The 'E' Type Forum

We need to replace one of the three banjos on the fuel supply line to the carbs on our S2 4.2l 1970 2+2. We used an electric flame to unsolder the existing from the pipe. I had to purchase a new banjo from ebay as SG Barrat didn't have the carb banjo - they only have the pump and filter banjos - and went for steel over brass. We now need to reattach the new banjo onto the fuel line and are thinking whether epoxy resin will be suitable or whether to use aluminum solder. Any thoughts / experience to share? Thanks

If you had purchased the brass fitting then you could have just soldered that back together very easily. My advice would be to return the item and do the job properly.

I don't think epoxy resin will automatically bond well to either material and have no confidence in its long term ability to absorb the change in vibrations at the metal-epoxy joint, its unknown variation with hot-cold heat cycling, UV resistance, its contraction/expansion properties at zero degrees centigrade versus eighty degrees centigrade or its resistance to petrol and all of the additives which may be added to petrol either now, or at any date in the future.

kind regards
Marek

Hi Ian...look up Burlan SU....get a brass one and solder on as Marek advises....Steve

Well argued Marek - all good points - and thanks Steve. The banjo is back in the post to the supplier and I’ll get a brass one to solder on.

I can’t seem to find in any manuals whether the banjo should be soldered on or needs welding in with aluminium rod. What’s he best way to attach the banjo to the fuel line? (Which I assume is aluminium given its weight and malleablity). Thanks for your help

Sorry to ask such as basic question but it’s been a while since I worked on this engine. Any pointers much appreciated as it seems to be a gap in the books I have.

Hi Ian.....the banjos are soldered on...i dont know what with.....this info would not be in the service manual.....ideally take it to a small engineering workshop.....they can look and asses the best way to solder...Steve

I'd guess Mr Whittaker would have used the cheapest method.....plumbers solder readily available from plumbers merchants along with flux.....trusty lead-tin alloy solder!

Thanks both. Well it didn’t come off with a blowtorch - we had to put an electric flame on it. It made me think it must be something other than plumbers solder. But the torch is a bit old so I’m not sure it was at normal temp. The joys of winding up a mothballed workshop with old equipment. I’ll take your advice Steve and see if my local garage has some unobtainium I can borrow for it! Thanks

It was probably silver soldered, as the metals may have been too unlike in properties and not have enough copper in one of them for regular solder.

kind regards
Marek

Hi Ian...as Marek says probably silver solder...a standard type plumbers blowlamp wont get hot enough.....they usually use Butane.......you will at least need a Propane torch which gets much hotter......an engineering shop will have a oxy torch for this and brazing etc.....they will also be able to look at the two different metals to asses for what flux and solder will do the best job...Steve

It probably is silver solder, but I soldered mine on with ordinary plumbers solder and it seems fine.

It does not need to stand very high pressures and won't get all that hot in use for this to be a problem.

As Steve says, silver solder requires much more heat to make a joint.

Paul