Alum water pipes

[Runningwild]

I'm planning on using alum tubing for my water pipes.  My question is what type of alum tubing would be the best.  Any thoughts?

[Serge]

I used T66 with a wall thickness of 1.5mm and used silicone bends to join straight pieces of aluminium together. Easier to make and a lot less stress on the aluminium tubing.

Serge

[Runningwild]

Thanks Serge. That's what I was planning in back but didn't know what type of tubing. How are you doing the front bends. Are you leaving the tubes straight.  I'm going with a cable shift system and don't want the tubes to interfere with the shifting.

[Clifton]

I used  Aluminum 2024-T3 1.25" x .049".  It could have been thinner wall. Beading it was hard.

[jbcollier]

Serge has an S1 which has straight tubes through the chassis "tunnel".  So he beaded the tube ends and use silicon hose for the bends in the engine compartment.

[HealeyBN7]

I did something similar. I ran straight anodized aluminum pipes low in the chassis.  It required punching new holes in the front bulkhead so the pipes would both stay low and clear my cable shifter.  I used an epoxy bead on the ends instead of welding and messing up the anodize.  So far it has been working. 

[andy harwood]

Thanks for that idea Dean. I was just at the metal shop yesterday checking pipe choices and availability.

[Clifton]

I saw a Youtube video of someone using vise grips with a muffler clamp to bead tube. That's how I did mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oGqB2HQXVQ

[jbcollier]

You can also just fit four rivets.

[EuropaTC]

I saw a Youtube video of someone using vise grips with a muffler clamp to bead tube. That's how I did mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oGqB2HQXVQ

good post, thanks for that video.

I'm amazed how inventive some folks are to get around problems, that's so simple but effective.
Brian

[Runningwild]

I really like your idea of putting a second hole at the bottom to run the tubes straight and at the bottom of the frame. Eastwood sells the beveled hole punches to match the original holes. I was thinking of having the alum tubes Swain coated like we do on our race cars headers. Shouldn't that cut down on the heat build up in the tunnel?

[Serge]

Yes, a ceramic type coating like on exhaust manifolds is a perfect solution for minimising the heat in the tunnel.

I used a tube-beader for the beads and like John said, mine is an S1,so the tubes are straight.

[FranV8]

I've had to replace one of mine (lower) on a TCS.  I've used plain 32mm OD steel seamed tubing, painted and managed to slide it all the way through the car with the grill removed.  The rear riser (vertical section with two bends) that would have originally been part of the same tube, had rotted so I've made up a new section and am using a short section of silicone hose as a joiner.  I've not swaged the ends (the originals weren't) - but have upgraded from the original wire clips to Mikalor clamps.