switching steel pipes to copper?

[che2318]

Can you switch the steel coolant pipes in the engine bay with copper replacements of same diameter?

I am soon to be replacing the rear heater ones with copper and thought I may aswell do the rest of them while im at it.

Is there a down side to this that I am not aware of?

[shokenore]

Cost / bends / pipe ends / PITA

You would have to think about a secure pipe / hose fitting

[gary-r]

yes i use copper pipe a lot - only cos its easier to bend and flare the ends

a basic plumbers bender and a flaring tool is all you need - if you don't put a flare on the pipe ends they can blow off under pressure

[shokenore]

yes i use copper pipe a lot - only cos its easier to bend and flare the ends

a basic plumbers bender and a flaring tool is all you need - if you don't put a flare on the pipe ends they can blow off under pressure

You would really use copper in the engine bay?

Don't forget the Brasso

[gary-r]

You would really use copper in the engine bay?

Don't forget the Brasso

use it at work on heavy plant - some of the coolant pipes can be weird shapes, easier to make in copper. rubber mounted and with flares to hold the clips i've never had a problem.

dont think the customers would pay extra for the brasso bit though

[shokenore]

use it at work on heavy plant - some of the coolant pipes can be weird shapes, easier to make in copper. rubber mounted and with flares to hold the clips i've never had a problem.

dont think the customers would pay extra for the brasso bit though

I have obviously run through the stupid bush on the way home can you explain the highlighted bits Ta

[meooo]

I imagine heavy plant to be bulldozer/off road tippers and suchlike (NOT a big aspidistra in a pot )

Coolant pipes....would have thought self-explanatory...they hold coolant and transport it around the outside of the engine assembly ....

flares...NOT the trousers you used to wear in the 70s'...the end of the coolant pipes need to be flaired at the ends (put a lump on it if you like) to hold the rubber hoses on when the cooling system is pressurised

[shokenore]

I imagine heavy plant to be bulldozer/off road tippers and suchlike (NOT a big aspidistra in a pot )

Coolant pipes....would have thought self-explanatory...they hold coolant and transport it around the outside of the engine assembly ....

flares...NOT the trousers you used to wear in the 70s'...the end of the coolant pipes need to be flaired at the ends (put a lump on it if you like) to hold the rubber hoses on when the cooling system is pressurised

Simples

Quick brain fart

[slobodan]

Simples

Quick brain fart

I thought you was a 'fridge engineer?

[shokenore]

I thought you was a 'fridge engineer?

A bit harsh but fair

I am a twonk


But I reckon a bit of 316 would look shed loads better than crappy old copper.

[NiftyNev]

But I reckon a bit of 316 would look shed loads better than crappy old copper.

Probably would, but you try flaring that stuff.

Not real keen on copper either. Flaring the ends is not really the proper way to do it for hoses.

A beading tool is the way to go. Most are very expensive and not made for such small tubing though.

Nev

[gary-r]

Probably would, but you try flaring that stuff.

Not real keen on copper either. Flaring the ends is not really the proper way to do it for hoses.

A beading tool is the way to go. Most are very expensive and not made for such small tubing though.

Nev

double flare - same as a bead - silly boy

[NiftyNev]

double flare - same as a bead - silly boy

A double flare is not the same as a bead. Now I'm really going to get flack for that.

Nev

[POPEYE]

Probably would, but you try flaring that stuff.

Not real keen on copper either. Flaring the ends is not really the proper way to do it for hoses.

A beading tool is the way to go. Most are very expensive and not made for such small tubing though.

Nev

We had beading tools for the (copper) heater tubing used on busses, the sizes of those were 15 &22m as i couldn't take them with me when i left what i do is solder an olive on the end of a copper pipe to make the "ridge", stops the liklyhood of a hose blowing off, i have one of those clamp type flaring tools, ok fo fitting tube to a cone type fitting, used it once to flare the auto trans pipes on my buick, lasted about 10 minuits and blew off thats micro-bore copper for ya

[gary-r]

A double flare is not the same as a bead. Now I'm really going to get flack for that.

Nev

its near enough to work - gives you a nice round bump to hold the hose but you are correct.

i made my own tool to do pipes by copying a brake pipe flaring tool on a larger scale - to do bigger stuff i modified a hand held pipe cutter. both made due to the cost of beading tools as you said before.

i tend to use a double clip or the bolt type clamps just to be sure