Flexible petrol pipe

[Brian Petheram]

I am about to source the petrol pipe for my 1939 Red Hunter. I know that it should be "flexible" rather than copper pipe but all the illustrations I can find don't show it very clearly. Basically I can source braided metal covered pipe like this

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Petroflex-Br ... 1438.l2649

or plain black rubber pipe. Can anyone tell me if either of these options is more correct or whether there is another type available that would be closer to original.

Cheers

Brian

[nevhunter]

I tend to use copper except on the oil lines where it's a good US product (generally) as used on OEM fittings. I understand that around 1939 Ariel produced some flexible braided fuel lines specially for some models. Some one may know more. Nev

[Bob.Murphy]

or plain black rubber pipe.

I went to buy black petrol pipe at a stall at the 'Bristol Classic Show' and was warned only to use "Ethanol Resistant" stuff. A while later my 'Airhead' BMW sprung leaks all over its fuel pipework and I had to replace it all.

Be sure you know what you're buying (or use copper ).

Bob.

[john.whiting]

Ariel used a strange kind of flexible system with a rubber hose enclosed in bronze wire woven braid.......far as I know,the rubber was kind of sticky ,and sealed against the braid...(braid was soldered into ends).......but I do remember buying a prewar single,and riding it home,and the braid started to leak,when adjustment was attempted ,the thing turned into a sieve,and I was stuck many miles from home on an unregistered bike,without a licence..........the rubber is usually rock hard and brittle,but I suspect it used the same system as self sealing airplane tanks,that were invented about that time.

[volker.halbach]

In catalogues (e.g. 1936) Ariel specified "Petroflex" pipes for the Red Hunters, but not for the de luxe singles. I don't know whether there was really a difference. In period pictures those Petroflex pipes look like the modern braided pipes without any coloured stripes.

[Brian Petheram]

Maybe this would be closer?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Petroflex-St ... 0005.m1851

[simon.holyfield]

I imagine the ends would be swaged ferrules?

[Dave.Barkshire]

My old 37 NH had a metal braided hose with ferrules. The Red Hunters I seem to remember also had a simple tap without reserve.

[volker.halbach]

In the RH500 road test from 1937 in the document repository there is a close up of the engine. The pipe looks like the second you mention, Brian. But it's a low-res black and white picture.

The 1937 catalogue specifies a "large bore tap" without reserve for the Hunters. In the picture above, it looks more like one with reserve. My 1937 has a tap with reserve (as do many others I have seen), but perhaps somebody replaced it after pushing it home without fuel.

[Dave.Barkshire]

Here is a photo of the pipe on my old 37 NH, not saying that it's original, it was born many decades before I was.