roll cage as fluid line

[bob]

take on using lower roll cage tubing for engine coolant heat exchanger lines on a streamliner . front engine ,  tubes run continuous from front to back one on each side ,with a fanned radiator mounted in rear . using an electric pump to circulate  .for engine water tank heat exchanger fluid only , not engine fluid . should have no to little if any pressure build up . can see the pros , great heat sink, less lines to run .  cons , im inside the heat sink ,  inside corrosion , hassle to drain and a way to keep corrosion away . just a thought , if anyone has or done this

[Stainless1]

We did that with the original Bockscar Streamliner for a couple of years... 78-79... back when you could run antifreeze.  We were using it for direct engine cooling, so had water in frame running back to 5 gallon water tank.
We sealed all the tubes up when we converted to a Lakester in 84.  When I stretched the car a foot or so in 1999 there was rust dust in the tubes, but no pitting or ugly that I could see.  When Johnboy crashed it in 17 the tubes bent a little but no breakage so don't know how the inside is holding up.  What are you planning to keep corrosion to a minimum. I guess you will know how it's doing based on water color...
With that said, I know there are several cars that have stainless water lines running inside their frame rails.

[bob]

using plain water when its being used , drained and refilled with antifreeze when stored . the tube inside a tube is totally do-able . and eliminates any corrosion issues .  great idea .

[ggl205]

Shades of early Formula Ford and Formula B cars. Worked well but tubes got a little hot.

John

[kiwi belly tank]

That's how it was on Betsey,  (Al Teague) coolant tank was ahead of the driver, water went forward in the right rail & back in the left.
  Sid.

[manta22]

Didn't Rickman motorcycle frames use the tubing as an oil tank?

[salt27]

Didn't Rickman motorcycle frames use the tubing as an oil tank?

Quite common for bikes to have the oil reservoir in the frame.

[Happy Pappy]

Shades of early Formula Ford and Formula B cars. Worked well but tubes got a little hot.

John

Yeap My 69 Merlyn MkII Formual Ford did at one time run coolant from the front radiator to the rear engine through the top rails, & yes they did got quite hot. We abandon this system and simply ran our own 1-1/4" Aluminum lines. There was indeed rust in there. Keeping in mind these old race cars were not really meant to survive 50 years

Chris

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Don't I remember hearing that the frame tubes were used as a nitrous pressure vessel by Smokey Yunick?

[floydjer]

Garlits  used the lower rails on Swamp Rat 1-R for fuel lines. 

[aircap]

Don't I remember hearing that the frame tubes were used as a nitrous pressure vessel by Smokey Yunick?

And a roll cage tube was used for extra fuel once....

[noboD]

That was because they limited the size of the gas tank so he had 2 or 3 inch fuel lines.

[floydjer]

A list of things Smokey did not do would be much shorter

[salt27]

That was because they limited the size of the gas tank so he had 2 or 3 inch fuel lines.

The way I remember the story is that the officials had him remove his fuel cell for measurement and when they said he was illegal he drove the car back to his shop with out the fuel cell reinstalled.

  Don