Where can I find this stupid 1/4" copper elbow?

[myredracer]

On yet another wild goose chase... Looking for one only, 1/4" OD copper elbow with a tight radius bend. These seem to be an ACR fitting for 1/4" OD tubing. Looked all over town for one and no luck. Ordered one off ebay that according to the manufacturer's part no. and CAD drawing should have been the one I want but came as a standard radius. The ebay one is a Mueller/Streamline # W 02003 and the dimensional drawing is below and shows an overall height of 0.44" and the one off ebay is 0.83". After asking the seller (a plumbing supplier of some kind) they said they looked around for the right part and couldn't find one.

Does anyone know where to get one? Why does what should be simple stuff turn into a search for the holy grail?? It's only like a $3 part too. Note that the drawing says the elbow is 1/8". I looked at some 1/8" elbows locally but are too small OD. There seems to be a difference in nomenclature/sizing between ACR and plumbing fittings? The elbow on ebay was listed as 1/4".

I'd like to get a tight radius bend because I have a clearance issue on a vintage car that I'm installing an aftermarket dual circuit master cylinder in. I bought a brake line kit that came with 1/4" OD copper lines to the reservoir and if I can just find the stupid elbow, I've solved my problem and will be a perfect solution.

Thanks!

 

[GMCGarage]

There is a company called Mueller Industries out of TN. I would try them. Google them for contact info.

 

[Schurkey]

I have a clearance issue on a vintage car that I'm installing an aftermarket dual circuit master cylinder in. I bought a brake line kit that came with 1/4" OD copper lines to the reservoir

Gravity-feed from reservoir to cylinder? Could work OK. Seems screwy, I'd want to see a photo.

If this is on the pressure side of the master cylinder, it's a deathtrap.

 

[myredracer]

Gravity-feed from reservoir to cylinder? Could work OK. Seems screwy, I'd want to see a photo.

If this is on the pressure side of the master cylinder, it's a deathtrap.

Def. not on the pressure side, on the gravity side. I have the option of using 1/4" hose (correct EPDM stuff) but the banjo fittings are kinda tall and using the copper line will give more clearance and allow me to better position the new M/C. The photo below isn't from my car but shows how close the new M/C is to the steering. If I tilt the M/C to get clearance from the pitman arm & shaft, it screws up the alignment of the pushrod on the pedal end.

I had bought banjo fittings and bolts and some AN to hose adapters and the banjo bolt is taller than what is in the photo. The fittings are metric which makes finding parts harder and the selection can more restricted. I actually bought some motorcycle banjo fittings that had dome shaped, allen key bolt heads which would have been perfect but it turned out the distributor or manufacturer had the packaging labeled with the wrong thread size. Then my brake line kit arrived from the UK and had the copper lines which I didn't know it had. If I can just find the right copper elbow, it's a simple solution.

 

[myredracer]

Just the two incoming lines from the reservoir are copper. The rest are coated 1/8" steel.

The part I got off ebay is a Mueller part. I'm not sure if their part number is wrong or the manufacturer's drawing is wrong. I was wondering it this is an ordinary everyday part and with the right description can easily find an online vendor somewhere

 

[matt_i]

An "F sized drill bit is .257" dia. Can you drill intersecting holes into a piece of brass with said drill, it should solder just like the copper. It could be potentially tighter "radius" (meaning overall size) than the formed copper.

 

[rlitman]

I've never seen one like that. All the 1/4 sweat elbows I've seen are swept.

What I'd do is take a stick of pipe, notch a V out of it, bend it into an elbow, and braze the seam shut.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Is this a sweat fitting or a threaded one ?

 

[firebirdparts]

Obviously sweated. You can't thread .019" material.

 

[NUTTSGT]

Obviously sweated. You can't thread .019" material.

I've never seen sweat work done on brake lines.

 

[rlitman]

I've never seen sweat work done on brake lines.

I was thinking that too, until I saw the part about it being on the gravity side.

