What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

solder fittings onto steel line?

79rustyk10

79rustyk10

3/4 ton status
Joined
Sep 21, 2008
Posts
6,796
Reaction score
1,346
Location
Bikini Atol
I have to make a new fuel line for my tractor. I can buy new steel fittings online, but I cant find 5/16 copper tubing anywhere anymore. would it be possible to solder the steel fittings to 5/16 steel line? John Deere had them welded somehow originally. I had them almost red hot and couldnt get the fitting off the line without wrecking stuff.

Thanks
 
You trying to get the old ones off, or attach new fittings to a new piece of tubing?
Or both?

If you can't get the old ones off at red heat, they may have been induction welded.
As for attaching new ones, silver solder with flux works great.
As does brazing.
If its diesel, one thing to watch out for. I do not know the reason for sure, and I doubt that just a line would be enough to hurt anything, but I have been told by some pretty good diesel guys that brass and copper should not be used in a diesel fuel system.
Supposedly it will break down the fuel, or do other bad things.

Before you go to all that trouble, check with this outfit.

http://www.tractorpartsasap.com/

They have tons of old tractor parts, and claim they have replacement fuel lines.
Go to the website, and drill down to your model tractor.
If they don't show a fuel line, send them an e-mail or call them tomorrow.

J.
 
You should never use copper in a fuel system, the fuel will anneal the copper and it will become brittle and eventually break.
 
Why not just use 5/16" steel brake line tubing??..weird fittings that cant be flared on and have to be welded ,soldered or brazed maybe??..super high pressure perhaps,like a fuel injector line for diesel??..
 
4X4HIGH said:
You should never use copper in a fuel system, the fuel will anneal the copper and it will become brittle and eventually break.
Click to expand...


Gee,good thing no one told my '77 GMC plow truck that--I put 3/8" copper tubing from Lowes right from the gas tank to the fuel pump and ran it 10 years with no issues--it turned green,but it never failed..Steel lines would rot out in 2 years from salt here!..I got sick of replacing & patching them,it was either copper,that new nylon stuff or rubber hose for me after that...


I've seen old vehicles at the junkyard that often had factory copper fuel & oil lines,evenair brakes on city busses--maybe they used special thicker alloy or something though..not arguing the fact your probably right,I just haven't actually seen any real issues with copper & gasoline in my experience..
 
4X4HIGH said:
You should never use copper in a fuel system, the fuel will anneal the copper and it will become brittle and eventually break.
Click to expand...
Oh, OK.
I knew that there was a reason, but I had just been told not to do it when I was trying to add a pressure tester between my lift pump and the injector pump on my genset.
I got the impression it would degrade the fuel, but never really asked. They just said don't ever do it.
Glad to know the reason.
J.
 
diesel4me said:
Gee,good thing no one told my '77 GMC plow truck that--I put 3/8" copper tubing from Lowes right from the gas tank to the fuel pump and ran it 10 years with no issues--it turned green,but it never failed..Steel lines would rot out in 2 years from salt here!..I got sick of replacing & patching them,it was either copper,that new nylon stuff or rubber hose for me after that...


I've seen old vehicles at the junkyard that often had factory copper fuel & oil lines,evenair brakes on city busses--maybe they used special thicker alloy or something though..not arguing the fact your probably right,I just haven't actually seen any real issues with copper & gasoline in my experience..
Click to expand...
I'm fairly sure that copper and gasoline is not much of an issue. My old Jeep had all copper lines. Gas and brake.
The warning I was given, and that he was confirming, was concerning copper and diesel.

J.
 
diesel4me said:
Gee,good thing no one told my '77 GMC plow truck that--I put 3/8" copper tubing from Lowes right from the gas tank to the fuel pump and ran it 10 years with no issues--it turned green,but it never failed..Steel lines would rot out in 2 years from salt here!..I got sick of replacing & patching them,it was either copper,that new nylon stuff or rubber hose for me after that...


I've seen old vehicles at the junkyard that often had factory copper fuel & oil lines,evenair brakes on city busses--maybe they used special thicker alloy or something though..not arguing the fact your probably right,I just haven't actually seen any real issues with copper & gasoline in my experience..
Click to expand...

I'm just giving facts, take it or leave it. Yes copper USED to be used as fuel lines in the past and that could have been BEFORE it was known that fuel anneals copper. :deal:
 
The question was if I could solder fittings onto steel brake line, however I just found a place that sells a reproduction fuel line, so I just bought that.

Thanks
 
Roberts had the fittings, kinda spendy though. Hes a good guy to deal with, Ive got a few parts there before.
 
I have soldered steel fittings onto brake line (galvanized ones ) by using tinners fluid (an acid flux) & used 50/50 acid core solder..
...not sure what amount of pressure they would stand,but they did not leak..I used it on a fuel line for an aincient Briggs and Stratton engine I was putting on an old tractor..

One thing I've been tempted to use copper tubing on is transmission cooler lines--they rot real quick here,copper would probably cool better.,but I have been warned it cant take the vibration and will "work harden" and crack..weird thing is many old Mopars had copper tranny lines and I dont recall any of them ever giving trouble...maybe we had better copper in the good old days.I dont know..
 
diesel4me said:
I have soldered steel fittings onto brake line (galvanized ones ) by using tinners fluid (an acid flux) & used 50/50 acid core solder..
...not sure what amount of pressure they would stand,but they did not leak..I used it on a fuel line for an aincient Briggs and Stratton engine I was putting on an old tractor..

One thing I've been tempted to use copper tubing on is transmission cooler lines--they rot real quick here,copper would probably cool better.,but I have been warned it cant take the vibration and will "work harden" and crack..weird thing is many old Mopars had copper tranny lines and I dont recall any of them ever giving trouble...maybe we had better copper in the good old days.I dont know..
Click to expand...
This might solve your transmission line problem. I've heard good things about this stuff.

http://store.fedhillusa.com/

Have not had a chance to use any yet.

J.
 
Fordum said:
This might solve your transmission line problem. I've heard good things about this stuff.

http://store.fedhillusa.com/

Have not had a chance to use any yet.

J.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link,I think that stuff is much like the "Terne" brake & fuel lines used in the UK,its a copper alloy probably similar or the same stuff,seeing the forien cars they list use it as OEM..pretty costly though,about twice the price of "regular" rolls of brake tubing,but if it lasts two to three times longer I'd go for it..nothing worse than losing a brake line or tranny cooler line repeatedly due to rust,not to mention the damage that can cause..

I'd love to move away from snow,.salt and cold..all three conspire to kill a truck here in less than 10 years..I'd have to buy a rust free truck out there and stay there..no sense bringing a patched up rotbox to AZ,right?..
 
They claim its rustproof like stainless and meets DOT standards. I have a 1966 F600 that I am going to use it on when I rebuild the brakes and change it over to a dual brake system.

J.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom