Glyn and the gang,
Now I can answer my own question. I calipered the 1980 Airstream
factory black plastic tubing and went down to the friendly local Home
Depot to see what PEX looks like. Half-inch PEX calipered the same OD
as the 1980--so far so good.
Better yet, my local Home Depot had a big display on a new line of
fittings they are carrying--Cash-Acme Sharkbite! So I bought the
requisite Sharkbite fittings and a length of half inch PEX (since I
would have to extend one run to make up for the tubing I would cut out.)
After some grumbling I sprung $20 for the Sharkbite insertion gauge and
deburring tool (which looks like it ought to sell for about $5) and
another $15 for a tube shear, something I haven't gotten around to
buying up to now.
Excellent investments! Heck, those Sharkbite fittings make plumbing PEX
almost _too_ easy! Cut the tubing with the shear, chamfer the OD of the
cut end with the deburring tool, and stick it in the fitting. That's
all there is to it! Turned the water pressure back on and nothing
leaked a drop.
I calipered the cut ends of the 1980 black plastic tubing and found that
the wall thickness does differ slightly from 2008 PEX. The 1980 black
tubing is about .065 wall while the new PEX is about .075. This does
not seem to be a problem because the Sharkbite fittings seal on the OD.
All in all it looks like PEX and Sharkbite fittings are the easy way to
go on plumbing repairs and restoration.
And, yes, I can email a "before" and "after" picture to anyone who wants
them.
See you down the road,
John & Barb Sellers
WBCCI/VAC #1587
1960 Pacer
1980 International Caravelle
Dayton, Ohio
> John,
>
> Having replaced several lengths of burst copper in our 1969 Caravel with
> PEX and Sharkbite fittings, I would wager that you could do the same with
> the black material you have would probably work if it's the same diameter of
> 1/2" rigid copper pipe such as used in a home.
>
> Go to the Cash Acme web site and see for yourself how easy it is to use.
> http://www.cashacme.com/prod_sharkbite.php
>
> Heck, if in doubt, yank out the area of offending black stuff and
> replace it all with PEX.
>
> Go for it and let us know how it comes out. Why not take pictures and
> offer them to all, back channel?
>
> Regards,
>
> Glyn Judson