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Aluminum Tubing for Water Lines

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Old 07-29-2008, 01:53 AM
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Default Aluminum Tubing for Water Lines

I will be going to anbplumbing in Lawndale this weekend for them to make me some long (1 foot) aluminum water lines for my A/C equipped (no PS) 91.

1) Are there any problems w/ using aluminum as water lines? Will they crack? How long will they last w/ all the vibrations/heat etc?

2) As for routing, I assume there should be 1 immediate 90* bend (from water inlet and outlet) so it hangs vertically straight down. Should I have them bend it again horizontally so it's closer to the water pump or just leave it vertical?

3) Should I just scrap this idea and buy SS water lines instead?

Idea copied from here:
Originally Posted by cjernigan
100034 3/8 10 ft Annealed aluminum tubing Unanodized 9.49
581806 -6 3/8 Tube B Nut Qty.2 Per Pack 1.89
581906 -6 3/8 Tube Sleeve Qty.2 Per Pkg. 1.69
9919DFJ 16MM X 1.5 -6Metric thread male to AN adapter male. 7.99 (Get two)
anplumbing.com/shop

You have two options. You can buy the aluminum hardline, which should work just fine, or you can buy two 1' sections of stainless hardline for $5 each (ripoff). But if you get him to cut you two 1-1.5' sections, beadroll one end, slip the compression fittings on and then have him flare the other end with the uber expensive 37* flare tool and you and I both don't want to have to buy you will be all set. You'll have hardlines you can custom bend to our liking for like $39 because he charges $9 flate rate shipping via UPS i believe.
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Old 07-29-2008, 10:06 AM
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my radiator's aluminum.... it'll be fine.

you should avoid stainless to cut down on galvanic corrosion. using a lot of SS in your coolant lines may deteriorate your aluminum parts (head, rad, etc.) as they will essentially electroplate it.
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Old 07-29-2008, 10:12 AM
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your head, IM and TB are aluminum too....if I'm not mistaken, coolant is passing through there as well.
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Old 07-29-2008, 10:25 AM
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So in other words, AL hardlines are the way to go?
Retorical...
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Old 07-29-2008, 01:05 PM
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Ok, so anyone know how it's longevity is (w/ vibration and heat)? Will it crack eventually?
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Old 07-29-2008, 01:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Braineack
your head, IM and TB are aluminum too....if I'm not mistaken, coolant is passing through there as well.
i'd have to go with this guy's logic as well when considering fail rates due to heat and vibrations. if the cylinder head isn't falling apart from heat and vibration while spinning at 7k+ rpms i imagine aluminum coolant lines would be fine as well.

if i remember correctly, 5.0 mustangs used aluminum tubing for fuel lines and i've seen those last to 150k miles and more
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Old 07-29-2008, 01:55 PM
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Originally Posted by kenzo42
Ok, so anyone know how it's longevity is (w/ vibration and heat)? Will it crack eventually?
you're coupling them to the rest of the system with rubber hoses, right? should isolate whatever you might vibrate.
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Old 07-29-2008, 02:42 PM
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Sounds like a waste of money, go with rubber wrap it in fiberglass weave and let it be.
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Old 09-17-2008, 11:27 AM
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I'm helping a friend find DIY turbo parts.
I can't believe after all these years only AVO designs their kits with long hard lines to keep the rubber coolant hoses far from the turbo and manifold. (FM, BEGI, and ATP don't). However thanks to the weak USD, they're $80 / pair at AVO Australia.

BTW in post 19 and 20, this dude
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=159432
bought a flaring tool for $80.

BTW the link he shows is old, here's the new one:
http://www.skygeek.com/ats-212fb.html

So the anplumbing dude mentioned in post 1 will still do custom bent/flared lines ?
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Old 09-17-2008, 02:22 PM
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i wouldn't do it, thin walled aluminum tubing close to the turbo sounds like failure, if you're making all the connections with rubber sections then what's the point of the aluminum in the first place?
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Old 09-17-2008, 02:38 PM
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aluminum melts at over 1000 degrees F

rubber gets crispy at about a quarter of that.
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Old 09-17-2008, 03:15 PM
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they don't make aluminum exhausts either, all i'm saying is if you're gonna bother go with stainless.
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Old 09-17-2008, 03:24 PM
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Thick walled Al tubing (as per the guy on miataforum) is probably good enough to resist vibration fractures.
The point is to get the rubber far from the radiant heat from the mani and turbo.
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Old 09-17-2008, 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Mach929
they don't make aluminum exhausts either, all i'm saying is if you're gonna bother go with stainless.
You are not too familiar with high dollar race cars are you? Aluminum will work just fine. As long as you use couplers, you will be fine. Even if you had the tube a millimeter from the turbo housing, the aluminum will not melt/fail. It will get hot, but at the same time the coolant will draw the heat away from the area of incident, thus keeping it "cool".
-Tim
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Old 09-17-2008, 04:54 PM
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ANBplumbing won't do beads for you. He told me to buy a beading tool. You have to bend them yourself.
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Old 09-17-2008, 05:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Mach929
they don't make aluminum exhausts either, all i'm saying is if you're gonna bother go with stainless.
They:
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Old 09-17-2008, 06:29 PM
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Wonder which one of those Civics is getting that? lol
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Old 09-17-2008, 09:15 PM
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Originally Posted by y8s
They:
they don't recommend is what i should have said, but who ****** cares make the **** out of carbon fiber if you want
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Old 09-18-2008, 09:54 AM
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Originally Posted by Mach929
they don't recommend is what i should have said, but who ****** cares make the **** out of carbon fiber if you want
I'm just ribbing ya. Aluminum would be fine for the water lines. It'll be less succeptible to heat fatigue than the rubber lines. I suppose you could use steel if you dont mind the weight.

I still have rubber lines with thermotec foil/fiberglass sleeves around them. been fine for 5 yrs / 40k miles
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Old 09-18-2008, 10:24 AM
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it's all good, i don't see a problem with rubber lines anyway, my greddy isn't even water cooled so i got nothin
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