Where to get a fancy oil feed like this one?
#21
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Aluminum oil hardline is an engine fire waiting to happen. BTDT. Tried it on my coolant lines and it constantly leaked and cracked. Hard aluminum line has no place in a car.
SS hardline is an enormous bitch to work with. You need a $100 bender and a $250 flare tool to do anything with it, and they will still be more susceptible to vibration failure than a SS braided line wrapped in Thermosleeve.
I wouldn't cantilever a braided SS hose off of a -4AN tube nut and some 1/4" steel hose while expecting those same parts to contain ~60psi of oil pressure at all times, but that's just me.
SS hardline is an enormous bitch to work with. You need a $100 bender and a $250 flare tool to do anything with it, and they will still be more susceptible to vibration failure than a SS braided line wrapped in Thermosleeve.
I wouldn't cantilever a braided SS hose off of a -4AN tube nut and some 1/4" steel hose while expecting those same parts to contain ~60psi of oil pressure at all times, but that's just me.
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/general-miata-chat-9/47943-where-get-fancy-oil-feed-like-one-funny-pictures-you-jealous-tails.jpg?dateline=1341173498)
#23
Tour de Franzia
![](/mt2011/images_td/ranks/supporter1.gif)
Thread Starter
iTrader: (6)
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Republic of Dallas
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Aluminum oil hardline is an engine fire waiting to happen. BTDT. Tried it on my coolant lines and it constantly leaked and cracked. Hard aluminum line has no place in a car.
SS hardline is an enormous bitch to work with. You need a $100 bender and a $250 flare tool to do anything with it, and they will still be more susceptible to vibration failure than a SS braided line wrapped in Thermosleeve.
I wouldn't cantilever a braided SS hose off of a -4AN tube nut and some 1/4" steel hose while expecting those same parts to contain ~60psi of oil pressure at all times, but that's just me.
SS hardline is an enormous bitch to work with. You need a $100 bender and a $250 flare tool to do anything with it, and they will still be more susceptible to vibration failure than a SS braided line wrapped in Thermosleeve.
I wouldn't cantilever a braided SS hose off of a -4AN tube nut and some 1/4" steel hose while expecting those same parts to contain ~60psi of oil pressure at all times, but that's just me.
#24
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
I have been debating on running Alu hard lines for my oil cooler when it goes in, at least part of the way. I have been wondering how well it would hold up to vibration and other conditions in the engine compartment. Working on helicopters while in the army, we had several places that had aluminum lines, I know we had several locations with Alu fuel lines. I wan't to say even some of the smaller (<3/8") hydraulic lines were Alu, not 100% sure though. All the AC lines on your car are ALU and run at much higher pressures with gas in it. If properly installed I am sure it could work.
I would want the lines 100% supported with little to no additional weight hanging off at the fittings. If the line is going to fail it will be at the fitting end or where tight bends are made. Make sure it is fully annealed Alu if you are doing any bending. The temperatures that a soft aluminum tube will encounter taht close to a trubo might cause some issues too.
I was planning on making the oil feed line out of SS or at least carbon steel 3/16 brake line. I used to work with a lot of SS tubing and can tell you that a nice bender is needed and it is very hard to correctly flare SS. I mostly dealt with 45 deg flares on stainless, 37 deg flares might be a little easier to do. Also 304 SS would be easier to flare and bend than 316 SS.
If you can find the correct tubing adapters to attach to the tube ends and match your turbo fittings, that would be the way to go with SS. I did a nice SS hardline oil cooler setup for my brother's FFR roadster and it works/looks great, will never have to worry about leaks or failures. I worked at Swagelok at the time and had access to free fittings though. If you can find what you need, it will more than likely cost $15-20 for proper SS tube adapters. Compared to the cost of 90* swivels it might not be that bad.
I would want the lines 100% supported with little to no additional weight hanging off at the fittings. If the line is going to fail it will be at the fitting end or where tight bends are made. Make sure it is fully annealed Alu if you are doing any bending. The temperatures that a soft aluminum tube will encounter taht close to a trubo might cause some issues too.
I was planning on making the oil feed line out of SS or at least carbon steel 3/16 brake line. I used to work with a lot of SS tubing and can tell you that a nice bender is needed and it is very hard to correctly flare SS. I mostly dealt with 45 deg flares on stainless, 37 deg flares might be a little easier to do. Also 304 SS would be easier to flare and bend than 316 SS.
If you can find the correct tubing adapters to attach to the tube ends and match your turbo fittings, that would be the way to go with SS. I did a nice SS hardline oil cooler setup for my brother's FFR roadster and it works/looks great, will never have to worry about leaks or failures. I worked at Swagelok at the time and had access to free fittings though. If you can find what you need, it will more than likely cost $15-20 for proper SS tube adapters. Compared to the cost of 90* swivels it might not be that bad.
#34
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
Well if its a fitting a brake guy normally has that narrows it down a bunch. In that size its either 1/8npt, 8 or 10mm straight thread for a banjo fitting (I dont see a sealing washer so unlikely), or... Well thats all I can think of for fittings a brake guy would have on hand to match to 6 or 8mm flare. Maybe Maybe 1/8 British pipe thread, but thats a long shot.
#38
Boost Pope
![](/mt2011/images_td/ranks/supporter1.gif)
![](/mt2011/images_td/ranks/smod.png)
iTrader: (8)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Chicago. (The less-murder part.)
Posts: 33,340
Total Cats: 6,800
![Default](https://www.miataturbo.net/images/icons/icon1.gif)
The thing which concerns me is that the oil supply from the block into the head already passes through a fairly narrow restrictor, which is pressed into the block just below the deck surface:
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/general-miata-chat-9/48760-where-get-fancy-oil-feed-like-one-f_cyht_53c_u77ts.jpg?dateline=1341944518)
While a journal-bearing turbocharger (or a ball-bearing turbo with a restrictor) should not be consuming a lot of oil relative to the normal flow of the lower engine, I'd still be concerned about upsetting the balance of oil pressure within the head by drawing oil out of it to feed to any external device.
![](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/general-miata-chat-9/48760-where-get-fancy-oil-feed-like-one-f_cyht_53c_u77ts.jpg?dateline=1341944518)
While a journal-bearing turbocharger (or a ball-bearing turbo with a restrictor) should not be consuming a lot of oil relative to the normal flow of the lower engine, I'd still be concerned about upsetting the balance of oil pressure within the head by drawing oil out of it to feed to any external device.