Club 80-90 Forums

yo guys,when the boss gets back from newquay i will seriously have to consider replacing the full length water pipes and the very rotten exhaust down pipe...are they dear to buy new or should i get myself a hydraulic tube bender and fabricate my own?.......i already repaired a section of water pipe 2 years ago that had a rotten section...i used a pipe from an old sunbed!!....im quite proficient with the owd mig and been an engineer for 20 years...on and off...so would you guys think its possible or has gary glitter got more chance of gettin a job at mothercare???

Metal ppes??

This has been sugested many times...

Blue plastic mains water pipe...

Apparently works very well and is very cheap... 32mm od IIRC....

Or stainless steel ones are available... I would have thought by the time you had bought a pipe bender it wouldnt be cheap...

tried that one but did not get so far, i have a ten tone pipe bender.
it will bend scafold pipe but when it comes to smallwall thckness like exhaust piping it just kinks instead of forming a bend .
i did try packing the tube with sand but got the same result, or may be i was doing it wrong
but i dont think so

You need a tube ebnder not a pip bender.
Tube and pipe are different.
A mandrel bender is the obvious choice, but you would need an exhaust manufacturer or something I reckon.
By the time you have messed about you might as well have just bought some.
Most plastic ones are still available from VW and they will fit in place of the metal ones without too much stress, changing the radiator hoses at the front does make life a tad easier.

cheers guys...some very extremely points against doin my own.....you may have all saved me from another(money saving??)"cock" up.......like the idea of mains water pipe tho....have we any old threads on here regarding such a fitting,me fathers got a roll in his out buildings doin nowt......me thinks i might be investigating more.......i will also tho check out the price of new plastic pipes but as im not (terminally)out of work ive got nay brass but plenty of time.....thanks again

hi all, l have same prob with rotten pipes but l do have about 30mtrs of that blue pipe out in the shed but god knows how ya bend it anybody know?

Just yesterday I was looking at my radiator supply pipe and also discovered the same rotten end. Managed to squeeze the hose a bit further on but will need a long term solution. What specifications required to use plastic? I asked a plumber about plastic hot water pipe and if said it melts if the water is above 70 C. I an assuming the engine can get this hot or hotter. Has anyone actually tried this? I assume the pipe just bends with heat applied. If this is a none starter could the pipe alternatively be cut back to where it is strong and be welded to something new?