Stainless steel water pipes?

[Brad in Germany]

Grüß Dich Andy,

From your photos, it looks like you have a 1928-1929 water pipe installed on your 1930 car. That is probably why it looks, to you, like it does not fit right. You are correct. The lower outlet pipe for a 1930 (and 1931) has a different bend and a different location of the drain valve.

Here is the reference from the Restoration Guidelines & Judging Standards that I believe will clarify your situation and my help your friend make the correct shape pipe for your 1930 car:



....and here is your pipe for comparison:


The correct 1930 style water pipe will also clear the back end of your alternator better.

Mit Ford Grüß (MfG ) aus den USA,
Brad

[Bob Bidonde]

Andy,
My guess is that the commonality of T304 and T316 for tubing manufacture is more or less the standard, and a pipe made of cold rolled or hot rolled carbon steel would be a costly special order. Once painted black, who is to know the pipe material?

[eagle]

The galvanized cast iron fittings made in China are of VERY poor quality. I won't use them unless absolutely necessary. They will develop pockets in them that will rust through/deteriorate in a year or two. On another note, don't ground anything electrically to your water lines if at all possible.

[Hunter1953]

As a plumbing engineer, also installing plumbing, heating and working on roofs (mantle / gutters ) for decades I think I can provide some help here.
There is a difference in fresh water running throug a pipe system or down a roof, or always the same water circulating in a closed system. The electrolyte will cause galvanic corrosion when you have fresh water all the time.

Plumbing: Fresh water takes theelectrical potential of the material it is running trough and the electrolyte will affect different materials following in the further flow. That means in a material mix you always have to keep in mind to install material with the lower potential first and then the higher potential next. Plastic and brass has no influence whatsoever. So you install galvaniced or stainles steel first and then further on copper. On the contact thread use brass. Don`t screw cupper direct on galvaniced steel. DRGLERs photo shows a press fitting sitting on the stainless steel pipe that could be copper, or the piping before the stainless steel is copper. That kills the galvaniced steel reduction. Stainless steel does not rust.

Exception: If you have a hot water tank made out of copper and the inside of the tank is covered with enamel, this will not harm the following piping.

Heating: In a closed system ( also a car motor cooling system ) you can mix all material without any harm. Because it is always the same water it will accept what is called a "differntial potential". This electolyte will not harm any material. In my house I have a total mixture of black steel, galvaniced steel, copper, brass and plastic installed and also seen this in many other houses. Had no problems with that for decades.
Roofing: Rain water is always fesh water just like in plumbing. So you cannot use copper mantels and further down gutters made out of galvaniced steel. The electrolyte will kill it.

I do not have any experience with copper mantles and alminum gutters. Would not try it.


Hope this helps.

[ronn]

And we need stainless why? The original lasted 90 years.



yep- I dont get it. the pipe is cheap to buy...........

[DRG-ler]

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It's not about whether it's cheap or expensive! My concern is that I don't like the bruised bend of the new pipes. The point is that I have to weld a connection for the heating to the thin-walled new pipe ... So it has to be converted either way ... And finally, I have to wait four weeks for the pipe, until it arrives here in Berlin!


thanks first of all
Andy

[daren007]

Cannot your friend just as easily make you a pipe of steel. All you need is something to get you through until the replacement arrives.

[DRG-ler]

He does not have the material in stock. He specializes in the construction of aspuff systems and manifolds for motor sports and auto tuning and works exclusively with stainless steel.

Here is his website.
https://wig-art.de/

He has now repaired the pipe for me. So I can use the car first, but I will still look for a replacement.

Kind regards
Andy