I have been underneath my 71 BB C3 for 3 years restoring it. Does anybody know if the The fuel line and vapor return line on the passenger side can be replaced without lifting the body off the car?

Roc

 

Fairly difficult to do with one solid piece but it can be done. I replaced the brake lines on the other side of the car and getting over the back frame was the toughest part.

Do a search for it on the forum. I found some regarding fuel lines when I was doing my brake lines. Some were able to do it, some made the fule line into two pieces to deal with going over the back.

Biggest thing is to take your time and not bend the fuel line too much.

 

Here is a good read.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-t...frame-how.html

 

I did mine (72BB auto) last year with the body on.
The trans cross member was out (trans tail supported by a jack), don't think if it could be done the way I did it with it in place

The rear end was out (diff, axles, trailing arms, etc)
I put the lines up sideways between the compartments and the frame back there so the snout of the diff may have been in the way, can't say for sure. Trailing arms and axles would not matter I don't think.
Need some room where the top of the shock is since your feeding it along that area.

Needed two people, one under and the other on the outside. to help guide the lines on the way up

Snaked the lines sideways up into the space behind the jack storage box and then twisted them around and over, (like one of those little paperclip puzzles you get at Christmas as a kid)

Eventually with some patience and many twists, flips and turns they went in. Had to massage a couple of spots (along the top of the frame behind the wheel and just in front of the gusset at the bottom of the dogleg) where the lines got straightened a little or bent a little more than it should be but all and all it's pretty much right now.

At no point did it feel like it would kink, went pretty loose with the exception of feeding that first piece (back by the tank) up.

Putting a joint where the diagonal gusset is at the bottom of the dog-leg was also an option I looked at if this didn't work

HIH
Mooser

 

Hi roc,
I think you'll find it's more possible with tinned bundy steel lines rather than stainless steel lines.
The ss steel is much harder, and thus quite difficult to bend and then straighten.
Regards,
Alan

 

Without lifting the body completely off the frame, it would be very difficult without having to bend the lines in couple of places...then straighten them back out.

Mild steel lines you can do that; stainless steel lines you may crack/break if you bend too much.

Or, you could insert a 'strategic' compression fitting (or two) where needed to avoid any bending.

 

Mooser,
Looks nice. Good job.

 

I found getting OEM style hardline through the section between the body and up over the frame to the tank is dam near impossible. My hardline looked so bad when I was done; I tore it out and ran Jegs Pro-Flo 200 Series Braided Hose. I ran the Braided Hose along the OEM route between the body to a point about the rear 3rd of the door where I mated it using AN fittings with the OEM hardline so it would be factory appearing entering the engine compartment.

When I tried, I avoided stainless steel because its not as flexible as the OEM steel

I sounds like others have more patience than me. I probaby needed more beer.