Hi Folks,

I replaced my fuel pump and of my old decrepit and dry rotted lines have sprung leaks... good thing the car was still in the driveway! :-)

So, I went to my FLAPS and the closest thing they have that visually matches the old cloth braided line is 1/4" which is slightly smaller at 6.35MM vs the 7MM I have seen recommended elsewhere.

The trouble is that I also see folks posting 8MM as the size to use... Which is closely aligned with 5/16" (7.9MM).

At some point, my car was upgraded to metal lines running through the center console and the old lines seem to fit really good. I'm afraid if I go to 5/16" that it will be too big. If I go to 1/4" it will be too small and starve the engine...

Car is a stock '76 2.0L. My lines up front are all good, the injector elbows have been replaced in the past and look good. I'm only replacing the lines from the rear firewall to the fuel rails, so we are talking about the long line from the tunnel that crosses the back of the engine bay to the fuel regulator and then the return off the fuel rail by the battery back down to the center tunnel...

Thoughts here? Appreciate any and all feedback.

I doubt that 1/4" would starve the engine, but I would and have used 5/16". All rubber to steel connections are double hose clamped.

Additionally, I run a tap over the end of the steel tube to groove it slightly. Gives a rougher surface for the hose to adhere to.

OK, On my way to get the 5/16"...

Thanks!

Why not just wait a few days and have the correct hose delivered from an online source...?

'cause you can't find ethanol rated fuel hose in metric. Or at least I can't.

Zach

Seriously, you can't find any?

Go to auto Atlanta in Marietta and pick up what you need.
Use metric,

I can find metric fuel hose that will need to be replaced every few years as the ethanol eats it up, or I can find find imperial fuel hose rated for alcohol.

As of yet, I've not bought either, hoping to find alcohol rated metric hose.

Zach

Northern Foreign Autoparts in Nashua NH has rolls of the stuff.
Happens to be local to me.

So, it must be made somewhere.

My other comment was directed at the OP who lives in Atlanta and would be a short drive to Husseys place, who should stock all of it by the roll.

rich

When I bought rolls of the Goodyear Fluoroelastomer/Nitrile (30R9) hose, it wasn't offered in metric sizes that I could see. I purchased 5/16" and 3/8".

Also, from what I have heard the elastomer liner in the hose will roll up and block the hose if it is a really tight fit. This is just a rumor as I haven't experienced it.

I'll let you know when we go to start Glenn Sagers' 3.0L conversion in 2016 (yes, that is a poke at Glenn).

Yeah, I don't have the time anymore to drive an hour there, an hour back and then of course the hour to hang out, chat and look at all the other cool stuff at AA. Especially for $20 worth of hose. This was something I needed to get done in a short period of time... did not want to wait days, needed the instant gratification too. :-)

The 5/16 worked fine and now I'm driving again!

Appreciate everyone's support and comments!

You heard right, Ron. The inner liner can roll. I found a little WD40 and needle nose pliers will "prime" the 1/4" 30R9 when sliding it over injectors (they're the worst). Spray a little WD then push the pliers inside (closed position) and push 'n turn the pliers. Also, you will need to allow for the extra radius. The 30R9 tends to kink easier as it is more supple.

Does this mean that any of the cloth braided fuel hose shouldn't be used if using ethanol blended fuels?
Thanks,

Cloth braided or not, the FI hose of old the rubber will disintegrate over a period of time. That's why the came up with the "ethanol resistant" hose and be able to charge you $4 - $5 a foot.

The cloth hose needs to be checked annually for cracks or weeping fuel. The alcohol really eats the rubber. It will not last 10 years - but maybe 3 - 4.

Get hose rated for alcohol.

You can get the correct fuel lines from Tangerine, I just did.

David

I hear debates about 5/16 and 8 mm often. The 5/16" is smaller by .0024" and we are talking about rubber. All manufactures will have plus and minus tolerances.