just a reminder, before you start cruising , racing or what ever, ck your fuel lines. between the fuel we have, and the quality of some of the rubber fuel line we have now, this rubber is not lasting forever. most everybody knows this, but easy to forget to check. im working on a project thats been sitting awhile, and noticed the fuel line is cracked. not long ago all new rubber was installed. saw a 40 ford at a show in flames not long ago. hose had split. it was cooking good, no one around, pretty much a total loss.
good advise! Especially if you leave the car sitting, that seems to be a big contributing factor to this stuff degrading.
You would think that with today's gas all fuel line hose should be made to be impervious to degradation.
Several years ago hamber Randy Nash had this happen to him and severely damaged his roadster, he had a small fire extinguisher but it wasn't enough He urged all of us to use the fuel line designed for diesel fuel, more expensive but it's a better alternative than the old rubber fuel line that wasn't designed for use with gasoline that has 10 to 15% ethanol added. HRP
Yes, it certainly is a problem these days, maybe having to do with the ethanol. I ended up replacing all my rubber with the Gates Barricade stuff, which seems to have done the trick. I think they advertise it as having substantially less permeation than normal rubber fuel lines.
I use only solid steel line from the fuel pump to the carbs including fuel filters. It’s not rocket science anyone with a bender, flare tool, (all HF) and vice can do it. Coat hangers for templates. Yes fittings are a little more expensive but with a single carb application a one fix. For the hose to the pump from the frame, look to suppliers like Danchek who uses the correct hose for today’s fuel. I use one his on my 56 Y-Block Ford. (Oh the hypocrisy, his windshield wipers too) I personally use 1oz of Sta-bil in every tank fill up. Cheap peace of mind. Good luck.
Yes it's important, not only for a car you've had awhile, but any car you purchase and intend to use right away. The '50 I just purchased had a serious problem with the hose at the firewall - where the line goes over to the engine. I planned to add an electric fuel pump back by the tank so I thought I better check the flex line. I gave it a bit of a squeeze with my hand and it collapsed right away. It had never seen pressure so even at 4.5 lbs I'm sure it would have leaked right away.
Checking for fuel leaks after start up is cheap insurance to prevent a disaster. Thanks for the reminder.
When I was a Ford Line Mechanic I had to repair many new Fords with 302 , 351 W that were brand new , and the fuel hose split or , broke spraying gasoline onto the coil and distributor . It happens with OEM hose also . The answer is don’t let go , inspect it and replace it if bad .
What's the NHRA regs? No more than 12" of rubber in the entire fuel system i believe? Keep that in mind, and make it an unwritten "HAMB regulation"
One thing I do is take my flaring tool and make bubble on the end of any steel line that a rubber hose is going on. No sharp edges and with the clamp behind it, less chance for the hose to come off.
That's why I used braided hose on mine from the filter to the carb. I'm hoping it will last, don't see why it wouldn't. Have a short section of FI rubber from the filter to the NiCopp main line, three two short pieces at the tank, pump, and filter back there. Will probably replace them this summer before it hits the road again. Perfect time to do it right now, the tank is empty.
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