Oil Supply Pipe

[Orgasmatron]

So, starting form the bottom, it exits downwards from the oil pump, turns 90 deg towards the crank case (ensuring it runs under the other oil pipes, of course), turns left 90 degrees towards the end of the crank case, turns 90 deg right to get around the end of the crank case, turns left 90 deg right to run on the inside of the crank case flange (?), turns up 90 deg towards the petrol/oil tank (missing the oil pipe to the crank case and also the magneto drive chain), kinks over (possibly) to route through the slot in the magneto chain cover, once past the magneto chain cover it kinks over and then kinks back vertically to meet the oil tap under the cylinder wall oiler plunger (if that’s what it is called or is it a splunge sprocket?).
Simple really. So, why have I spent the whole afternoon trying to make the pipe up ; all the others were easy!
My small pipe bender simply cannot make a radius small enough to make a neat job.
Is there anyone out there that makes these things?
Chris.

[Oldguy]

Pre made copper pipework?

Probably not —-
I have decided as a heretic, that I will run 8mm bore nylon tube from the tank to the pump, thence smaller bore tube to the gland feed.
The connections will be quick connect as far as the pump and crankcase are concerned.
Why you may ask!!
Well this way I can see the oil in progress, whip off a crankcase door if I feel like it, and generally feel I have more control over a critical area than trusting to which ever God you worship.
The next owner can do what he/she wants.

Mike.

[Barrie]

I make my pipework up from refrigeration quality copper, it’s not too difficult, small radius’s have to be done with dry sand or a spring

[Orgasmatron]

Thanks for the suggestions.
I have now made up the pipe in three sections.
To complete, I now need two 1/4″ 90 degree copper elbows (solder type) but cannot locate anything on Ebay or the internet in the UK (a lot in the USA and China).
Scott Parts only seem to the have the ‘T’ pieces.
Does anyone know where I can get some from?
Chris.

[Barrie]

Try model steam material suppliers

https://www.livesteammodels.co.uk/suppliescat.html

and download the catalogue

[Orgasmatron]

Barrie,
They only have the cast elbows, which do not allow sufficient clearance for the magneto chain guard.
I found some 6mm solder type 90 degree copper elbows on Ebay at – wait a minute – hold your breath – yes really – £12 each.
Perhaps I should order 50 or so from China, Australia or the USA and sell them cheaply at £6 each.
I will keep searching.
Chris.

[Barrie]

I also looked early this morning I know what you want,
drawn or formed elbow are indeed hard, if not impossible to find
Try this https://www.lawtontubes.co.uk/refrigeration-fittings
and here https://www.muellerindustries.com/uploads/pdf/Streamline%20HVACR.pdf

[Orgasmatron]

Well, I bit the bullet and bought a pair of the elbow fittings off Ebay for £12 each.
When they arrived, they turned out to be bends with a much larger radius rather than elbows and they didn’t take 1/4″ (6mm) pipe ; as the bore measured 6mm, I assume that they were actually for 5.5mm pipe.
Anyway, after getting no response to my emails from the seller to see if I had been sent incorrect items, I decided to ream the bends out with a 6mm drill (by hand) and, after completely knackering one of the bends, I finally got one to work ; with a bend made with my trusty pipe bender at one end (in lieu of the knackered unit) it all fits in nicely.
I am a bit worried that reaming out the bend might have made it a bit fragile (despite loads of solder to ensure joints as strong as possible), so I intend to split the copper pipe and install a bit of rubber pipe unseen somewhere to, hopefully, help stop any vibration fractures.
Recommendation : do not buy the £12 so called 6mm elbows off Ebay (unless you are using 5.5mm pipe).
Chris.

[Oldguy]

The other trick you could try, is to lightly internally grease the copper tube, fill with molten lead – not solder – bend to please, then heat the pipework to melt out the lead.

Worth a punt surely —

Mike.

[Barrie]

This works with old lead, new lead does not work as well, it has been worked so many times that it has lost it’s malleability

[Oldguy]

Barrie, Lead (Pb) is an element, when it is melted and re-solidified it is still Lead and of course still malleable.
It can be re melted and used many times over and will not change its properties unless contaminated by other impurities, oxides are easily removed by simple fluxing.
Old soft solder was a mixture of two metals, Lead and Tin, Tin helps to harden the alloy and improves flow and aids “wetting”. The latter we do not want, as it tries to bond with the copper pipe and makes it harder to remove.
Only use Lead for this application.
The problem is that “new” soft solder is not Pb and Sn, as Pb has been banned for use in most areas where it was commonly encountered.
Modern soft solder is now commonly a mixture of low melting point metals such as bismuth, indium, zinc, antimony etc. These are not good for our intended use of pipe bending, far too brittle.

Hope this helps, Mike.

[Barrie]

Well I have pulled out very old lead pipework and I can tell you it has much better properties than modern manufactured lead , fact!

[Oldguy]

Because the old stuff was Lead.
The new stuff aint! Fact!

[Barrie]

Lead is produced and supplied to a standard ,so if that it is called it cannot be an alloy

[Orgasmatron]

[attachment=0:1w42yovo]IMG_2094.JPG[/attachment:1w42yovo]Lead notwithstanding, I used one elbow and a bend as in the attached photograph.
Now someone is going to tell me – ‘Ahhh, you shouldn’t have done it that way because – – – – – -!’
What helped a great deal was splitting the copper pipe and inserting a short piece of flexible rubber (or whatever material they use these days), which allows the top section to be swiveled about to allow threading through the various components without having to bend the pipe.
Nothing can be seen and it actually ensures that it doesn’t rub on the oil supply pipe to the right cylinder.
Chris.

[Author]

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