Steel Braided Tubing

[Dragcity]

Does anyone have a connection, or "in the know" of obtaining Steel Braided Tubing.

I am looking for a source to supply me with a four foot lenght of 1/8" line for my Hydraulic/Mechanical Oil Pressure Gauge installation.

I have searched, but come up with nadda.

Plenty of Nylon, Copper and Stainless.

Someone has to make this stuff....

Please help.

[Breadfan]

This place has 1/4" http://www.paragonperformance.com/Medium%20Pressure%20Hose.HTML

1/8" may be too small OD for braided...

[Dragcity]

That's the ticket! 1/8" I.D. = .125"

Not too concerned about O.D.

And it's FDA approved Food grade too !

Thanks

[Breadfan]

Cool! Yeah now that I think about it ID is really what matters for that application!

[Dragcity]

Oh, I can see me spending lots of money there.......

I suppose I should document and photograph this mod, as I seem to be the only one doing it..


I'll let everyone know what the REAL oil pressure is....

[Power Surge]

What you want is -3 or -4 braided line. Either will work for oil lines. You'll need the proper AN fitting ends to connect to your gauge and your engine fitting. I have the same setup on my Shelby Cobra (it's black cloth though, not stainless).

[SergntMac]

I suppose I should document and photograph this mod, as I seem to be the only one doing it..


I'll let everyone know what the REAL oil pressure is....Maybe you should ask yourself why you are the only one?

Those who have upgraded from the OEM gauges know what their REAL oil pressure is too. All you're doing with a mechanical gauge vs. electrical, is moving the function of a sender to the inside of the gauge, and bringing a live oil feed into the cabin.

[Dragcity]

Good Point Sarge....

That old saying, there is one in every group, and if your group doesn't have one, it's you.

That's me. I just gotta' be different.

[Breadfan]

Are the mechanical guages full sweep?

If so, there has to be more than just where the sender sits....

Full sweep electric, Ultra-lite II = about $200

Mechanical Ultra-lite II = about $65

Wire is cheap so I can't image why there would be a $135 difference for 5 feet of electrical wire.

Thus the difference must be in the units that read the pressure...electric uses a screw in electric pressure sending unit, mechanical may use a fully mechanized pressure reader within the guage - so the senders are probably very different.

The question is, is one more accurate than the other?

Now, IF the mechanical ones are full sweep and running the oil line isn't an issue for the installer, they will be accurate enough to justify the cost savings especially when compared to an OEM idiot guage. That being said electric short sweel is only about $70-75, so less of a savings there...

Good luck with the install!


EDIT: Jsut checked autometers site, the mechanicals ARE full sweep (270 degree)

[Breadfan]

Since I was speculating on the sender type in mechanical guages, this is from Autometer on the Ulta-Lite II series


Electric, Full Sweep: (http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugesize.aspx?sid=61&opId=1)

Powered by digital microprocessor-controlled, rugged stepper motor drives & laboratory grade sending units, Full Sweep Electric Gauges are the BEST gauges available. They combine Extreme Durability & Readability of 270 degree sweep mechanical gauges w/ the Easy Installation & Safe Operation of short sweep electrics. Track Tested & Race Proven, these units use precision senders to keep hazardous fluids out of the driver compartment, and perform gauge calibration and sensor diagnostics at power up for Extreme Accuracy, every time. Most units compatible w/ Auto Meter Data Logger for the ultimate race info center.


Mechanical: (http://www.autometer.com/cat_gaugesize.aspx?sid=61&opId=4)

Bronze bourdon tube 270 degree sweep movements and durable nylon gearing have made these rugged and long lasting gauges a proven high performance favorite for over 25 years. These mechanical gauges require no electrical power for operation making them an ideal choice for vehicles with no or low powered electrical systems.

So yeah...nothing really about accuracy differences between them on the autometer site.

[Dragcity]

The mechanical one have is full sweep. The only elecrical connection is the light bulb. I can blow into the supply tube and get the needle to move, so I think the function is completely different.....

It comes down to my silly personal preference.

I do not fear an oil line comming into the cabin. I will just get the proper plumbing. This gauge came out of my '78 T-bird I used to race. I used the nylon line in that for 5 years without issue. I just wan to insure integrity and pretty things up a bit. Just can't have anything that will kink. It will either be a new nylon ($5) or stainless braided ($20 - $40).

I am not suggesting the good electric gauges are no good, I'm reasonably sure they are excellent. Just me, being different. I did order the matching Amp gauge. (I like black & white)

[Breadfan]

Thanks, I'm curious how it works out for you.

[RF Overlord]

Mechanical pressure gauges are usually of the bourdon tube type. It's a metal pipe that's bent into a "C" shape and sealed at one end. The sealed end is attached to the indicator. When pressure is applied to the open end, the tube attempts to straighten out, causing the indicator to move. Here's a link (http://www.efunda.com/DesignStandards/sensors/bourdon_tubes/bourdon_intro.cfm) to a better explanation.

[hal510]

Hate to revive an old thread, but I just bought a mech. OPG and I just wanted to see how things worked out. What tubing did you decide on?

[Dragcity]

Actually, I have stayed with the Nylon tubing as supplied by Auto Meter with the guage.

I looked on the manufacturers site and discovered the tubing has and operating pressure of 250 PSI, burst at 1000 PSI.

Melting point of 500 F

The plus to the nylon is it fits in a really small hole. Using the wiring harness. It's already there, well protected and conceled.

For routing in the engine compartment, I threaded it inside a steel braided line to protect it from any heat. A little RTV black on the ends to keep it from moving around. 1/8 " nylon fits right inside a 1/8 " braided line, go figure.


I did NOT want to cut a hole in my firewall for the thick braided line to pass through. I give myself way too many perameters to make modifications.

I am presently working on dimming the LED backlighting. It has been too friggin' cold and sloppy to work on the past coulple weeks.

A great many people worry about bringing an oil line into the passenger compartment. If this troubles you, stop now and go back....

[hal510]

Thanks. The 1000 PSI burst rating and 500 F melting point makes me feel better. Im not worried about it.