So im going to be running fuel lines soon and was wondering is this just as hard a brake lines? What do I need to know before starting? Where do I end the fuel line under the hood? Any info would be great Thanks George
As far as bending and plumbing them, yes. However fuel lines are alot more forgiving. You still need to anchor them so they don't rub and puncture, but your connections don't need to be as secure. The fuel lines don't hold nearly as high a pressure as the brake lines do, so you can use rubber fuel line and hose clamps, etc. Most times, the hard lines run up underneath the firewall and end there, where they are changed to rubber to run up to the carb or to the mech fuel pump.
Whats up Solo?? The fuel lines are waaay easier....I ran hard line down the frame rails to the rear then 90ed it towards my tank,then used the rubber fuel line to connect...Same up front..just run the hard line up towards your fuel pump,then use hose to connect. Worked for me! Are we close to cruisin' time????
Thanks guys! yo 52 kinda lol I moved the motor back today and now im ready to weld the trans crossover in. I have to run fuel lines, wire up everything, hook up the trans cooler and set something up for shifting, drive shaft and doing some odd and end with finishing the motor build. Im pretty much there but its a bunch of stupid little things. Im going to set up a build day and have a few guys come out and see how much we can get done in one day. ill buy the beer and food!
Yeah just get familiar with it first. You will see your 5/16th line on the outside of the drivers frame rail on your Merc, and it will do a loop in under the firewall to go up to whatever you are connecting that to. If you are lucky in good climate (altho I know the car was an East Coaster) you might be able to pry the tabs retaining the fuel line to the frame gently and reuse them. The fuel line is much more a pain in the *** to bend than brake lines. Ive thrown a few into the street or cussed em out.
I did mine last weekend, they were a pain to bend. I used steel lines from Advanced auto... maybe the aluminum ones are easier, but it was harder than my brake lines. I ran one solid line from the front to the back. I used a rubber mallet to help me straight it out from the roll and it works!
Running hard line is not HARD ... with a few good tools. I always try to use a inline fuel filter midway the car from the fuel tank to the fuel pump. Most REAL parts stores sells line in 72" or 84" lenghts ... and that is long enough to get from the front to the rear with only the fuel filter as a connect point. I end up with about a 3 inch rubber hose on each end to connect to the fuel pump and the tank. My state's DOT requires less than 1 foot of rubber hose on a fuel line ( but no one ever checks ). Buy yourself a couple of quality tubing benders ... and a decent flaring set ... I actually enjoy the bending and flaring of brake/fuel lines process
Nicely done D.R. Interesting mufflers. Have you tried them yet? Reason I ask is I tried a pair of Walker straight turbo muffs in 2 1/4" on my 32 when first started. They were dimpled all the way around and fore & aft. Way loud. Put regular gl*** packs on.
They are chambered exhaust ... like on the late 60's Z-28 Camaros and they are kind of noisy. I have enough camshaft ( lumpy ) so it sounds GOOD ... but I do not have enough road miles on it to know if they are staying. I just bought ( this weekend @ NSRA Nats South ) a gallon of spray on Lizard Skin heat insulation and a gallon of Lizard Skin spray on sound insulation ... plus a box of Dynamat sound insulation. No upholstery yet ... so I know ( hopefully ) it will get better with these additions.
I always run 5/16 hard line for a street driver. When you go from hard line to hose, do the first step in a double flaring tool process and leave it that way. That forms a bulb type of barb that keeps the hose from pulling off. I like Deuce Roadsters idea of the filter as a break off point half way. I often use a common disposable in line fuel filter with hose connections using the above tip. I don't like the annealed coiled tubing. It will never give you the crisp lines of the hard tubing. I run hard tubing everywhere I can. Vacuum line down to the trans modulator and under floor brake booster, trans cooling lines and PCV systems.
I have hard line all the way to the pump, with a clear filter just before it, and hard line up to the carb, with just 6" of rubber there. A beer bottle can be a tubing bender, in a pinch. I rent the flaring tool from the parts store and it usually, works ok, on low pressure fittings. *IF* I were using fuel injection, I would use the professional grade one. The flares never come out perfect using the el cheapo.
I have a Mastercool hydraulic flaring tool for the ends and it can do all of the above flares ... I do the push/connect flare on the end of my tubing that gets a rubber hose
I'm in awe of your tools. This will be blasphemy to many but I've used one those cheap off shore double flaring tools in the red plastic box on STEEL lines for 20 years. I understand that stainless is a whole different subject. I don't do stainless. If the pump is on the engine I believe you need a flexible line between it and the frame. My mental picture may be different from yours.
the clear filter is in line just before the pump, with rubber lines. I will probably change the location when the v8 goes in.
they arent too bad just take your time and you can take a piece of welding wire and bend good patterns before you start. heres some pic of a couple of ch***is' ive done.
NHRA requirements dictate no more than 12" of rubber fuel line. You may never plan to do any racing, but it's a good thumbrule to follow. On my '55 Chevy, I ran a 5/16" hard line from the gas tank to ~6" short of the mechanical fuel pump. Rubber hose made the jump between the hard line and the pump. Then another hard line ran from the pump, up through a good quality filter, and on to the carb. Be sure to clamp the hard lines securely (I used adel clamps). Hope this helps.
Yeah that could cause a problem, but Id say if hes using a firewall mount master he would be OK. As long as its got gravity on its side.
They were also used on mid-year Vettes (inside the side pipes) I used a pair on my 327 equipped '65 Corvette with a full exhaust, one of the best sounding cars I ever owned.
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