copper and gasoline

Copper tends to work-harden and become brittle where there's high vibration.

Been done for probably 100 years I imagine. I do not know of any chemical reaction. It is sometimes not recommended because of vibration causing cracks or breakage. Don Young

Keep the lines short and supported and there will not be an issue. Barring the ability to keep it short, I use copper for my oil pressure lines in my car, but I put a little coil to spread any movement out over a longer span, and supported in a way that it wouldn't vibrate unnecessarily. The nylon that came with the gauge set got brittle and broke, making a royal mess inside my car on the way to work one day. Copper fuel lines were used for years in old machinery, cars, and so forth. You'll find little really old equipment lacking a copper fuel line somewhere.

Since copper has a lower melt temperature than steel it won't hold up in the event of fire. Then again, neither will a plastic gas tank LOL.

No chemical reaction whatsoever. Careful design must be used to prevent fracture due to vibration 'work hardening'. I had a copper oil pressure gauge line (OEM with this top of the line gauge) that decided its service life had been exceeded one fine night. This in itself would not have been a really big deal except this particular line was in my boat and it decided to let go (right at the instrument panel) on a particularily nasty night while trying to dock said thirty foot boat in a 60 Knot SE gale. The phrase "I didn't know whether to shit or go blind" really applied there! It is truly amazing how slippery and vision impaired things can get with a lousy 1/8" stream of hot oil at 80 PSI ripping round the helm - fast too. And, by the way, shutting down the engine was NOT an option! Being a firm believer of the various 'Laws o Murphy' I had that sucker crimped off in a few seconds with my ever-present Vice Grips. Hell of a mess anyway. Bottom line - copper and vibration *can* lead to disaster. I highly recommend 'fuel rated' tubing!

Regards. Ken.

wrote: (clip) that something happens between the copper and the gas.(clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You may be remembering something you actually read about copper and *gas,* but it may have referred to *natural gas* used to heat houses, etc. Natural gas causes copper to corrode to a black, flaky substance that clogs jets, etc. I have seen this, 'cause did it before I knew.

Or use the system the folks who make aeroplanes learned the hard way by about the 1930s. Interrupt the run of copper tubing with a short section of rubber tubing near the ends.

Yes copper is subject to vibration fatigue, but so is steel, and steel also rusts.

Ie, near engines. My take on this is there are plenty of other materials to use instead of copper, for fuel or oil lines. Sure they look purty all shined up, but that won't get you home when the motor pumps all its oil out on the ground, or a fuel leak hits a hot manifold and lights off.

Jim

It's not a reaction; copper washers are common on fuel line fittings (at least in cars with Bosch fuel injection systems). I wouldn't use it for lines because of copper's habit of work hardening.

Dave Hinz

There was a belief by some that copper would make gasoline form gummy deposits But I think the "problem" was just poor quality gasoline or maybe some kind of bioligy living in a water / gasoline mix.

I don't have a clue as to the facts.

Bill K7NOM

I doubt it'd be a biology issue, copper is really good at killing things.

Are you sure it wasn't copper and acetylene? Any copper alloy that is more than about 2/3 copper will form explosive compounds with acetylene.

"Footy" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@corp.supernews.com:

Then I would ask why torch tips are made of copper...;0)

To make it light easier!

Tim

-- "I've got more trophies than Wayne Gretsky and the Pope combined!" - Homer Simpson Website @

At that point, burning is pretty much expected and normal, I'd say?

Still doesn't explain why torch tips don't "self-light" or explode, even when running pure acet. through 'em...

The formation of 'explosive compounds' (a reaction between copper and acetylene) is a *very* slow process, as I understand it, requiring long term contact. It is, however, very real and people have been killed. One senario is the dismantling of old copper lines that have carried acetylene for many years. One wrong move and BOOM!

Ken.

Ever see a fuel system with a good case of the "greenies"? Todays fuel and copper lines do NOT get along well. Fuel (gasoline) is hygroscopic

- meaning it attracts and absorbs moisture. Possibly the alcohols and other oxygenators contribute too, but the copper corrodes (forms freen oxides), and the green stuff makes a mess of jets and injectors.

Yet copper is now not only approved, but is the line of choice for connecting natural gas appliances.