hey guys.

autometer supplies a thin 1/8" nylon hose with their mechanical oil pressure gauges. anyone ever run into problems with those hoses bursting or melting from heat?

seems kinda cheap but if they supply it with their gauges im sure it will be fine as long as its not rubbing against anything?

 

I know what you mean, I used 1/8" copper tube myself....

 

that sounds better.....where can you get 1/8" copper tube?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by non-VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">that sounds better.....where can you get 1/8" copper tube?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Gotta be careful with metal tube. Engine movement / vibration can cause metal fatigue in the tube and eventually it can crack, pumping oil out under pressure, not good.

To minimise this problem you need to use a longer length of tube, and coil up the extra length either near the motor or the firewall, or even better a coil of tubing near the engine and another near the firewall. The coiling of the tubing spreads the movement over a longer length of tubing, minimising tube flexure per X length of tube.

You don't need 1/8" tube, 'capilliary' tube is perfectly OK for an oil pressure guage, in fact it's better to use a thinner tube because it's more supple. The coil is made by wrapping the tube around a cylindrical former, and the larger the coil OD and the more coils the more resistant to cracking the line will be.

Personally, I'd use an electric oil pressure guage to avoid any potential isues with cracked pressure lines. I know electric guages aren't (typically) quite as accurate as mechanical guages, but how much accuracy do you really need in an oil pressure guage? I'd suggest it's not crtitically important for the guage to be ultra accurate...

 

i need the gauge to be as accurate as possible which is why im going to run a mechanical gauge. my electrical sending unit just took a crap on me and scared the crap out of me when it dropped from 75psi to 0psi.

i understand about the flexing and moving. the sensing unit is mounted on the firewall so im not concerned about the stuff moving and getting damaged. i just want to use something else other than the nylon hose that comes with the gauge kit.

where can i get that 1/8" copper tube? home depot?

 

the nylon should be fine, im guessing you got the procomp gauges? i believe those are the most accurate of them all.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nitrocacklefest &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the nylon should be fine, im guessing you got the procomp gauges? i believe those are the most accurate of them all.</TD></TR></TABLE>

actually now that i think about it the nylon hose should be fine as long as it does not rub on anything.....

its a sport-comp 150psi oil pressure gauge.

 

Buy the $9.00 1/8 copper line. Don't trust the plastic. NHRA rules require a metal line for a reason. Plastic will fatigue over time.

Like said above, loop the copper line and you'll be fine. You have already learned why anybody that knows whats best uses mechanical gauges.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 1992Si &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Buy the $9.00 1/8 copper line. Don't trust the plastic. NHRA rules require a metal line for a reason. Plastic will fatigue over time.

Like said above, loop the copper line and you'll be fine. You have already learned why anybody that knows whats best uses mechanical gauges.


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ya you are right......i will grab the copper line.