Here are the cut up fuel lines on my FI tpi car. I dont trust junk hoses and clamps. I was going to flare the ends and use cunnectors to screw them together like brake lines. The fuel line is too hard for my parts store flaring tool to work properly on, (I even tried a cheater bar, almost broke the tool) so that method of repair will not work for me. The lines are jagged and look like they were cut with a hacksaw, the guy that did this must have no fear of death or was extremly stupid.

I am planning on only fixing the 2 lines that cary fuel, the supply and return line. The other lines are held together with clamps further below the car stock, so I figure those non gas lines should be ok to leave the way they are.

Any ideas on how to fix it???? ....................................

besides replacing the whole deal, I am not too excited about paying for a new one or working my butt off pulling one from a junk yard.

 

What about these fittings? Do I need to flare my fuel line to get these to work, or do they just slip on and tighten?

 

Also, what about pressure fittings????

I would have to use 4 of them though and hope that they would not leak / would hold my fuel pressure. I have a AFPR and my fuel pressure is set at 47PSI. I would not trust pressure fittings unless someone else has had sucess with them.

There is also limited space to put them in, the lines are close together.


**** I did a little bending and cleaning on the fuel lines and it looks like I can get them together with only 1 pressure fitting each. This is not my first choice of repair but it seems like the quickest way and it will not hurt to try. Its gotta be at least as good as those hoses and clamps.

 

I think you guessed right that the best way is a new sending unit.



if you could get a hyd. flaring tool, that works best. all gm dealers have one but, I really don't think any in there right mind would lone it out.


snap on and mac ect. sell the tool as well but, it would be cheaper to just buy a new sending unit

 

I would certainly go the whole nine yards and replace the whole deally, either with a bone yard unit, or a new one if possible... at the least.. a bone yard unit.

The butcher who did that should be nuetered with a hot spoon, and the person who gave him the idea.... a cold spoon.

If you can't get the fuel pump out of a thirdgen without cutting a hole in the floor and hacking the lines apart... you should not replace it... If you do be prepared for some sort kharmic reprisals.

 

Agree with you 100% P.K.

 

 

Like Pony Killer said time to get a replacement maybe from a bone yard. If you decid not to replace the entire assembly, then make sure to flare the ends and use fuel hose made for fuel injection and not the carb fuel lines. To flare the lines, I would re cut the pipes but stagger them so you can fit the lines and clamps.

 

oh man... poor car.

 

Here is a pic of the pressure fittings I tried. It took $3.50 and 25 minuites. Its not as perfect as replacing the whole thing, but it was very quick, easy and cheap. I tested it to 55psi and 5k+ rpm, it is solid with no leaks. Best part is, I can still take it off and use the hole for an quick fuel pump removal.

 

How are you patching that horrendous hole?

 

I'd go back a retighten those compression fittings every so often for a while... just to be safe...

 

I would still save my nickles and dimes and buy a new sender. I know how money goes and would drive it the way you have it but, would keep an eye on it till you have the cash

 

You could have fixed it with the aeroquip hard-line adaptors also, which is just a slip over sleeve and threaded fitting, but you have to flare the ends. I used the regular 45 degree flaring tool and haven't had any problems with the high pressure walbro pump.

 

This is WAAAAY better than the rubber hose and clamp, but obviously not as good as replacing the whole thing. Since I cant undo the hole in the floor, I plan on using it in the future. So I think my solution comes in a close second place. The metal stays in place fine when you bend it back, and duct tape covers and seals it up. Then the carpet goes over it and no one will ever see the hole or know its there. I am not going to bother with making it look pretty and bolting a nice looking plate over it. That seems like a waste of time to me, and makes a little more work to get it open if I need to get in there in the future.

I am just trying to make the best out of a bad situation, and did not want to spend a lot of time and $ on it. This is good enough for me now. I would rather spend the time and $ I have to do other things to the car than mess with this anymore.

