Fuel line

[David_Doan]

I'm still doing body work on my car, but if I ever get done, I will need a fuel line. i was watching a musclecar rerun last night, they used flexible re-inforced rubber line for the entire run.

Is there any reason this can't/shouldn't be done on a spridget other than originality?

 

[Trevor Jessie]

IMO, the run underneath the car is too exposed and could easily be damaged. I use 1/4" steel brake tubing. Cheap and easy to work with. Some guys use copper, but it seems too fragile and prone to cracking for me to try it.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

David,

I used ice maker Copper Line on Bugsy. As long as you support properly it will work. I did have one instance where a long unsupported run cracked on me once and I needed to splice in a rubber line with a couple of clamps. Other than that the Copper Line worked for me for 12 years. Frank C. used to swear by copper line for that purpose.

 

[BlueMax]

I plan to use 5/16” Cupro-Nickel tubing. This alloy is not quite as strong as steel but it will not corrode as fast as steel. You will find with in a few years steel will corrode from the inside and loose its strength advantage where by the Cupro-Nickel corrosion and erosion rates are far less than you will find in steel, unless you plan to use stainless which is quite brittle and difficult to bend.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I agree about the cupro-Nickel. I just don't like the price. Steel should be good for about 30 years.

 

[nomad]

I agree about the cupro-Nickel. I just don't like the price. Steel should be good for about 30 years.

Longer than most of us will need our LBC's!! I'm with Trevor, I use steel.


Kurt.

 

[BlueMax]

There is one other consideration that you maybe over looking in your assumptions of the utilizations of steel tubing. In today cars you will find the use of polyamide tubing for fuel lines, partly because its cheap to manufacture but also because of the fuel that we burn today. If we were still using pure gasoline without ethanol no problems. But were not, EPA will be increasing the ethanol content to 15% in the next few years. California has already move in that direction. You may want to check out what ethanol does to steel and make your decisions on how quickly the 30 year time line will decrease. Being that you’re living in Texas you maybe able to fine pure gasoline, but that would be problematic.

 

[nomad]

Ethanol blended gasoline shouldn't bother steel and in fact should be better for it since it will pick up any water in the system and eliminate it unless you have so much as to overwhelm the alcohol and end up with fuel separation.

Kurt.

 

[BlueMax]

Nice article in Popular Mechanics about phase separation for those who maybe interested?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-fuel/biofuels/e15-gasoline-damage-engine

 

[nomad]

Nice article in Popular Mechanics about phase separation for those who maybe interested?

https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/alternative-fuel/biofuels/e15-gasoline-damage-engine

And the misinformation and scare rhetoric go on.
All I can say is that I have been using it for 30 years in everything with no problem. Think about it. If you pump fuel from a station that hardly ever sells gas you may have a problem otherwise just the process of running fuel through their system is going to get rid of the water. The last problem I had with water in the fuel was with non blended premium from a station that sold very little of it. i barely got home and then drained a gallon of water out of my tank. Running ethanol blended fuel after that cleaned out the rest of the water.
What huge expense are gas station's going to have by switching to E15? Changing the stick on sign from 10% to 15%??
As i said....the scare rhetoric go's on.

Kurt.

 

[AN5Sprite]

Here's some more of that misinformation and scare rhetoric... Boo!:smiley_simmons:

https://www.gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=12468&location_id=5348

 

[Trevor Jessie]

I'm well aware that modern fuels are different and can cause problems with rubber components and mild steel. The extent of the problem is debatable and I have no extensive knowledge to enter into the debate. However, when my $10 worth of steel fuel line causes problems, then I'll look for a better alternative. Frankly, I'm not loosing any sleep over it.

 

[nomad]

Well I'm no expert either but it seems that so many of these articles about the bad effects of ethanol blended fuel are just a writer trying to find something to write about or someone hawking a product.
I have never used a fuel stabilizer and never needed one. I've had fuel set in tanks for years and the vehicle would still run well enough to use up the fuel. I have never had trouble with rusty tank's either but I always store everything with a full tank.
Having said all that I usually run non blended fuel in my Datsun Midget because I haven't gotten around to sheilding the carb and gasahol give's me fuel vaporization issue's.
I'm not sure I'm in favor of higher alcohol blends just because we are growing corn everywhere right now. I like a few wild places rather than a green desert.

Kurt,
corn farmer!

 

[johntennyson]

Another and possibly bigger consideration is the flexible hose used at the ends. I've just finished a Factory Five C*bra replica (Shelby's attorneys might be monitoring!) and there've been a few cars destroyed by engine fires, both carbed and with EFI. A lot of the investigations focus on the flexible lines, connections and fuel pressure gauges (they can be easily broken and dump fuel into the area). Most all of the cars are built using the supplied bundyflex pipe to get the fuel from the tank to the engine compartment.

Here's a good article most folks reference:

https://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/engine/hrdp_1101_performance_fuel_hoses/viewall.html

I'm gonna replace the auto parts store grade hose on my car as soon as the Moss order arrives. When I get the chance, though...





...like these nice MGs at a local concours. Teflon hoses are supposed to be impervious to the new fuel blends.

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Wow Johnny, How about another picture of that engine bay .Clean enough to east off of.