Ill fitting engine fuel line.

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PaulR
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Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by PaulR »

I just bought new pre bent fuel lines from a major Corvair parts supplier. They look nice and they really do improve the look of the engine compartment. The problem with the set is the line that goes from the fuel pump to the right side carburetor. It just does not fit properly. It is very difficult to make it reach the fuel pump tee fitting if it is threaded into the carburetor, or vice versa, and the long straight portion of the line is laying tight ON the spark plug cables and top shroud plug cables guide. Does that fuel supply line supposed to be so close to the engine top shroud? I doubt it. I had a 1965 some years ago with the original fuel lines still on the engine and there were no issues like this. It seems to me that they sat a little higher. I have tried bending the new line slightly, to get the line off of the top shroud, but there is not enough of line there to do this. This also makes the line "shorter" so it is unable to reach the fuel pump tee. My car is an unaltered and unmolested 1964 110 hp. using the original style fuel pump and fittings. So you would think that a pre bent line would fit all engines with a minimum of adjustment. If left, it could potentially wear a hole through the line at the top shroud plug cables guide. Other than returning the part, any suggestions?
1964 Monza convertible 110/PG
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azdave
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by azdave »

I would start with the vendor by sending them several photos from various angles and asking their opinion. Show how when one fitting is installed the other fitting comes up short of being able to thread. Show how it lays on the cover. Do you still have your old one or is it all mangled and not able to use as a comparison part?

I make my own lines and usually leave an extra bit of length to play with by making offsets a little deeper or making bigger loops where I can get away with it.

A few photos posted here would help us too.
Dave W. from Gilbert, AZ

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64powerglide
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by 64powerglide »

The fuel line goes on the outside of the carb.. I assume you ordered line C. from Clark's page 67.
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PaulR
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by PaulR »

Yup, got from Clark's, one of their "ready to install' fuel lines on page 67 part # C2333. I have got it to just about reach both ends while being careful not to mangle the threads and fittings. These connections are very fragile and I will become pissed if they leak later with gas running through them. Still the fuel line is basically tight to the top shroud.
I phoned Clark's and they assured me that I was the first person who had a problem with one of their fuel lines. Well, aren't I special. When I asked about where Clark's got their pre bent lines, they said they bought them from someone else.
All the original fuel lines were taken off years ago because the fittings were rounded off. Too bad, they actually fit. After that, I put on some that I made and bent myself. They kinda looked like heck, so I wanted to go first rate this time.
Sorry about the delay in responding, but it has been a busy weekend. There are no pictures because I can't figure on how to take them off my SD card, put them on my jump drive and then attache them to a post. Besides, the cable connection in my camera is all messed up. Will try to post when I get my stuff together.
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PaulR
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by PaulR »

<r>Again, sorry for the wait but here are the fuel line pictures. You can see that they are right on top of the engine top fan shroud. It was not easy but I managed to carefully bend both sides a little to get them off the spark plug cables and guides. After I hooked the lines up and ran fuel through them, it leaked pretty good at the fuel pump "T". I replaced the fuel pump "T" with a spare, and, wallah, no leak there, but it was a gusher at the left carburetor fuel inlet. I tried several times to tighten, though not overly so, but could not get the left side to seal. I finally took the line off and started the carburetor end first, tightening almost until the threads were snug, and then the fuel "T" end and it sealed, no leaks, nowhere. All my fiddling around got the lines to go into their relative proper positions. The left side line almost perfectly parallels the main fuel line also running on that side the way it should now. What do you <URL url="https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/down ... <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/down ... 42154think">https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/down ... TEXT></URL>? A lot of messing around for pre bent, "ready to install", fuel lines.<URL url="https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/down ... <LINK_TEXT text="https://www.corvairforum.com/forum/down ... w&id=42155">https://wwwhttps://www.corvairforum.com ... ></URL></r>
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GriffinGuru
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by GriffinGuru »

I also bought those lines and they did require a little bit of manipulating on my part as well. Bent up from the shroud and some bending at the right side carb as well like you are doing. I had issues with leaking at the flared fittings on both ends and no amount of tightening would help. I bought a flaring tool and re-flared the ends and they stopped leaking.

In your picture the line to the right side carb looks like it is where it needs to be, but just needs a tweak at the carb fuel inlet so that the line is entering more perpendicular. You can bend the 90 at the location between the right carb and distributer so that the line slants toward the carb more and that will get you a little more useable length at the carb inlet which needs a slightly tighter bend. Your engine compartment is very clean though, so if you are going for a really perfect and precise routing etc, you may have to bend and make your own lines. Re-pro parts are a compromise in saving you the need to fabricate from scratch, but they are rarely 100% perfect and that is how I consider it a trade off.
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PaulR
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by PaulR »

GriffinGuru wrote: Sat Sep 16, 2017 7:08 am I also bought those lines and they did require a little bit of manipulating on my part as well. Bent up from the shroud and some bending at the right side carb as well like you are doing. I had issues with leaking at the flared fittings on both ends and no amount of tightening would help. I bought a flaring tool and re-flared the ends and they stopped leaking.

In your picture the line to the right side carb looks like it is where it needs to be, but just needs a tweak at the carb fuel inlet so that the line is entering more perpendicular. You can bend the 90 at the location between the right carb and distributer so that the line slants toward the carb more and that will get you a little more useable length at the carb inlet which needs a slightly tighter bend. Your engine compartment is very clean though, so if you are going for a really perfect and precise routing etc, you may have to bend and make your own lines. Re-pro parts are a compromise in saving you the need to fabricate from scratch, but they are rarely 100% perfect and that is how I consider it a trade off.
So you are saying that a reproduction part is not a faithful copy of the original? That in many cases it may have be re engineered to function as the original was intended? No offense but, wow, I guess that I have to be like the old car guys in Cuba and make my own replacement parts.
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Re: Ill fitting engine fuel line.

Post by terribleted »

Unfortunately this is often the case with repro parts for old cars...not just Corvairs:/
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