Fuel Line Replacement

[tealcarver]

Hello All

I am wondering if anyone has replaced their plastic fuel line on the GT with a stainless braided fuel line. I looks easy enough to do, but finding information on fitting sizes, what fitting to buy, how long does the braided hose need to be. etc. etc. is hard to come by.

If anyone has done the conversion, let me know what you used. Have a 2.4 ready to go in, it will have a Weber 38 for fuel, has the standard gas tank. The car is completely stripped right now, so it's an excellent time to route the new line.

If you have infromation, I would really appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks,
Bob

[kwilford]

Moved to the correct Forum...

[namba209]

Bob, stainless braided line from the tank to the fuel pump, then the carb would be cost prohibitive, IMHO. On my Willit? with the V-6 swap in progress, I'm running a #6 stainless line (tube) for fuel and a #4 line for vent and fuel bypass return to the tank. There are plenty of fittings available for the lines including AN fittings. You can use compression sleeve type SAE or flared ends for the AN fittings. Here's a caution for braided steel lines, there is a teflon liner (tube) inside the braid, if you kink the line, it is trashed, and will develop a crack in the liner. Just a heads up for folks that are using it.

[RallyBob]

I'll admit to having it done it multiple ways, with aluminum tubing, with stainless tubing, and with stainless braided hose (but with a synthetic rubber liner, not teflon). By far, the stainless braided hose method was the most expensive. The hose itself wasn't too expensive (about $45), but the fittings added another $240-$250 to the cost of it. Fine for a race car, a bit redundant for a street car (unless you're me and you just like doing things that way).

Bob

[tealcarver]

Thanks Ron and Bob, I guess the most economical way is tubing, sounds like the fittings for the braided hose are price restrictive.

what size tubing do you use? Do you use flexible hose at the tank fitting and engine compartment? I can do the change over, just having a hard time visualizing the entire set up from tank to carb.

Thanks for your help.
Bob

[jordan]

The stock hose I believe is 5/16" and if you go up to 3/8" that will be plenty of fuel for a 38 dgas, or any other fuel delivery system I can think of. I would suggest an electric fuel pump to get the most out of the fuel system.

[namba209]

Bob, from the fuel tank you can go two ways and either will work because there's no pressure from the tank. Use compression fittings on the steel line from the tank to a union, then a compression fitting from union to steel tube. Run the tube all the way to the area of the fuel pump and put a compression fitting on the tube and a fitting with a hose barb end. You want flex in this area because of engine torque. The other method is a short length of hose from the tank steel tube to the stainless if that's the way you go, then the same as above to the fuel pump. BTW, I'm using a #6 (3/8) and a #4 (3/16) for the two lines. HTH.

[Tru-Craft]

Going to switch to an electric fuel pump.
Was trying to decide which fuel line to use for my entire fuel system.
On our racing Go-Karts we run "Tygon" plastic line, holds up great with gas, doesn't transfer heat, doesn't dent like steel and is very flexible!
Uses barb fittings also.
Any thoughts?
Lyle

[markandson]

Although the Opel came stock with plastic lines I just have a problem running that stuff under the car. One sag anywhere while traveling over any kind of obstruction can spell disaster. I for one sure don't want gas pumping all over the bottom of a car that I am sitting in. So for me it's steel or stainless steel, not plastic of any kind. Dats my .02 worth.

[Tru-Craft]

Jeff, good point about sagging. I would have to support the Tygon line every foot, it is very flexible!

Any good source for bendable stainless tubing?
What size tubing? 3/8 OD? thin wall?
Ron, is #6 a 3/8 ID or OD tube?
Thanks
Lyle

[namba209]

Lyle, I had to go back to my aircraft hardware book for the answer. Darn, and I used to know it off the top of my head. Being retarded for so long does have it's consequences. But a #6 line has an OD of 3/8". And just for grins and gigles, here's the rest of the OD sizes for tubing:
Tube
OD Mil
Size No.
1/8" #2
3/16" #3
1/4" #4
5/16" #5
3/8" #6
1/2" #8
5/8" #10
3/4" #12
7/8" #14
1" #16
1 1/4" #20
1 1/2" #24
1 3/4" #28
2" #32

[hustlerzlife]

Where should I go to get steel tubing for the lines? I went to pep-boys and they scratched their heads and wanted to give me two 5-foot lengths of break tubing. Any special tools needed to bend the tubing in shape or just strong hands?

[soybean]

Here's a post Otto made which I followed for electric fuel pumps. There is more good reading in that thread too.

I used 5/16 steel fuel line from NAPA. A 25 ft rool I think. In hindsight I should have gone with 3/8line. To support it, I used the little clamps and self drilling tap screws that NAPA also had,and attached the steel line in the same manner the original line was supported. I ran it up to almost where it would turn for the mechanical pump, cut it, spliced about 6in of hose using FI clamps in case I ever wanted to run the original pump. I continued on to the front cross piece and used a Summit 2 row cooler mounted to it and then over to the passenger side with steel line and to the carb with FI hose. I don't get "Vapor lock" anymore.

