Anneal a diesel pipe

[rustexpert]

Has any one got any thoughts, one of my vehicles has suffered a fractured copper diesel pipe. It is not a problem to shorten it and reform; if it was a steam pipe I would anneal it and hopefully to ward off subsequent breakage. However annealing a pipe usually leaves the internal surfaces scaly with loosened deposits which would be difficult to confidently clear, which isn't usually a great problem with a steam pipe but this is the pipe from the filter to the pump and any resulting debris left in the pipe will go straight in. Anneal or not?

[john1950]

Go for it. When clearing a concrete pump pipe a piece of foam is used and pushed through with water. You could blow it through first, then push a piece of foam through with a piece of wire wool in front, using either fluid or air pressure power to clear the internal scale into a bucket.

[Richard Farrant]

If you do not anneal the pipe it is sure to fracture again. If you are concerned on the inner surface, then maybe you should make a new pipe up (and anneal it).

regards, Richard

[Tony B]

For those of us of a dim dispotion. Would you describe the annealing process?

[rustexpert]

1 minute ago, Tony B said:

For those of us of a dim dispotion. Would you describe the annealing process?

Annealing to soften (i.e. reverse work hardening) copper heat very carefully until dull red, leave to cool or quench in/with water. Quenching lifts the brown patina on the metal leaving pink copper which is much easier to polish.

[Tony B]

Thank you gentleman

[Chris Hall]

Can you not cut the broken section out and bridge with a suitable piece of rubber pipe? You then have a flexible piece with some give so it wouldn’t snap again.

[Diana and Jackie]

You have the wrong type of pipe, it should be copper nickel (Kunifer).

Kuniper is used for exactly the reason that it does not harden like copper.

Suggest you replace it with the correct pipe, some rubbers will not tolerate diesel.

Diana

Edited May 1, 2018 by Diana and Jackie

[rustexpert]

2 hours ago, Chris Hall said:

Can you not cut the broken section out and bridge with a suitable piece of rubber pipe? You then have a flexible piece with some give so it wouldn’t snap again.

Because it would look like I didn't care what I was doing. It is not a get me home repair.

[rustexpert]

2 hours ago, Diana and Jackie said:

You have the wrong type of pipe, it should be copper nickel (Kunifer).

Suggest you replace it with the correct pipe, some rubbers will not tolerate diesel.

Diana

Are you suggesting L. Gardner and Sons got it wrong?

[Diana and Jackie]

Well if a copper pipe breaks because it hardened yes

 

[rustexpert]

However, I did not risk annealing the whole pipe, just the heat from soldering on the new nipple; the old one was a bit rough. Cleaned it out with pipe cleaner and blow line. We will see how it lasts.