carbon fiber help

This is NOT a good application for carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is extremely rigid and will not flex. Use silicone instead.

Durion® Silicone Coolant Hose - Hose - Products | Gates Corporation

that pipe might actually work but i do need the rigid pipe it's attached to the car body and it's long like 15 ft both ways plus heater but i might be taking that out if i only race with it. but i will be adding reinforcement to the body too maybe i should figure out how to run the coolant in between the outer fenders and quarter pannels make a gap 1/4 inch in the middle and fill it up with antifreeze LOL

i thought about copper and aluminum but copper is very very heavy element for a car that i will be racing when done and racing every bit helps even 5 lbs but the copper would weigh way more about i would say 40lbs and the car sits about 6 inches from the ground. copper pipe is designed to Carry over 300 psi for water pipe and 3 inch diameter pipe is expensive. i have modified the motor so I'm also increasing the cooling efficiency of the system. i went to the home depot and looked at pipe it was 75.00 for one pipe 1 1/2 inches and not long enough so i would need 4 pipes on each side and fittings and it would way a ton not to mention it would be more than one piece witch is less reliable. the steel lines in the vehicle are welded to the car so the rubber on the 2 ends is the only thing that has any flex the steel is in a fixed position so the carbon fiber lines would remain stationary but what I'm not sure of is heat how much before melting and dissipation how well it expels the heat from the coolant in route to the radiator and back to the engine itself. efficiency leads to more horsepower usually and the cooling system is not where i want to add the weight trying to eliminate weight the car will go faster and handling will improve on the track.

not only that if it has good heat dissapation i can put a smaller radiator in to decrease the weight haning over the front wheels. less weight your brakes work better also so they don't have to take as much weight and movement and turn it into heat but i could go on and on but i just wanted to explain my thought on this

Are that many X-19s still around??? A relatively rare/exotic car today I feel....

There are a couple of teams in HSR Vintage racing that race only X-19's and 850 Spyders. Generally not running up front but cute. The Sprigits run all around them.

Everything is a trade off. Carbon fiber, I don't think so as it is not forgiving in any way. OEM used steel, light weight go aluminum, corrosion resistance use copper or stainless steel. Only you can decide which property is most important to your application.

Check with your sanctioning body. They may require "as original" or possibly braided (like Aeroquip) hose with AN fittings. You will have to pass their scrutiny at inspection.

With approx. 250⁰+ pressurized oil and water passing under and around you, encased in a thin walled woven composite material being subjected to a great deal of shock and vibration and the occasional off road excursion across dirt, rocks and the looming tire barrier, ending in a sudden stop, what could go wrong? Have you seen the recent shot of the F1 car where both front corners departed the car at the same time? All extremely well designed CF parts by experienced engineers using the best tools and materials available and somehow it was a catastrophic failure. Play it safe. Accept the weight penalty, though you can place it where it is most advangatious to balancing the car. The easiest way to eliminate weight, remembering that there is a weight minimum, is to...go on a diet. Have you got 20# to spare? Build upper body strength and train for endurance. You will be driving an open car, unless yours has a top which is worse, in the hot sun wearing a two or three layer fire suit for racing periods of 30 - 45 minutes plus the lead-up to the race, and sometimes longer races (enduros) that can be 1 to 3 hours, although those races usually require driver changes. I have seen well prepared (and hydrated), seasoned drivers come out of a car withered and shaking. Be ready for it.

Not having a clue where you live, but just in case its the UK, check here:-

http://www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk/

The cost of carbon fiber tubing is really really expensive.

Carbon fiber does not disapate heat well at all.

The best choice would be titanium, but again wildly expensive.

Next best choice would be Aluminum, then steel, stainless doesnt disapate as well as steel and it weighs more.

Carbon fiber is a really bad choice.

Spacecannon

thank you for all the suggestions. I was not to sure about the carbon fiber and the heat. I have been looking at all of the ideas and a titanium alloy with aluminum is probably the best way to go. the stock system holds 7 quarts of coolant. set up right and with the right pipe you probably could get rid of the 3ft by 2 ft copper radiator "hanging over the front wheels" and just run the pipes. might need fins around them and a extra one on each side maybe but the engine is pretty small. the stock radiator is very expensive to replace http://www.fiatplus.com/search.php?mode=search&page=1 thank god the tank thats on there is in very good shape and the pipe is probably cheaper. the one i have now is in fair condition but it's 33 years old. any thoughts about the pipe?

Have you thought of using a silver Coiled Plumbing hose, since probably it should be

able to expand a little or the Manufacturers wouldnt have used expandable rubber

hoses ds