fuel lines

[BobMassive]

Hello all,
Can i use a rubber or braided 3/8 fuel line from the fuel filter inlet all the way to the tank? its all low pressure right? im losing prime and its driving me crazy. always air in the lines if it sits for more than a few hours. putting a spin-on filter on and also thinking of using mr gasket 12d electric in line fuel pump just for good measure.
Thanks

 

[Ruppster]

Not a good idea to use rubber line all the way as it's not under pressure from the tank to the fuel pump. That line is under a slight vacuum and a long rubber line could collapse from the suction. If you think you have a leak in the metal line how about using an electric pump to pressurize the line from the tank to look for leaks?


Ruppster

 

[BobMassive]

Even braided line could collapse? so just install in line pump by splicing the rubber line coming right off the tank? That seems to be the only place. Guess ill try that first.
thanks

 

[southdave]

I have installed 3/8 rubber reinforced line. I install an elect. fuel pump and inline prefilter i have no issues as of yet, I think the filters have a backflow preventer

 

[mutt1966]

I would wait till I installed the spin-on filter, the stock filter base is known for causing the problm your talking about, also did you try cracking the fuel cap a few turns seems to help until you find the problem. Scott

 

[Hasdrubal]

I agree with cracking the fuel cap when you shut off. It was one of my major gremlins; losing prime every night. You should hear a audible air release if the caps failed internally. I fixed it by drilling a very tiny hole through the cap.

 

[jag7720]

I agree with cracking the fuel cap when you shut off. It was one of my major gremlins; losing prime every night. You should hear a audible air release if the caps failed internally. I fixed it by drilling a very tiny hole through the cap.

So you are saying that when you crack the cap open, it should *NOT* suck air into the tank?

If that is the case... mine is doing that.... and where do we get new caps?

 

[BobMassive]

im pretty sure my fuel filter base is bad. if i prime it every morning it starts fine but a real hassle. i just figured for simplicity sake that one line is better than having it go from rubber to steel to rubber. i opted against the mr gasket pump too due to many other helpful post here warning against it. gonna wait to see if the new fuel filter fixes my problem first but i went with a carter P74017 from napa. and the pre-filter is something i didnt think of either.
also didnt think of the gas cap, ill be checking that
always very helpful
thanks

 

[BobMassive]

So the gas cap trick does work to some degree. I installed a racor 490r. Filter base was definitely leaking. Unfortunately im still having the hard starting issues so i will go ahead with the electric pump. My question now is if i bypass the lift pump in exchange for the electric one then the fuel line wont have a negative atmosphere inside. I should be able to run a rubber line all the way to the electric pump now? That line is the only other place i can think of where a leak might be occurring. Also should i need to crack the lines at the injectors after installing the new filter? Its the model with the built in priming pump.

 

[OL AG '89]

Somewhere I have read it is "not allowable" by DOT to have a rubber fuel line longer than 18"....
I'll try to find the source or maybe someone else can refresh or trash my memory....

 

[southdave]

Somewhere I have read it is "not allowable" by DOT to have a rubber fuel line longer than 18"....
I'll try to find the source or maybe someone else can refresh or trash my memory....

Thanks, all I could fine is an austrialian law, hose is allowed, has to be achored every 42 cm.. wierd it illegal to install copper. Kind of makes sense copper, vibration denseifies copper makes it brittle. sorry no spell ckeck, and I have only one cup of coffee.