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fuel lines

Started by _superlowuc_ , Jan 23 2006 04:51 AM

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34 replies to this topic

#1 _superlowuc_

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Posted 23 January 2006 - 04:51 AM

hey I am looking at changing my fuel lines on my UC, I am planning on running one 3/8 line from the tank to the carby (holley 390 DP) and removing the carbon fillter line that goes up to the front.
It looks pretty easy but before I start I thought someone out there would have done it before and was wondering if there was anything that I would have to watch out for or any potentail problems I should be aware of?
The car will be set up for a blow though system so Will my stock fuel pump be ok? and what about a surge tank is it a good idea? ( car was a 4 bagger to begin with)

I Do not want to light my car on fire with a gas leak!! so I want to do it right

cheers guys as alway your help a great resource as this is all a learning curve for me

antony

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#2 rodomo

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Posted 23 January 2006 - 06:40 AM

Is the petrol or gas?
RACV MAN

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#3 _superlowuc_

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Posted 23 January 2006 - 12:14 PM

Petrol... Sorry I lived in the State'S for a while and have a habbit of of calling petrol Gas

cheers antony

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#4 LS1LX

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Posted 23 January 2006 - 06:05 PM

Dont use copper or aluminium, buy 3/8" steel bundy tube, you can get it for around $70 thru repco etc for 6 or 8 metres, enough to do 2 cars.

Comes on a coil, PBR makes it.

Remember to flare you fuel line ends or use high quality compression fittings.

You will need the charcoal canister for Emission and rego purposes unless its a non street registered vehicle. Or in NZ?

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#5 _superlowuc_

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Posted 24 January 2006 - 12:10 AM

thanks agian, It is in NZ so right now I do not need the fillter

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#6 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 24 January 2006 - 07:00 PM

good tip..will have to get me some....

believe it or not i've been researching this for a while now...

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#7 _1QUICK LJ_

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 07:45 PM

whats wrong with using ally or copper line (aneild)

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#8 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 08:03 PM

Copper is also a no-no for brake lines and probably for the same reason. Mind you, I can't remember what.

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#9 LS1LX

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 08:13 PM

Copper is also a no-no for brake lines and probably for the same reason. Mind you, I can't remember what.

Cracks from vibration. It is illegal on every state road in Australia.

Steel is about $20 more to do a car then copper, why risk it to save $20 put your safety and others at risk.

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#10 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 08:16 PM

I wasn't suggesting it should be used, just making the comment in case others reading here wasn't aware of it.

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#11 _Jewboy_

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Posted 25 January 2006 - 10:25 PM

I don't know whats wrong with alloy one, mine went over the pits fine only had to upgrade mounting hardware (zip ties weren't good enough - go figure). I believe there is some folded tubing which is what you don't want. I used Russel alloy tubing on my car. Only reason why not to use alloy is if you were going to use methanol.

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#12 LS1LX

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Posted 26 January 2006 - 07:58 AM

I don't know whats wrong with alloy one, mine went over the pits fine only had to upgrade mounting hardware (zip ties weren't good enough - go figure). I believe there is some folded tubing which is what you don't want. I used Russel alloy tubing on my car. Only reason why not to use alloy is if you were going to use methanol.

There nothing wrong with aluminium, especially the russel stuf, as long as its annealed, only problem is I tried aluminium on my car as it was $8 for 6metres, but I needed a few 90 degree bends and the tube was very easy to crush/kink. I turfed the stuff for steel, steel was $65-75 for 6metre roll but well worth it for the added safety.

Did the anodising scratch off the russel tube when bent?

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#13 _Jewboy_

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Posted 26 January 2006 - 10:14 AM

Yeah i had a little trouble doing some hard bends myself (1/2" tubing), its best to with a pipebender but i couldn't find one (didn't look that hard) when i did mine. I found that you need to bend it in a couple of spots very close to each other, rather than trying to do it in one go. Plus the harder you bend it the more it thins out in that cross section. My tubing wasn't coloured so i'm not sure if it was anodised.

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#14 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 26 January 2006 - 11:22 AM

UJnless you have a mandrel pipe bender, anytime you bend any hollow tubing through a bend it stretches the outer radius, thereby making the pipe thinner. I've heard of exhaust tubing being filled with sand before bending to overcome this, but I wouldn't be doing that with fuel line.

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#15 _MYLJ_

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Posted 26 January 2006 - 11:54 AM

I've been using a 1/2 inch copper line for 15 years for the fuel line, never had a problem, never had it crack and the car has plenty of vibration, it is well attatched with rubber inserted stainless steel clamps every 2ft or so, it was cheap and easy.
If there is a good reason why you shouldn't use copper for a fuel line let me know what it is, as I'll change it if there is a good reason. The only thing I had thought of was that the copper may break down due to all the wierd stuff in unleaded fuel, anyone have any thoughts on this?

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#16 LS1LX

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Posted 26 January 2006 - 04:27 PM

I've been using a 1/2 inch copper line for 15 years for the fuel line, never had a problem, never had it crack and the car has plenty of vibration, it is well attatched with rubber inserted stainless steel clamps every 2ft or so, it was cheap and easy.
If there is a good reason why you shouldn't use copper for a fuel line let me know what it is, as I'll change it if there is a good reason. The only thing I had thought of was that the copper may break down due to all the wierd stuff in unleaded fuel, anyone have any thoughts on this?

Call the RTA if you want there explanation, we dont make the rules we just try obid by them. Sorry.

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#17 _1QUICK LJ_

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Posted 27 January 2006 - 12:59 AM

i cant see whats wrong with copper as long as its annealed surley it couldnt be any worse than ally annealed tube, annealed copper is soft, i can understand if its not annealed fair enough.every legal lpg gas system ive seen has a copper line from the gas tank leading to the front lpg converter all legal.i beleive annealed yes, non annealed no?

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#18 _superlowuc_

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Posted 27 January 2006 - 02:25 AM

thanks for the info, Just to put it out there would it be ok to run 3/8 renifocred rubber fuel lines from the tank to the carby, I know its no a convetional but would it be bad, just a thought As I said I am kind off new to car building so if I off the deep end let me know, also is my fuel pump going to be ok with bigger lines and bigger carby?

thanks again

antony

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#19 _CHOPPER_

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Posted 27 January 2006 - 09:08 PM

Rubber fuel lines will be fine. We need to know how much fuel the engine needs before determining whether the current fuel pump is adequate or not.

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#20 _superlowuc_

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Posted 28 January 2006 - 04:14 AM

thanks chopper, I have the engine all in bits so I do not know right now but its a worked 186 with a 390cfm 4 barrel but I am working on a blow thourgh turbo set up and hope to get it finish and on in the next 6 months if I can pay for the cert etc ( new baby in the house so $$ are had to come by)

cheers antony

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#21 _Bomber Watson_

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Posted 28 January 2006 - 02:15 PM

sb chev pumps fit strait on....should do ya.

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#22 _superlowuc_

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Posted 29 January 2006 - 03:49 AM

thanks for that I think I will get one today for it

cheers antony

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#23 _MAWLER_

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Posted 31 January 2006 - 06:21 PM

Just out of interest, just because I don't know and I may want to upgrade my line in the future, whats the size for the standard 6cyl line out of the LH/X/UC, are the 6 and 8 lines any different in diameter?

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#24 _Torana482HP_

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Posted 31 January 2006 - 06:57 PM

im pretty sure that even on a v8 lh, the fuel line is 5/16. 6 and 8 cyl would be the same im guessing. the l34 had a larger line 10mm i think.
i need to replace mine cause its not big enough but i dont know if i should go 3/8 or 1/2.