It should be fine. It's common. They have been making steel gas tanks for a long time, too. But that's not to say there haven't been occasional problems. There are probably better choices for a little more money.
That should be fine. I would jump up to 3/8 line. Most factory built cars that had engines less than 330 cubes used 5/16, over 330 cubes they used 3/8 line. Not knowing what you are building I would spend the couple extra dollars and get the bigger line.
Sorry HAMB family I got in a hurry posting this, so I should have included what engine & setup I'm using. It's on my 48 Plymouth 218 Flathead & 2 single barrel carbs. Going to fuel pump to 2 port fuel block to the carbs. I have wire hangers as models that I thankfully learned from some of you. So hoping that this 5/16" is good. thought of using copper. & using brass connectors w/ flare connectors. Thanks for all your input!! Mike
I think it will be fine. The factory line coming out of my 47 Lincoln is only 1/4", and it fed the factory 305 V 12 as well as the Chevy 350 V8 that was in it later just fine.
Another question that I didn't think about until the Wife asked... "How are you going to get that that coil of steel tubing straight from the fuel block to the carbs?" Crap, so i didn't think of that.... Suggestions??? besides go buy straight 5/16" tube... LOL Thanks!!
Eastwood sells a tube straightener https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-handheld-tubing-straighteners.html but doesn't show one for 5/16. They also have a real fancy one https://www.eastwood.com/tube-straightener.html Someone on here has probably figured out one that is simpler and less expensive though. Check this.
Drill a hole a bit oversized in a 2 x 4 put it in a vice a bit of grease in the hole. Insert one end of the roll and grab the end as it sticks out of the wood block and pull it through the block of wood. Nice and straight.
If not a flexible hose, add two or three loops in the tubing, you need something that will take up engine movement. Direct to firewall will fail at some point!
If you plan to run the stock fuel pump, you're facing some vapor lock & fuel boil problems. Might want to run a blockoff plate and go electric ...
Aluminum line flares easily and is easy to form. Just make sure it is supported in Adel clamps on long runs. From the fuel block to the carbs you need something that will flex. I like the Summit twist tite hose and fittings.
How to straighten a coil of fuel line the easy way - Hand straighten a foot or so. Lay it on the garage floor, step on it with one foot and unroll the rest of the line while pressing it against the floor. In other words roll the coil along as if you were rolling a tire, unwinding it as you go. If you are careful it will be surprisingly straight, and this method costs nothing and takes almost no time. Later... I see this is for the firewall to carbs, DO NOT use a hard line here, use neoprene (rubber). More later.
O wait you don't use hard line from a firewall fuel block to carbs, you use rubber or rather neoprene. If you want to go real traditional you would use clear plastic, or tinted red or blue (definitely not recommended) Go ahead and use neoprene, but be warned these fuel blocks have been illegal in drag racing since 1957. A couple of cars with blown flywheels, chopped the fuel lines resulting in bad fires. Not a big concern in your case.
It was a NHRA rule that you could not mount any fuel line to the firewall, it still maybe. If the body was to come off the frame, it would pull the fuel lines with it.
I totally get that would be a bad scenario but I think if my car body came off during a race the last thing I would be concerned about is a gas leak on the frame that just left me head over teakettle at the 60 foot traps.
Hadn't plan to because I was trying to go traditional & looks so much better. BUT since everyone is suggesting not to it looks as if I am running neoprene hose. Luckily I can return the steel hose, but stuck with the clear red hose. Thanks for all your input HAMB family!! Mike
You can run the hardline , but you need a small piece of flexible line at the firewall . That is all they are saying Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I always use a piece of flex from the firewall to the carb. On my flatty I mounted the fuel filter on the firewall, I mounted the fuel block on top of the blower, ran hard lines to the 97's and flex line between the filter and fuel block. On that intermediate flex line I bought this barbed male fitting for a 3/8 hose... ...to be mounted on the fuel line at the firewall filter, a female receiver mounts to the filter outlet and is 3/8 NPT, both are valved. It allows for a quick disconnect and a valve inside each fitting shuts off fuel flow upon disconnect in both directions This will make for fast removal and service of my carbs/blower/motor. Cost is not cheap at $20 bones for each side of the coupler, so a $40 bill. Not for everyone's budget and style, but it is mine. Fittings handle up to 250 PSI, the Nitrile o rings Have an excellent compatibility rating with all vehicle fuels. Temp range from -40 to 180 Fahrenheit.
At one time or another, in alphabetic order: aluminum, brass, copper, steel, and flex rubber have all been used as original equipment. In 55 years of working on fuel systems, I have only seen a few failures: 1 steel, the rest either neopreme or the (*&^%$# plastic. Beginning in the 1930's (maybe earlier) on O.E. applications, it was customary to use a short flex hose (for engine vibration) from the frame to the engine (generally the fuel pump). Before that, solid line was used with a vibration loop. These worked well for years. One comment about the size of the line: if you run a return line, size is less important, but if you don't run a return line, bigger is definitely not better, as the fuel will be in the line longer (higher volume) and be hotter when it reaches the carburetor, even to the point of contributing to vapor lock. The factory engineers knew what they were doing when they sized the line. Jon.
....and make sure you sweep the floor before doing this. Any bit of crap will get squished into the surface (annealed copper is soft), or worse, leave a dent. I have straightened miles of refrigeration tube this way. If you have to do a long length, get a buddy to stand on the already straightened end as you walk and unroll.
If you want the tubing to be really straight. Attach on end to the back wall of the garage. Attach a come-along to the front wall and to the free end of the tubing. Stretch the tubing with the come-along. It will become very straight.
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