gearing up for my winter rehab. (the car not me), pulling the engine to install a 2.0 and want to change the fuel lines throughout. i know someone sells them pre bent but my fuel pump is up front by the master cylinder and don't want to move it. so...whats the plan? steel lines i am thinking, but not sure about how to bend them,or install them or where to get them

3/8" (suction) & 5/16" (return) Stainless Tubing. Buy a tubing bender and cutter from Harbor Freight Tools.

OR

PM RacerChris

Easy answer- serve up the $$$ to Chris Foley and get his pre-bent lines. We put mine in, in about 30 min, with 2 people on the job. It seemed a little daunting at first, but ended up being way to simple. Remove gas tank. Pull out old lines. Insert new. With some clever re-hoseing, you can retain your front fuel pump set-up.

BUT. The engine and trans were out at the time. While you MAY be able to do this with the engine/trans in, I wouldn't want to be the one to try. I have seen others do this with coils of copper, unwinding from the coil and stuffing it in the back of the car, pushing it up to the front thru the tunnel. Some will say copper will work harden, and not to use it. This was at Brad Mayeur's shop, and if copper is good enough for him, it oughta be good enough for the rest of us. I chose to use Chris's lines mainly because the engine was out, and the pre bent lines looked easy to install, and they were.

Chef, did you plan on doing it at Movie time? Not a hard job. Worst part is getting the rubber grommet by the floor board out and back in.
The rest is easy. Did mine with the engine in using straight lines. Bent them with a tube bender once installed. Chris' lines look great. Maybe check some threads to see if others installed his while the motor was in.

how does one combat flexing and cracking of the fuel lines?

or is this just something that simply never happens

Exhaust system must be off if the engine is installed, in order to install my lines without difficulty.

Britt, these stainless tubes will outlast the car for sure.

I recently learned that late 914s with the front mounted pump from the factory have the smaller size plastic tubing for both supply and return. and both fittings on the tank are the smaller size. Also, the rear firewall grommet for the larger tube is NLA.

another vote for the Chris Foley fuel lines...I have not installed mine yet, but they will be a nice addition.

"Must go"? Why? The Cap'n

I did it this way for about $30. BUT, Chris' lines are the finest. If you wish to spend for them, you wont be disappointed.

Ditto. Adding new SS lines will look great and last and last. But if the decision is based simply on the idea that "old plastic must be a bad thing", check around. Several old-timers have said that those original plastic fuel lines really are pretty reliable.

Ditto. Adding new SS lines will look great and last and last. But if the decision is based simply on the idea that "old plastic must be a bad thing", check around. Several old-timers have said that those original plastic fuel lines really are pretty reliable.
[/quote]

my old plastic ones seem fine but while the engine is out i figure why tempt the fates. will contact chris and check out his. thanks again non club members for your help. the only way you could do more is if you came here and put them in yourselves....you can if you want to

I used 5/16" lines for both supply and return. Mild steel truck brake lines from NAPA with a 90 degree fitting where they enter the engine compartment. Chris's fuel lines weren't available back when I did this, but if they had been available I would have bought them.

The black plastic used in late model 914s is different than the tan stuff used previously. It may last forever in the tunnel, but nearly all the plastic lines I have seen in the engine compartment were significantly deteriorated, early or late.

<sopabox mode on>



A 74 1.8L 914 that burned so badly the windshield fell in. It was determined by the fire marshall that the fire started where the fuel lines came out of the firewall due to age failure.

This cost me years to rebuild and almost cost me my marriage.

I willl NOT have a 914 with the plastic lines. They may not fail often, but when they fail, it is dramatic.

Like your opinion about Stainless Steel brake lines... if you have plastic fuel lines in your car, it will burn. Maybe not now, maybe not for years, but it WILL happen.

Replacing them with Stainless steel lines insures that it WILL NOT happen.


<soapbox mode off>

"This cost me years to rebuild and almost cost me my marriage."

the marriage part is tempting, but i'm too tired to rebuild the 914. chris what do i need to do?

http://www.tangerineracing.com/stainless_fuel_lines.htm

heres his chris' link. if you need a hand, be happy to help if you decide to do it in lynhurst. be good to inspect the gas tank for rust. maybe find a radiator shop ahead of time that can clean and reseal near the shop if needed.

I'm pretty sure Richie (chef) has already taken care of the tank lining...

-pt

next time my engine is out I plan on doing a replacement with chris' lines as well.


i accept the logic that the lines in the tunnel rarely go bad but the plastic and gasoline combo doesn't sit well with me overall.

The original plastic lines on my car cracked when I bent them, why would someone take a chance with 30 year old plastic fuel lines? I purchased Racer Chris's set, I think it's cheap insurance.

Putting the SS lines in from Chris was a snap for me. One person job. I didn't even take out the front firewall grommet. I just lubed the tubes and grommets up and with a little pushing they slid through. They fit perfectly and formed to the rear firewall nicely. I was really happy with the quality.
This was with the tank and engine out though.

my tank was re-epoxied the first week i had the car. like the idea of racercris's lines. hear good things about them. hear they last forever. hear they are shiny, i like shiny.

smart move leaving the grommet in hammy wish i had done the same.

Shiny , shiny is gud.

ShinEY

shin is no good

shine is great

i had a pm from chris yest. as i understand it, if your car is a 75' w/the front mounted pump, you'll need to tell him so you can get 2 of the larger sized lines or adapt the smaller sized one. the set i got in portland has the 2 sizes and i have to figure which route to take.

k

Is there any downside with using the aluminum fuel line? It seems to also be very durable, bkut is much easier to bend and fit. I'm thinking of replacing the lines on my 914-6 this winter and have had good luck with aluminum lines in the past. After all, it's only 3-5 psi with the carbs.

Kevin, you got that backwards. The '75-6 models had two of the smaller lines. Two adapters would be necessary to use one larger line.

glad we got this cleared up chris. nice speaking with you.

k