Just saw your post after I posted mine Conrad. Napa also has a hand tool to bend the line too. Hth
Jarrell

[Tru-Craft]

Thanks Ron, so much information on this site!
I think the stock Opel had a 1/4 ID fuel line.
Looking in McMaster-Carr they have:
* 3/8 OD steel coiled tube with a .035" wall, .305" ID.
* 7/16 OD AL coiled tube with a .035 wall, .367" ID.
What size is recomended with the low pressure electric fuel pump and a 38DGAS Weber carb?
Thanks
Lyle

[soybean]

The only other thing that I think would be helpful, would be a valve to shut off the fuel from the tank to change the filter without having vice grips to clamp the fuel line shut.
There is a thread/post somewhere here that shows just that, but darned if I can find it.
Jarrell

[namba209]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft Thanks Ron, so much information on this site! I think the stock Opel had a 1/4 ID fuel line. Looking in McMaster-Carr they have: * 3/8 OD steel coiled tube with a .035" wall, .305" ID. * 7/16 OD AL coiled tube with a .035 wall, .367" ID. What size is recomended with the low pressure electric fuel pump and a 38DGAS Weber carb? Thanks Lyle

Lyle, I think the general consensus for a fuel line replacement is 3/8". Personally I would go to a tubing shop and get 20 feet of stainless steel tubing, that way you'll be sure it won't rust.

Conrad, I got a hand tubing bender from NAPA that had two rollers in the package to bend 3/8" 1/4" 3/16" and 1/8". It would have been nice to have it able to bend 1/2", which I ended up having for the fuel feed lines, but, it worked nicely with everything else I had. HTH.

[GT Tim]

Well I am about to put an electric fuel pump in as well.My problem is the ends on my reg are smaller.What should I do?Should I cut the ends to make the holes bigger?Thanks Tim

[hrcollinsjr]

Tim,

What tractor did you rob for your regulator? I'm not use to seeing regulators with filters and a sediment bowl attached except on old farm equipment.

Harold

[Mach1Tom]

The fittings look like they can be cut down to a larger dia.size. (3/8" maybe)

If not, those fittings look pressed in so you could pull them out, thread the holes & screw in the size you need. You can do the same thing on the Weber carbs too.

I have a piece of 3/8" stainless tubing running under my Gt with a reg. under the hood near my carb.

~ Tom

[GT Tim]

It does look like it is made to be cut back.The reg I saw with a twin setup and liked it.My buddy that rebuilds Duesenbergs also had one on it.Now that is an engine.I had no idea they were used in tractors.That is funny stuff.

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by GT Tim Well I am about to put an electric fuel pump in as well.My problem is the ends on my reg are smaller.What should I do?Should I cut the ends to make the holes bigger?Thanks Tim

This filter/regulator looks like a universal-fit type, the small ends being 1/4" (~6mm), the larger being 5/16" (8mm), and is meant to be fit-to-size. Cut the small ends off exactly where they enlarge to larger diameter and I think you'll find that the larger part of the fitting already has the larger ID. Debur the ID a bit and you should be all set.

BTW, hate to mention this, but unless you really isolate that pump from the frame when you mount it, you're going to find it noisy as hell . . . even well isolated, it's one of the noisiest pumps I know of. Not that it's much consolation, but at least you'll always know that it's working . . .

[tekenaar]

Originally Posted by Tru-Craft Thanks Ron, so much information on this site! I think the stock Opel had a 1/4 ID fuel line. Looking in McMaster-Carr they have: * 3/8 OD steel coiled tube with a .035" wall, .305" ID. * 7/16 OD AL coiled tube with a .035 wall, .367" ID. What size is recomended with the low pressure electric fuel pump and a 38DGAS Weber carb? Thanks Lyle

Not to be too picky, but stock Opel fuel line, it's nylon, not plastic, BTW, is 8mm (5/16").

[soybean]

Originally Posted by tekenaar BTW, hate to mention this, but unless you really isolate that pump from the frame when you mount it, you're going to find it noisy as hell . . . even well isolated, it's one of the noisiest pumps I know of. Not that it's much consolation, but at least you'll always know that it's working . . .

I have one on an old Willys Jeep, and as Otto said it is extremely noisy. In my humble opinion, I would go with the Carter setup. I may be wrong, but I believe it comes complete with filter. Jarrell

[Tru-Craft]

I will use 3/8" OD stainless tubing for the main fuel line. Then 3/8" ID hose for connecting to tank, fuel pump and carb.
Will use the electric pump and pressure switch setup Tekenaar recommends.
Thanks for the help.
Lyle

[opelwasp]

tekenaar is right, that pump is going to drive you nuts, whether you isolate it or not. you will think you've got a woodpecker on crack tapping on you car all the time. you want to find a rotary style universal fuel pump. it is a 5 to 6" long cylinder with the fittings on each end. usually about $60 at you local parts store.