Some of you guys can be realy picky about trying to fix stuff and may criticize that it is not done "the right way".
I am just trying to be practical

 

Ever been driving down the road and see a car sitting off to the side, on fire?

Ever seen the fire dept try to put one out? I'll give you a clue: they're not usually very successful; in fact, after the fire reaches a certain level of destruction, they won't even try any more.

Ever seen what a car looks like after it's been on fire?

That's what happens to cars whose owners rig their fuel systems.

All in all, it's a very bad place to try to cut corners. It's too bad somebody already hacked that car that way; but all the same, you should consider your own personal safety, and that of your passengers, and do something more long-term reliable than compression fittings. Remember, there's 50 psi or so in there; and even a very small leak, can let out an ENORMOUS amount of fuel, FAST.

 

WOW! you almost sound angry at me
I do appreciate that you are concerned for the safety of me, my car and others

I will admit that I do not know exactly how reliable it will be and I have not heard any other comments from anyone else that has tried this.

I used a pressure fitting once on a older FI cadillac that was fine for the 2 yeard and 10k miles I put on it. But that car probably only did like 34-38 psi I am guessing.

For educational purposes, I can see If I can do a simulated pressure test at my automotive school. I will have to ask one of the instructors what they think. I would be interested in seeing how many PSI I could pump through our hardened fuel lines and a pressure fitting.

This should go without saying, but the test would be done on a seperate line that is not on a car. Just in case anyone thought I was going to blow something up

 

those fittings will hold very high psi. (I see idiots come in with those stupid things on there brake lines!!!!! yes abs systems too! you have any idea what pressures those things see? just a light stop is more than 50 psi) the problem is the rings like to move with time and since they are a soft metal the line breaks free and leaks.


if you test it at school fine but, also keep in mind that the lines on the car are old, moved around so lost some shape and will have a certant amount of dirt on them. even if you cleaned them



we are just trying to help you out. just take our opinions for what they are worth

 

man it seems like you guys are all pissed off about the lines. i am the one who cut mine like that and i used rubber hoses. granted i am going to go back soon and put compression fittings in but geesh cool it down a notch or two.

listen man if you did everything "the right way" in others eyes you would never get anywhere. the compression fittings are fine. thats what they are made for. i also have used them on the brake systems of a lot of cars i have owned and friends as well. never had a problem with them.

i agree the rubber lines can be dangerous. i used fuel injection hoses on the lines when i did it but that was temporary since they were out of compression fittings.

i have driven the car 2 years with the rubber lines and never had a problem with them leaking and they looked the same when i changed the fuel pump a second time just a few monthes ago but it turned out to not be bad anyway but the lines were ok.

i would do compression all the way across the 4 lines if i were you just for the added feeling of safety. oh and like i said everyone else calm down geesh drama queens

 

I appreciate the advice and opinions. I was told the same thing at school, that they probably will start to get loose over time. And that I should check up on them. I would not trust my brake lines with this, so a fuel line should not be any different. I know the chances are slim, but I dont want to be a statistic with a leak and then an explosion. It does work good and will get you by fine, but I would feel safer with a 100% fix and then just forget about it. I will probably get one this summer when I get to pick over parts cars again.

thanks again to everyone

 

Ive seen those fittings used in homre water pipes where there under a constant 125 psi for decades without leaking. Of course a water leak is nothing compared to a fuel leak.

 

Funny, my boiler inlet PSI is 23. And even in Cali you don't see the pipes in a home subjected to the same vibration and stresses that an automotive application does.

 

i have a question... how do u cut those lines. there so close together you can fit pipe cutters around them. and what size fittings did u get for those lines? it looks like 2-3/8" and 2- 1/4" to me. thats the size adaptors i got, but im havin major trouble since i had to use metal snips to cut the lines which of course pinched the lines, and i had to reshape the ends which is a real pain. are those the right sizes? what could be done different?