Anyone ever use tygon tubing? I am trying it as a fuel return line on my Mercedes and wondered if anyone else has tried it.
http://www.tygon.com/tygon-lp-1100-tubing.aspx

I don't think it will stand up to biodiesel. I was doing some research with peristaltic pumps and many of them come stock with the tygon tubing. Pretty much everyone told me it wouldn't stand up to the biodiesel.

I do not have any real world experience with it however.

quote:

Originally posted by jdr01:
Anyone ever use tygon tubing?[/url]

I don't have experience using it, but I've read about it and would like to try using. There is a lot on information on it here: http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/index.php - just do the search. Apparently you need the version of Tygon that also stands up to heat since it gets pretty warm around the valve cover...

Let us know - good luck
James

The yellow Tygon stands up to BD.

I prefer Tygon formulation C-210-A for underhood SVO and biodiesel lines. It's water-clear, tough, abrasion resistant, and holds up to temperature just fine, both hot and cold. It's totally unaffected by our fuels. I mostly use McMaster-Carr p/n 5549K35. It's 5/16 inch ID, 1/16 inch wall thickness, $1.09/ft. It's not as soft as the yellow "fuel and lubricant" Tygon.

I've also used the yellow "fuel and lubricant" Tygon, Formulation F-4040-A, which is softer, too soft in fact. It's hard to seal well, especially when it gets warm. It also "weeps" svo/biodiesel after a while. To get it to seal I slip a larger piece of tubing over the outside and clamp it or use two wraps of a zip-tie. McMaster-Carr p/n 555K26 is also 5/16 x 1/16th.

There are also other "yellow" fuel lines that don't hold up as well. They look exactly the same.

McMaster now includes "biodiesel" in their compatibility lists. I've confirmed that Tygon that doesn't have "biodiesel" listed doesn't work well for my use.

Cheers,
JohnO


Edit - the yellow tubing is part number 5552K26. I left off the 2 when I first typed in the number.
j

This message has been edited. Last edited by: johno,

I installed it yesterday. Only option on a holiday weekend. I am soaking a piece in biodiesel to see what happens. It is yellow but otherwise unidentified. NAPA said it was fuel hose. I searched mcmaster's site for 555K26 and found nothing. If I can find the mcmaster hose I might get some to keep on hand incase the Tygon begins to leak.
Thanks for the replies.

Photo of tubing...... [IMG]http://www1.snapfish.com/slideshow/AlbumID=1277453016/PictureID=50680910016/a=8469369_8469369/

5552K26

Sorry 'bout that. I left off the 2.

JohnO

The gas company put in new feeds from street to home in my 'hood and used a plastic PEX like yellow line to carry the gas. No marking on it but I suspect it might be this TIGON product. The gave me a bunch of pieces that would have been thrown way. I plan to use some to run a 15 foot biodiesel line to my stove and am hoping it holds up to BD. Been soaking a piece and it shows no affect. Anyone know the name of the gas line product.

Why not call the gas company and ask? It's unlikely to be a Tygon product, which are all soft tubing variations, and more likely to be a close cousin to PEX, which is a semi-rigid tubing. I would not recommend running an experimental fuel line to a stove in a flammable house. To see if it is affected, it needs to soak for at least a few months, and even that may not prove anything. Some plastics will get brittle and crack when exposed to biodiesel on one side, and sunlight on the other. Some will "weep" biodiesel, gradually leaking a quantity that will drip and soak into any nearby wood, insulation, paper, etc. Some will swell and get "mushy" (that is the one condition that soaking will test for).

If it works, it's even more important to find out what it is, so you can get more. Please keep us posted.

Cheers,
JohnO

Yup Johno I am going to call the gas company but I dread the voice mail system I will have to go thru. This stuff seems to be related to PEX. I don't intend to run it into the house, just a 20 foot run along the side of the house from the tank. I'm going to run either black pipe or copper thru the wall to the carburator. Valves every where of course and I have so much of this PEX like stuff I can change it out as often as needed.

Raften,
Give me till tomorrow. (Monday) I'll get the name for you. I used to work for a gas company. We used a bunch of it. Just can't remember the name.

"Tygon" is just a brand name. It's available in a bunch of different polymers, some of which would be appropriate for bio, and some would not.

I just replaced 99% of my underhood fuel line in my VW. The product I used is ether based polyurethane tubing, with braided fiber reinforcement. Supposed to be impervious to biodiesel, and rated for 170F. Both U.S. Plastics and McMaster-Carr carry it. Not super expensive. I will post a long term report in a year or if I have problems.

Available in a bunch of fun colors.

Here's a link:

http://www.usplastic.com/catal...512&product_id=35088

that's for the non-braid reinforced tubing. That has a better description of the resistance of the polymer. Both US Plastics and McMaster-Carr have now started to hedge on what their ether based polyurethane can withstand as far as chemical resistance. I suspect it's because of all the weird additives that can turn up in gasoline these days. Humph!.

The other thing to consider is that even the cheapest, most commonly available nitrile fuel line (aka, rubber hose) will withstand bio for 3-6 months before it starts weeping and gets weak or crumbly. Everybody should inspect their fuel lines periodically anyway.

HTH,

troy

Troy, thanks for the link. Which line is reinforced? Are the VW return lines like the Mercedes? Looks like my Tygon might be weeping. I could use a 1/8" i.d. reinforced line.

US Plastics has a pretty nice/easy menu and search function.

They carry both the name brand Tygon products (in many varieties, as noted) and also their own house brand stuff, which I purchased.

Here's the link:

http://www.usplastic.com/catal...7512&product_id=8376

Or you can just to www.usplastics.com and click on:

tubing

polyurethane

the braided stuff (something like that...)

HTH,

troy

I also bought some from McMaster Carr, and also had an excellent experience, so, both good suppliers.

troy