 

[myredracer]

I was thinking that too, until I saw the part about it being on the gravity side.

I wondered too at first but then thought why not? Maybe not something you'd normally see in a car but does solve a issue though. I checked around to see if there could be any compatibility issues with solder and brake fluid and couldn't find any. Otherwise an elbow is an elbow and it'll be hidden underneath where nobody will ever know except me.

 

[RWorth]

I think it's just the feed line from the reservoir to the master. No pressure.

 

[myredracer]

I was thinking that too, until I saw the part about it being on the gravity side.

I wondered too at first but then thought why not? Maybe not something you'd normally see in a car but does solve an issue though. I checked around to see if there could be any compatibility issues between solder and brake fluid and couldn't find any. Otherwise an elbow is an elbow and it'll be hidden underneath where nobody will ever know except me.

 

[Schurkey]

It will still need appropriate support, because the copper will subject to work hardening and cracking if there's any relative movement among the copper parts.

"I" would do this with hose, or with double-wall seamless steel tubing. Copper could work, but it's not my first choice.

 

[pancho400cid]

Not weighing in on your application, but plumbingsupply.com is awesome and they show small sweat elbows on their site. I don't think they have a minimum order or it's low at least.

Their elbows are listed as NOMINAL size which is NOT the OD. For copper, the OD is 1/8" bigger than the nominal size. Your drawing is an elbow for 1/4" OD tubing so I assume that's what you need. You would have to order 1/8" nominal elbows for 1/4" OD tubing. Double check me on that.

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/copper.html#90s

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/why-dont-my-fittings-fit.html

 

[myredracer]

Not weighing in on your application, but plumbingsupply.com is awesome and they show small sweat elbows on their site. I don't think they have a minimum order or it's low at least.

Their elbows are listed as NOMINAL size which is NOT the OD. For copper, the OD is 1/8" bigger than the nominal size. Your drawing is an elbow for 1/4" OD tubing so I assume that's what you need. You would have to order 1/8" nominal elbows for 1/4" OD tubing. Double check me on that.

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/copper.html#90s

https://www.plumbingsupply.com/why-dont-my-fittings-fit.html

Thanks for that, that really helps.

This is the brake line kit I have showing the 2 copper lines for the M/C to reservoir and shows where I want the elbow to go.

It will still need appropriate support, because the copper will subject to work hardening and cracking if there's any relative movement among the copper parts.

Besides the kit manufacturer having supplied the copper lines for the M/C to reservoir as part of their standard kit and that they make kits for hundreds of other makes and models, the M/C is rigidly mounted, the reservoir is rigidly mounted and the tubing is only about a foot or two long and will be attached to the chassis with a clip or two (if needed). Then there will be some hose from end of the copper to the reservoir. Not sure how work hardening could happen?

 

[K13]

Are you sure it is copper and not NiCopp?

Sent from my SM-G950W using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[samss]

Have you checked your local refrigeration supply houses? Any of them stock Mueller/Streamline? As Pancho said, plumbing copper is listed as nominal ID and refrigeration copper as nominal OD.

 

[sberry]

I was going to say fridge supply too.

 

[mrobins297aaa]

why not just cut a 2 piece's of 1/4" tubing on 45 deg and braze them together to make a 90, cut maybe a couple of 6" pieces longer than you need so you can clamp them to hold them in place while you braze them and when your finished you can shorten them up to make the 90 you need.
I've good luck doing that with those plastic vac fittings that always end up braking when you try and remove the rubber hoses.
Not the best looking but they work.

 

[myredracer]

Are you sure it is copper and not NiCopp?

Sent from my SM-G950W using The Garage Journal mobile app

Good question! I incorrectly assumed it was copper but it was stiff as heck when I tried to unroll it. It's actually steel with copper plating. It's definitely magnetic so not a copper alloy.

I found a 1/4" tee today that has a short 90 deg. turn I wanted that'd work if I close an end off somehow.