Copper fuel pipe leak

[snowleopard]

Finally tracked down a leak in my fuel line. The engine had been losing revs and needed bleeding regularly, plus a strong smell of fuel in the cabin. It turned out to be a pinhole leak in the copper pipe which I found after scraping off a layer of green goo.

The pipe is 8mm plumber's copper pipe. What is likely to be the culprit and what should I do to protect the new pipe from a recurrence?

 

[ytd]

copper corodes, especially in a salt environment. Plus you need to solder all the connections. Why not replace it with nylon fuel line or similar

 

[mainmarine]

You could cut out the leaking section and use a union to connect a new a piece
Malc
mainmmarine

 

[Gin]

[ QUOTE ]
copper corodes, especially in a salt environment. Plus you need to solder all the connections. Why not replace it with nylon fuel line or similar

[/ QUOTE ]

ensure you fit fuel grade piping whatever you use in substitution for copper, otherwise when a surveyor is let loose ,one day ,that will be one area of comment- no need to say how your insurer will wriggle of the hook if the unthinkable were to be attributed to incorrect pipework!

Same comment applies to low pressure fuel return pipe; often inappropriate product and routed close to exhaust, potentially disastrous.

 

[snowleopard]

I was told by the guy who fitted my domestic oil stove that soldered joints were illegal in his business. Certainly compression joints seem safer in this context as soldered joints have been known to crack if there is any movement.

I was wondering if I should use varnish or tape to protect the pipes from external corrosion.

 

[nedmin]

Very unlikely the pipe has rotted from the inside,check the rest of pipe and if its got heavy vardi-gris on it replace.if not use compression joints and put a new piece in.If you are worried about the new piece rotting.smear it with silicon grease. a light coating would be sufficient.

 

[Malcb]

Never solder fuel pipes as in the, hopefully unlikely, event of a fire in the area of the joints the solder will melt and fuel will feed the fire.

 

[Trajan]

Never use nylon fuel lines for the same reason. As far as I know the correct material is Cunifer or Kunifer with flared or compression joints.

 

[Guest]

Hardening

Copprer pipe is designed that when new it can be bent to shape easily and over time or repeated bending will harden up.
You will find similar with gas pipe also.

Often there is a point that suffers vibration, vibrates against another article .... at these points fractures / pinholes occur.

Common case is where a fuel pipe is led round an engine - bit of a slack pipe retainer and bingo - just when you don't need it - pinhole appears ... There is not much you can do about it other than cure the vibration / tighten up the fitting after replacing the section.

If its return to tank line - then its possible to replace with fuel grade plastic line - which is what I did with my burst line at back of engine ... it was vibrating against the lifting ring fitted on top of block.