I also have brass fittings in my coolant system, for example where I removed the rear heater and ran straight forward to the radiator.  Took out the Ts and put in double barb fittings.  I did not do it myself, a radiator shop did.  I would hope the shop tech would know what's what, but of course one never knows.  How would anyone think that brass would fail at such a low temperature?  In the old days, lots of stuff on automotive cooling systems was brass.  Of course, coolants make for a different chemical environment than did ethyl alcohol commonly used as antifreeze back then.  But I would think the coolant would be protective, not damaging, to the brass.  Just wonderin'.........  .  mcneely

---- Derek Drew <derekdrew@DEREKMAIL.COM> wrote:
> The information throughout the Internet seems to be that brass barbed
> fittings are good to 160 degrees (at 2XXpsi).
>
> I called Dixon Brass and they said not to use the brass barbed Ts and
> pipe joining fittings for engine coolant where the coolant would go
> over 160 degrees (as it would in a car).
>
> This seems to imply that we cannot use brass in the coolant system,
> at least not the common barbed fittings, almost all of which, where a
> rating is given, are rated to 160F.
>
> So, I called McMaster and they said that you absolutely CAN use brass
> barbed fittings in the coolant system of a vehicle, and said the 160
> degrees rating was a sort of a mistake that keeps getting repeated
> over and over again, but that its source was originally from the
> rating of *hose* that was connected to the brass fittings, but that
> the brass fittings themselves will absolutely stand up to the needs
> of an automotive cooling system (210F?).
>
> Does anyone have any further info or experiences?
>
> Has anyone on this list ever had a FAILURE of a brass coolant system
> barbed fitting?
>
> The reason I ask is that there are some of these fittings in my
> coolant system right now, and I have to decide whether to go dig them
> all out and replace them with OEM VW plastic fittings, or Gates
> plastic hose fittings.
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Derek Drew
> Washington DC / New York
> derekdrew@derekmail.com
> Email is best normally but...
> PHONE: 202-966-7907 (Call the number at left normally)
> (alt/cell for diligent calling only): 703-408-1532

--
David McNeely