Lightweight hoses

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Discussion

e8_pack

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

180 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
What are the lightest hoses I can use? Is rubber lighter than silicone? Is it better to have ally pipe on long spans or less joints? For instance, the weight of more clips and the hose joiner may negate the ally pipe weight saving . I also need to consider sagging I suppose.

SBD recommend 25mm hoses so it means I also carry less water with the EWP80 electric water pump.

I could fab up longer hard pipes if they weigh less..

What hose carries the thinnest wall thickness.

Please no advice on strongest/most reliable, if I wanted to know that i'd start a separate thread!

Car: Westfield Duratec.


stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
e8_pack said:
What are the lightest hoses I can use? Is rubber lighter than silicone? Is it better to have ally pipe on long spans or less joints? For instance, the weight of more clips and the hose joiner may negate the ally pipe weight saving . I also need to consider sagging I suppose.

SBD recommend 25mm hoses so it means I also carry less water with the EWP80 electric water pump.

I could fab up longer hard pipes if they weigh less..

What hose carries the thinnest wall thickness.

Please no advice on strongest/most reliable, if I wanted to know that i'd start a separate thread!

Car: Westfield Duratec.
I think Aeroquip offer some new very lightweight hoses. They'll certainly lighten your wallet too.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
"Lightest hoses" are carbon fibre one piece with O ring seals, a-la F1:



But you probably didn't want to hear that...... ;-)


If you're asking about your particular installation, and how to do it, you'd need to give us some dimensons etc. tbh i wouldn't waste my time trying to save 100g on hoses, i'd just fit the most reliable ones i could easily get hold of that minimise the number of joints!

e8_pack

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

180 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Well this is the thing, the duratec outlet comes out the back of the engine, so I can run a 25mm hose (smaller dia, less hose and water) from there all the way to the rad, but it's quite a distance. I'll have sagging hoses so I have got ally pipe in there from previous owner, but now it's more joints, they look heavy and silicone looks quite thick walled, maybe rubber is lighter and cheaper, I don't know. Every little helps on these cars surely! Just wondering if anyone is in the know!?

Just bought loads of ally bolts for the bodywork, I want a 500kg car eventually, plenty carbon going on too.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
e8_pack said:
Well this is the thing, the duratec outlet comes out the back of the engine, so I can run a 25mm hose (smaller dia, less hose and water) from there all the way to the rad, but it's quite a distance. I'll have sagging hoses so I have got ally pipe in there from previous owner, but now it's more joints, they look heavy and silicone looks quite thick walled, maybe rubber is lighter and cheaper, I don't know. Every little helps on these cars surely! Just wondering if anyone is in the know!?

Just bought loads of ally bolts for the bodywork, I want a 500kg car eventually, plenty carbon going on too.
Why not get a thin walled anodised alluminium water "rail" made up? You can buy duratec water rails from lots of sources, but they will weigh more than a DIY version. Use pre formed bends and TIG it all together to minimise joins etc. Use a bead rolling tool to put a proper "Lip" on the end and use a short piece of silicone tube to link to rad and give vibration / movement isolation etc

Evoluzione

10,345 posts

242 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
CF straights any good? http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/Products/carbon-fi...

Unless this is a serious competition car you may be taking this a bit far, I mean if you don't go for a good crap before you go for a drive you've just wasted a load of time and money.....

e8_pack

Original Poster:

1,384 posts

180 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Spec is in my garage.

Just a hobby, with a personal challenge to get to 500kg. Keeps it interesting.

Was considering ally rail, it might be the best option.

anonymous-user

53 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Evoluzione said:
CF straights any good? http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/Products/carbon-fi...

Unless this is a serious competition car you may be taking this a bit far, I mean if you don't go for a good crap before you go for a drive you've just wasted a load of time and money.....
i'd wanna know the epoxy type before i went for those, or use some sort of coating on the inside!

stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Wednesday 17th September 2014
quotequote all
Thinwall alloy tubing is probably the easiest and most cost effective all rounder

Use as much of it as you can, minimal rubber and minimal joints...but do allow for parts moving.

andygtt

8,344 posts

263 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
Max_Torque said:
Evoluzione said:
CF straights any good? http://www.easycomposites.co.uk/Products/carbon-fi...

Unless this is a serious competition car you may be taking this a bit far, I mean if you don't go for a good crap before you go for a drive you've just wasted a load of time and money.....
i'd wanna know the epoxy type before i went for those, or use some sort of coating on the inside!
IMO it would need to be high temperature resin baked to 150c... by far the lightest option though, i have 4inch carbon tube on my air intakes and it saved over half kg over the old alloy one on one 500mm run alone!

stevieturbo

17,229 posts

246 months

Thursday 18th September 2014
quotequote all
andygtt said:
IMO it would need to be high temperature resin baked to 150c... by far the lightest option though, i have 4inch carbon tube on my air intakes and it saved over half kg over the old alloy one on one 500mm run alone!
What thickness alloy was it made from though ?

Even 1mm alloy really doesnt have much weight at all.

BritishRacinGrin

24,602 posts

159 months

Friday 19th September 2014
quotequote all
CF tubing won't like being crushed by hose clamps.
Are you going to a sealed system I.e. ditching the expansion tank? If not, why not?
That said I don't like the idea of compromising cooling to save a kilo or so on anything other than a race car.