Mike Harrison's Teflon Tubing Header

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The problem: Broken headers.  It seems headers still break.  I've got a Meridian with 350 flights and no broken headers.  The same setup on my Odyssey broke the header in 20 flights!  If you are having a problem, try this.  I got this idea from Mike Harrison.  He has used it successfully for several months now (today's date 9-12-98).   The tubing seems to hold up for about 100 flights before it needs replacing.   Mike says it gives sufficient warning, showing hairline cracks in the teflon, for replacement before failure.

The engine attachment is just a piece of broken header (mine is a Johnson).  To the broken header, I silver soldered a 1/2 ID piece of copper tubing from the local hardware store.  I did have to get the silver solder from a plumbing supply.  It is 1100 degree melt point solder but I was able to melt it with a Benzine torch (it took some time to get the melt started).  The teflon tubing comes from McMaster-Carr Catalog #104 page 59 under plastic tubing-Teflon TFE Tubing,  Heavy Wall 5/8" I.D, pt.no.5033K39  $8.30/ft. 5 ft min.   ph # 404-346-7000.

Fortunately, I haven't broken a header lately and I'm just using the teflon as a coupler between the header and pipe.  It works great as a coupler also.  The only problem is getting a good attachment on the stuff to keep it from sliding off.  I'm currently using a zip lock over a piece of high temp rubber and it works fine.  You could use some kind of blocking method as well and just bock it's movement.

This method is light, cheap and runs quiet. For 45 bucks you can have headers for the foreseeable future (if you can get people to give you their broken one as parts).

Hold the line,
Don

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