Hi EVERYONE! I recently took out my gas tank and radiator after being tired of seeing rust/debris in my gl*** fuel line filter and similar story with my radiator overflow reservoir. I tossed the original 59 Ford radiator and gas tank after being quoted $600 to refurbish the set by a local radiator and tank restoration shop. I purchased a new SPECTRA radiator and gas tank.... Also, I bought 30 feet of 1/2" aluminum fuel line that I figured would be best to use for longevity. My question, is 1/2" aluminum fuel line overkill for a straight six 223... or will it be fine to run this to my gas pump and excess material to run a line to my fuel filter and carburetor? - What's best tube material to use? steel, aluminum or plastic/rubber - What's the best size? I've never used a bender or flare tool but I'm kinda smart... i know how to peel a banana. Any pointers on bending the line? ... I figured using some type of bendable wire material to make a prototype before I bend the actual line. Where should I source the ****** fittings for the tank and gas pump? Also, are the flexible radiator hoses good to use? or are the pre-bent smooth kind better to use?
If you are replacing the fuel lines, the best would be 3/8" stainless steel. Aluminun is soft and can kink or get bent by road debris easily. 1/2" is overkill for size, also. Benders can be found at Sears or harbor freight for cheap and do a fine job. When you take out the old line, remove it carefully so you can use it for a pattern to replace. The ends on the fuel pump and gas tank can be made from standard brake line of proper size, and I use 2-3" of fuel line for the connection. Flexible radiator hoses are ok as a last resort, but if you can get the properly formed original hoses, go for it. They look better too.
It depends on how much you are going to drive your car. I have used aluminum line in my cars for over 20 years and have never experienced any holes from road debris. It will kink just as easily as steel so it is a wash to me. For a 6 cyl I would think 3/8" line would be plenty. In that case I would use 3/8" steel brake line. I use the 1/2 alum because 1/2" steel line is impossible to find. Steel braided line is very expensive and breaks down over a few years with today's fuel. Stainless is cool but super duper expensive. Last time I bought some 2-1/2"x2' and 2-5/8x20' was over $500. By going with 3/8 line it opens up your selection for bending and flaring tools as that is a pretty common size. The 1/2" tools are more rare therefore cost more. You also want to try and run as much steel line to the carb as possible and avoid rubber line as much as possible as it absorbs heat and can contribute to vapor locking.
Since 5/16" was used for years on both 6 cylinder and V8 cars there's really no need to go larger than 3/8".
I can't remember exactly, but I believe that on our 1959 Fords, the fuel line crosses between the body and ch***is somewhere close to the drivers door.Maybe where the door hinges at. You may want to trace the path your current line takes and see if there is going to be any tight fits before commiting to the 1/2". Also, line benders are good, but sometimes they don't fit into tight places so just get you a piece of short, fat pipe to press against the line and with your other hand, pull the line to conform around the curve of the pipe. DON'T kink it. Best of luck man!
I wouldn't go too large on fuel line as it will be more prone to vapor lock. I'm using aluminum line with -6 AN/JIC fittings, aluminum is good for fuel lines as long as it isn't too exposed to anything that could crimp it. But it's much easier to flare and bend than stainless line is, plus you can get a whole roll of it from Speedway for cheap, and it polishes up nicely. Here's some of the lines on my engine...
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