Copper/Nickle tubing

[b5blue]

  I'm making my 3/8 fuel line out of Copper/Nickle this time. Reading up on it's much more resistant to effects of water corrosion and easier bending swayed me. I'm just wondering if anyone else has experience to share?   

[charger1972]

I work in New York state , so we do a lot of brake lines . Copper nickel is all we use . Really easy to work with , does turn a little green eventually . And it cost more , but is worth it , for us anyway .

[c00nhunterjoe]

For fuel line i would use steel braided on a classic. I use the copper nickel for brake lines all the time. Definatly paint them as they will still corrode but are much eassier to work with then traditional steel.

[Mopar Nut]

Stainless steel?

[b5blue]

Stainless is even harder so tough to bend for DYI. (I am using some stainless fittings) Thanks for the reply s.

[c00nhunterjoe]

The preformed stainless sets are nice. I put one on my truck.

[b5blue]

I'm so over paying for reproduction $$$ I avoid it like the plague.   

[XH29N0G]

I seem to remember there might be some chemical compatibility issues, but I am not entirely sure and that might have been with certain grades of stainless.  I just looked up one paper on compatibility with ethanol fuels and it looks like copper, mild steel and brass can be corroded faster.  I saw another paper that said something about silver helping, but also that it could dissolve and clog injectors.  Maybe someone who is an engineer would know.  I looked up compatibility of copper nickel and gasoline to start my search.  I am a novice at this but work with tubes for other reasons (high vacuum lines and highly reactive gases).  We often use softer tubing to mock up systems and then once we have that worked out, proceed with tubing that is harder to bend.  I don't think it should be crazy hard to bend standard wall tubing if you have the right bender.  I know it is difficult with >3/8 and stainless.

Please let us know how it works and what you find out.

[c00nhunterjoe]

The lines in question are not copper. They are safe for automotive use.

[71charger_fan]

I used it to replumb the brake lines in the '55 Plymouth. After trying it, I'd never go back to steel.