The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 1/8" Steel Tubing for oil pressure line?

Been lookin' for an hour and can't seem to find a source for a roll of 1/8" steel tubing. Thought I'd find it under capillary tubing but I've only found commercial suppliers for large quantities. Anyone know of a source???

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, for my "roll tubing" I"ve been able to find what I need at CarQuest here in Spartanburg when the "big chains" do not have it......if no CarQuest how about NAPA?

looks pretty available .... my first try would be NAPA, next the hobby shops

Bill

I've got both of them here Alvin but I doubt if they have anything smaller than 3/16". At least I haven't been able to find any online.
A couple of the vendors sell kits for twenty bucks plus another ten for shipping but they make them up out of 1/8" copper. I've got a roll of 1/8" copper here but being the purist that I am, tisk, tisk, I want steel as was originally used.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Note that the Grainger tubing is quality and long lasting -- am wondering if original was plain steel and thinking it was, but stainless will last longer and be much more resistant to rust over the years. Lay the original out and use as a pattern and the stainless will also use stainless compression fittings.

Denny any auto parts sells the tubing.I used plastic tubing so no engine noise from steel tubing

This is why I posted this question in the first place Bill, taint as simple as just Googling 1/8”.
1 = 1 1/8 DOM
2 = Rectangular tube
3= And in all fairness to you old buddy, I looked thru all 30 pages of Grainger’s once
again as I did yesterday and all they carry is SS or copper in 1/8“
4 = SS
5 = Chart not a supplier
6 = Tower Hobbies, SS
7 = SS pipe and tube
8 = Square Tubing
9 = Black pipe
10 = Reference to my posting on Stovebolt
11 = SS
12 = Dundee Products, .590” smallest round
13 = Nylon and short 12” length of steel
14 = ½” up structural
15 = SS
16 = SS
17 = Wikipedia reference
18 = 1 1/8” listing
19 = Carbon steel from .250” up
20 = SS
21 = Mild steel from 1 1/8”
22 = Reference to 1/8” wall
23 = SS
24 = SS
25 = SS
26 = Square 1/8” wall
Need I go on………………..

Tim, type 316 SS, I’m looking for mild steel same as the brake lines.

Plastic----NG Dan, it’s easy enough to just find something to make it work, but another story to restore something to its original form and that‘s my goal most of the time. That’s also why I’ve been working on my truck for five years and will be for another five if I live that long.

And I weren’t just a kidding with Alvin guys, I am a dyed in the wool purist about some things, I’M LOOKING FOR PLAIN OLD MILD STEEL, sorry for yellin’, but I always get frustrated and get my blood pressure up over these small details.
The mild steel that GM originally used is soft enough (brake line) that it is compatible with a brass double compression fitting on either end. Type 304 and 316 SS are both tough materials and will not give any at all with brass. And Dave, if you know anyone that supplies 1/8” SS double compression nuts, and their companion 1/8”tube x 1/8“MPT let me know. I worked with SS for nearly 30 years at the nuclear accelerator lab where I was a welder/inspector and although SS is not “hard“, it is “tough”.

My search goes on!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny, just for grins give these folks a call: http://www.yardstore.com/ . They have tons of stuff not listed on their site. They are famous for having the most off beat stuff. They buy surplus and odd lot stuff from all over the country. Their inventory is always changing. I challenge anyone to browse their store in person and not spend all afternoon there. If you don't find something there that you've never seen before I'll buy you a cup of coffee.

Thanks Richard, I'll give them a call tomorrow, no results on their online catalog.

Denny G

I guess if that's what floats your boat, then good luck, and God Bless. But now you know why some of the rest of us aren't!

Denny, have you tried Metal supermarkets? They list 1/8 DOM steel tubing. We use them with varying success for small quantity of unusual metal items.
Mar-Ktech

I've used Metal Supermarket quite a bit. I've got a store a half hour away from me and call in orders fairly often. Didn't think they would go down that small on tubing, in fact I wouldn't expect them to even have brake tubing, but I will take a look, thanks for the suggestion. Who'd have thought it would be this hard to find 1/8" steel line!!!!
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Nope, smallest they stock is 3/16" even in SS.
DG

Denny,
Have you checked any hydraulic shops yet?

This one claims :

TUBING
We Fabricate Custom Assemblies!
Steel & Stainless Steel 1/8” thru 1-¼”

Good luck,
Grigg

Also try manufacturers of lubrication systems for machines.
Several of my machine tools have 1/8" steel lines.
I've bought parts for them from Bijur (the manufacturer), and just called to check on steel line for you.. no luck, they do have copper and brass. I used brass on the last machine I fixed up.

Another place/brand to try would be
http://www.lincoln-orsco.com/
In this PDF it sounds like they do offer 1/8" steel line
http://www.lincolnindustrial.com/Catalogs/Uploaded/Catalog_83/ORSCO_170.pdf

Grigg

Denny,
I went through this dilemna a few years ago and never found any mild steel that small. Maybe you'll have better luck, I'll be watching. I ended up using stainless, I believe I got it from McMaster, but it's been a while so I could be wrong. At least it looks more original than copper.

Bob

Denny,did the oil pressure gauge line come from the factory in steel ? All of the ones I've seen has been copper. I just looked in the master parts catalog and came up with page. oil line tubing
It looks like the only tubing in 1/8",is copper.

Tim

Denny,
Ask the large quantity supplier for a 10' sample.....

I just got a quote from Metal supermarkets for 1/8 DOM steel tubing, 55 cents per inch. They are proud of it. That is what I don't like about them, the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.

You need soft/annealed tubing, what they have might be sort of hard, did you ask?
One clue might be if it comes in a straight length and not a coil.

Check these people. http://www.plews-edelmann.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=1876&location_id=2516 Brochure does not list the part number, but I have an old carton from them that is probably what you need that came from Edelmann-stant. Edelmann number 3200ST is 1/8 diameter, copper plated steel tubing, made for oil pressure senders, etc. Bends easily, durable steel tubing. Don't use copper and don't use plastic. I bought it 20+ years ago. Maybe they still carry it maybe not.

Are we taking about the oil pressure gauge line ?

Tim

Yes Tim, not the 3/16" copper rocker oil feed line that goes thru the block.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

maybe Mcmaster Carr? they had 1/8" inconel?

McMaster Carr, 89865K321 High-Temperature Nickel-Chromium Tubing 1/8” OD, .055” ID, .035” Wall $8.51 per foot. Not very practical for a oil pressure gauge line, is it when you concider you'll need about five feet.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

you didn't say it had to be practical, I was just trying to help. Just using copper tubing would be practical.

Denny,
Any luck from the links I provided half a page or so above?

Grigg

plews only goes as small as 5/16"maybe I will look on ebay some nut probably has something, I found a couple of cans of shinola the other day...

Denny,I was always told that purist don't have budgets"the sky is the limit". LOL !!!!!

Your talkin' bout purists that are working Tim, not old broken down jobless retirees livin’ on beans and SS.
I've about done run out of corners to look in for the original material so it looks like this stuff simply isn't made anywhere any more. I feel I’ve given it the best shot I could, but I think it's time to throw in the towel, patch up my wounds and look for my next fight.
DG