dry. Very expensive. I had know idea copper would break from the vibration of a engine. It lasted about 7 years. Broke right off at the fitting going into the block.
     
  29. southcross2631
    Joined: Jan 20, 2013
    Posts: 4,413

    southcross2631
    Member

    While riding in my brothers 67 El Camino coming home from work in Detroit's rush hour traffic his copper line to the oil pressure gauge broke and started spraying oil all over the floor and behind the dash . With no where to pull over we had to stop in the middle lane .
    My brother always carried tools behind the seat. He shut it off and took a pair of vise grips and bent it over and clamped it off.
    A guy behind us who was trapped in traffic laid on his horn, my brother being 6'3" and about 275 calmly walked back to the guys car and told him if he didn't want that horn button jammed up his ass he would stop blowing it . The guy put his windows up and locked the doors and waited while my brother crimped the oil line.
    This was in the late 70's and neither one of us has ever used anything but braided line for oil pressure.
    Some heavy equipment I have worked on has had rubber line over the entire copper line except for the very ends so they could flare the ends and slide the fittings on. It controlled vibrations.
     
  30. 2OLD2FAST
    Joined: Feb 3, 2010
    Posts: 5,216

    2OLD2FAST
    Member
    from illinois

    I noticed multiple comment about line breaking " right at the fitting" IME this is usually the result of incorrect assembly/ overtightening the compression fitting , or , just as bad , reusing the ferrule ....
     

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