Difference Between Silicone and Tygon?
 

I saw these two fuel lines at the hobby store and was wondering about the application for each? Is one better than the other? One for gas and the other nitro?

Tygon is for gas. Silicon for glow fuel

Tygon is a little stiffer to work with and tends to very slowly harden a bit with use and age while
silicon tends to be a little nicer to work with but tends to slowly soften and swell with use and age.

As noted above if silicon is used with gasoline, pump diesel, kerosene or Jet A it will rapidly swell and soften becoming unusable in a very sort time.

John

Can Tygon be used with Glo fuel? I have a few tanks I got with a bunch of used rc stuff that are plumbed internally with tygon(I think, it is blue though not yellow) and are brand new unused.

Calvi

I believe the answer would have to be a qualified yes. The problem is not the alcohol attacking the tygon but rather the tygon by nature is stiffer than silicone tubing and not nearly as supple with the result being an internal clunk tube that does not 'clunk' around much easily leading to running problems in flight.

The Hayes tanks before their recent demise were marketed as usable for both glow and gas and the way they got around the stiff tygon clunk line was to use a different type tubing yet and this was a black neoprene tubing. very flexible but perhaps not as durable as tygon.

John

Tygon softens and becomes Unuseable in glow fuel after awhile.
I wouldnt do it.
Fuel line is cheap. Do you want to risk it

OK thanks for the info, Here is a pic of the tank, not sure how to remove the stopper to check out clunk line?


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2160713

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2160758 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2160759

That is a Hayes tank, among my favorites and certainly worth using. The internal clunk line will almost certainly be the original black Neoprene gasoline or glow fuel line. There is no reason to change it unless it is visually damaged.

The procedure for removing the tanks hard plastic plug is very quick and simple. Remove the fuel line from the black plastic nipple and use a pair of slip joint pliers and grasp the black plastic plug (not the nipple itself) with the pliers held inline with the nipple. using a gentle rocking motion you can pull the plug out with the pickup line and clunk still attached will follow the plug out.

To reinsert the clunk, line and 0 ring hard black plastic plug. Insert the clunk assembly and plug up to the 0 ring. Use a socket wrench that will slip over the nipple and up to the plug. Now you can use a small mallet to tap the plug assembly back in without damaging the nipple.

Unlike most other tanks you can remove and reinsert the plug assembly an indefinite number of times with no leakage. I have many Hayes tanks in service and have never needed to replace the 0 ring.

John:cool:

Thanks John, I can see why you like these tanks, so much simpler than bending brass tubing, tightening screws and hoping it all stays in the right place. and in a few years replacing it all again(although I think the dubro rubber stoppers should be good for close to ten years.)

Calvi

You are welcome Calvi :) Yes for anyone who will always continue glow flying regardless of what other avenues of the hobby/sport we may also pursue the Hayes tanks are definitely worth saving while other brands may not as far as I am concerned.

I have an ample supply in all the sizes that is likely keep me going for all my remaining flying years.

There is one down side that many do not understand and that is to completely drain the tank one must use the main pickup line. You cannot completely drain the tank if you drill and use that third line nipple (the middle one between the other two that is best left undrilled. This is simply because there is no third line clunk and none can be used. Third line clunks have there own disadvantage and that is there is a reduction in tank capacity and this is even more important on the smaller tank capacities.

The Hayes tanks are best when used with two line systems. If I have a tank that someone has drill out the middle nipple I just plug it with screw and a bit of sealer.

John