What is the best replacement type of line for an oil gauge and also what is the best thing to clean oil from a blacktop driveway. THANKS

The local parts stores have the nylon tubing kit's that come with the brass flanges. Or you can go the summit route and get the 3/8" (??) steel braded tubing and be the talk of the neighborhood.

I have a cement driveway and use good ole kitty litter. There is some good "acid" like stuff that you can use with a pressure washer. Man does that stuff rip!!

My personal feeling is that I don't want a piece of nylon tubing being the only thing between HOT oil and my leg (or worse).
Summit, as well as others, sells a copper tubing kit for oil gauges.

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Better Late than Never Fred
Team Chevelle #400
LORD...Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to hide the bodies of those people I had to kill because they TICKED me off!
1970 Chevelle Malibu (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/Riffers70_1)

I use copper tubing. It's been on there for 16 years now, no failure.

Jim R.

Make mine 1/4" copper, doesn't melt and better response, especially when cold.

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OrrieG
64 Malibu HT Survivor (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/OrrieG1.jpg)

I also have used copper tubing, in fact the same line since the summer of 66, do not like the thought of hot oil and a thin wall of nylon line turning loose in the cockpit and all over everything, plus the chance of destorying a motor is real also. Your choice.

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Jesse66Original
T.C. Gold 243
A.C.E.S. 02344

I think by now you will probably use the copper, so I'll just tell you how to clean your driveway the easy way without running the chance of getting the acid too strong and leaving a huge pothole in the driveway (having to deal with them on the street is bad enough!!) Go to your local Wal-Mart, K-Mart, NAPA, etc. and pick up a bottle of "Simple Green." It is a super concentrated degreaser that comes in a clear Windex like bottle w/ a green and gold label. After soaking up the biggest part of your Exxon disaster with the kitty litter and sweeping it away, spray it directly on the oil spot without diluting it with water. Then go get your old tire brush that you were going to throw away and buy a new one for your tires. Let the degreaser soak for a few seconds or a minute, but don't let it dry, and then scrub it with the brush. Hose it off with a strong stream from the garden hose and you are done. Warning though: this stuff used full strength will leave spots on your paint so don't do this near any cars or other painted stuff and make sure rinse the driveway with a lot of water to dilute the stuff so the runoff does not kill your lawn. The rest of this stuff can be diluted to at least 50/50 water and makes a very good brake dust remover. Just make sure and follow the diluting instructions on the bottle.

Nylon tubing that came with the gauge. Been on there since 1976. Not "thin-wall". Won't suffer metal fatigue. Yes, probably would melt if you stuck it up against a hot manifold long enough. I WOULDN'T use copper tubing.

my $0.02

Ok, I see good words coming from both sides, copper and nylon. But has anyone had a break with either? I'm using nylon but don't trust it over the long run, and I'm afraid that copper will get brittle over time.

jac,
I have had nylon on my 71 since probably 1972...but if I was going to replace it I would use either copper, or a braided line kit. Autometer sells copper line kits so I am sure they are ok, i have always put a "loop" in any metal gauge line to let it "give" a bit as the motor moves around. Sort of like they do with brake lines at the master cyl.
As for the driveway...repave it http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

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Bill Koustenis
Advanced Automotive Machine
Waldorf Md

1971 Heavy Chevy - original owner
Team Chevelle #100

I've found that the nylon line gets hard after awhile and even clipping the end off and using a new compression ring doesn't seal well. Seemed like every year it would start dripping on the header collector again. ARRGH!

So, I switched to copper line. Put in a nice strain relief loop and was smilin'. Worked like a charm for a few years until one of my mechanical buddies claimed it might succomb to metal fatigue. He scored some stainless line and the proper compression fittings and does it look sharp now!

I think the copper would have lasted fine but why argue when the price is right=free.

Yes I used nylon tubing ONCE. My sister and I were downtown Colo Spgs one afternoon in the old 67 Mustake. While sitting at the red light my sister says "wheres all that smoke coming from??" my repliy was "probably that clunker in front of us" at the next light no clunker ahead She says I dont think so.So at the light I pop the hood with the eng running and guess what...Nice oil fountain happening under the hood. puled over Capped the Tee and away we went... Home to put a copper line on

Another trick way to do this would be run a braided line from the block to the firewall use a bulkhead connector then run steel or copper inside the cabin all flexing will be taken by the braided line hence no work fatigue of hard line

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PhilMullaly Member562 72camino TPI proj

JYD word of caution stainless line will crack faster than copper its too rigid and wont give alittle when the engine moves. all aircraft use stainless lines and they are clamped every 12inches just to ensure no movement.
Just my $.02

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PhilMullaly Member562 72camino TPI proj

Hey Riffers70; You crack me up with those tidbits. Keep up the good works. http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

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Bill Brown. 70 El Camino.Member#669. Slowly getting back in the groove.

The ultimate and most trouble free is to run #4 teflon lined braided hose. I have always run braided for the gauge and never had a leak. Kinda pricey, but trouble free and lasts forever.

I bought the line kit from Autometer for about $45.00.

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Todd Geisler
79 Malibu
11.16@125.8mph
Malibu Muscle
http://www.qis.net/~tgeisler

[This message has been edited by Todd Geisler (edited 06-23-2000).]

I felt a little uneasy with the nylon tube and planned on changing it. So at the first time at the track the tech inspector told me if it wasn't the last race of the year he would not have let me race with the nylon tube. So I got home and changed it a few days later and where it was rubbing on a few spots it was wearing down, and I only had it on about 7 months. If it was up to me to do it again I would have used copper or steel from day one, but thats just my $.02

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1970 Chevelle Malibu dark blue 350/TH350
Could always be faster...but there is nothing that is "fast enough"
My Page (http://pages.about.com/bad70chevelle/1bad70chevelle.html)

Yes indeed, high-strength aircraft stainless steel tubing will leak too if it is cracked or rubbed-through. Seen it numerous times. You'd be surprised just how fast 10-12 gallons of oil will "leak" out of a cracked line at 200 psi. or hydraulic fluid at 3,000 psi. The causes are always the same--somebody screwed-up the installation: kinked or nicked the tube, or overtorqued the fitting, or didn't route it correctly, or didn't support it with enough clamps in the right places, or failed to provide a strain-relief, or it was chafing. IMO, the material is less important than the workmanship.

my $0.02

I tried the nylon tubing that came with my oil pressure gauge.It lasted about 2 years and then i noticed the nice pattern the oil was making on my new shoe one night as it squirted into the floorboard.i had fun racing to the local autozone at 9 http://www.chevelles.com/forum/redface.gifop.m.on sunday night!As for me,i'll never use nylon again!

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bad73prostrt

When I got my Autometer oil pressure gauge it came with a sending unit so the only thing running inside is a wire real easy and safe!!!! http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

pmullaly- Just great! Now you've destroyed my illusion of invincibility http://www.chevelles.com/forum/biggrin.gif

I have a strain relief coil on either side of the firewall and I watched the motion during engine loading to make sure it doesn't put stress on the line. But now I'm thinking of going back to copper. No biggie, I have an entire roll of each.

Thanks for the heads up!

Dan, as my Dad used to say when he'd send me off to buy the beer and my hand was extended for the 'you buy I'll fly' arrangement: Anybody can do it with money http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Just kidding! Sounds like a sweet setup.

[This message has been edited by JYD71_454 (edited 06-24-2000).]