can it be done with the body still on the frame, and completly bolted down? its a 69 vert.

 

Extremely difficult if you want it to be a 1-piece line like the original.

Possible solutions:
Buy the line of your choice, pre-bent steel or stainless and cut it at the rear kickup. Flare the ends and install a coupler.
It's relatively easy to install this in two pieces if you have enough room under the car (lift). You'll have to bend the line where the 90 degree turn towards the tank opening is, then bend it again once you fed it thru to that point. That area is accessible once you removed the spare tire.

Option 2: stainless steel braided hose. It took me less than 1 hr to replace my fuel line. 8AN for supply, 6AN for return... fits like a glove.... 20foot each, $150 at Summitracing

 

I ran a #8 braided fuel hose on top of the old metal lines.. Removing and re-installing metal lines is extremely difficult with the body in place... Braided lines would work just fine.. Tooke me less than 1 hour to install the braided #8 line..

 

I just did Option 2. Love it.
I have tons of pics if you need them.
I posted some a while back. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...eekend+warrior

I opted to do away with any hose clamps so I went AN fittings throughout.

SS hardlines will outlast the braided hose but the teflon lined braided hose I got should last a long time and its very easy to replace. At least this way I always have the option of upgrading to a larger size easily and can install an electric pump or inline filters easily whereas a hardline takes some bending and flaring.

 

just a quick question....if you run braided with the body on, How easy is it to get to the tank connections?

This is something I have looked at doing along with the brake pipes. I want to do all with body on ( unless it is possible to lift body with most parts still intact enough to do the job )

I am about to remove and replace the rear bumper unit and wondered if now would be a good time to run some hoses...

TIA.

 

The supply line is under the tank on most years (my 68 is) from the sending unit. The return line on my 68 is 3/4 way up the passenger side of the tank. Both are slide on fittings with a hose clamp. If your using braided hose you have to use an AN fitting. You can get the flare to AN fitting ends which clamp onto the end of the metal flared tubing on the sending unit and return line. Its much much easier to do if you just drop the tank. Its very easy to do.
I plugged the return line and sending unit pipe and put bulkhead adapters into the tank. I was a little unsure about the flare to AN adapters and wanted to avoid all hose clamps.
Running the braided hoses was easy but i would recommend dropping the tank for simplicity. You can drop a tank in a matter of minutes after the spare tire carrier is out of the way.

 

My tank connections are right under the fuel door.... this is a '79, not sure when they changed this.
I use hose clamps just like the general, originally there was a piece of rubber hose between the tank pickup and the steel line to allow some flex.

 

Thanks for the reply. Will have to see where my connections are on the 75. With removing the rear bumper Im hoping this will give a better insight and a little more acess!

Are you saying you used simple calmps on the braided hose where it connects to the tank or did you run plain rubber to the tank and then join into braided? Sorry if I didnt quite understand your reply.

 

Don't beleive you can use regular hose clamps on braided hose as the braid will unwrap. You can however run the braided into an adapter that connects to the braided hose and converts it to a socketless adapter to which you can just slide a regular rubber hose over the adapter. I used the Aeroquip socketless hose as my return line, those fittings are much easier to deal with without the braided but you don't get the bling bling.
Therefore you have braided hose until about a foot from the tank, run the adapter from braided to socketless and then run a foot of rubber socketless hose to the tank hard line and a hose clamp.
If I were you for a couple of bucks I would buy the AN-flare adapter and play with that and see if you get comfortable with the seal it provides on your tank hardline. Then you won't need to use any hose clamps or rubber line, you can go braided right to the tank hardline.
I think this is it http://store.summitracing.com/partde...5&autoview=sku
The fitting actually clamps onto the rear of the hardline flare and pulls it into the fittings inverted flare creating a seal. The other side of the fitting fits onto the braided hose.
Only question now is...how do you get the end over the flare on the tank hardline??

Now that I think about it, when I did my old 82 and i removed the rear urethan bumper the fuel supply lines were right there ontop of the tank.

 

i was looking at useing the braided stainless, but when i did a search of the archives people recommended not to use it. most said it wasnt a long term option as its just a rubber hose with a stainless steel sheath, and that the line would crack with age. most were saying that the lines would have to be replaced every 4-5 years.


any truth to that?

 

I cut 1" of the braiding off so I could use the clamps.

If I have to replace it every 5 years then fine... so be it.... 1 hour work and $150... better than pulling the body and install new hard line

 

This is a project I have been putting off myself for a while now. I'm running a mechanical pump with a decent canister filter and pressure regulator however I have had two aftermarket pumps fail and am now on my second pressure regulator which is no longer working correctly either. I plan to replace it all with an electric pump and having that in mind some time back bought a roll of aluminum pipe to run a new line externally. Is this a reasonable idea? It is nice and flexible and I should be able to do a neat job of it but it seems people are either replacing the existing hardlines when doing a frame off or running rubber hose instead which is making me question my choice of materials.

Thanks
-Andre

 

You want the more expensive type, because the cheapest is just a rubber hose with a braided beauty cover.

 

I ran this as my supply line (teflon coated inner diameter lasts much much longer than "regular rubber hose", I've also been told it flows better and has more durability. Truth be told there doesn't appear to be any rubber in this hose. If you hold it up to a bright light and bend it a bit you can see the yellow/clear teflon lining.
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku
I will admit that it was difficult to put the AN fitting on the end as it always wanted to back itself out when you tightened down the inner sleeve. Maybe rubber is more forgiving and easier.

I used this as my return line. (socketless which means no difficult AN couplings, just push on AN ends.)
http://store.summitracing.com/partde...0&autoview=sku

I snaked them thru my frame following the original detour that the hardlines used. Made some brackets for easy access, hid the socketless hose behind the braided for looks.

Hardlines are a real PIA to replace with the body on. To lift the body enough to replace the hardlines is an even more PIA just for the fuel lines. SS is even more difficult than the stock material to snake thru, rebend and flare if needed.
You can cut and peice the SS hardlines together for easier access.
If you do SS hardlines you will not have to replace them ever again unless damage or they get pinched.
But as I am unsure of the future HP of my car I went with something I can easily change in the future.
Like everything else on the vette, I will inspect the fuel lines every spring and most likely will not need to replace for maybe 6-10 years.
Thats fine with me.

Some of you inquired so here's a part list of what I ordered all from Summit:
AER-FCC0820 (-8an braided teflon supply line) $121.39
AER-FBM2083 (-8an bulkhead) $14.39
AER-FBM2103 (-8an bulkhead nut) $5.25 x 2 (quantity)
AER-FBM1013 (-8an hose to femal) $7.88 x 2 (quantity)
AER-FBM2053 (-8an male to male for fuel pump if needed) $6.25
AER-FCN0620 (-6an socketless return line) $58.88
AER-FBM2082 (-6an bulkhead) $9.95
AER-FBM2100 (-6an bulkhead nut pair) $5.25
AER-FBM1512 (-6an socketless to female) $4.95 x 2 (quantity)
AER-FBM2052 (-6an male to male for fuel pump if needed) $4.25
Total = $ 248.64 ($263.57 with below clamps)
I went the pricey route b/c I wanted everything Aeroquip. Russel is usually cheaper. I've been told not to mix Aeroquip & other brands fittings and hoses as they have different tolerances.

You also need hose clamps to mount the lines to the frame.
I ordered SUM-G1884 (-8an clamps fit the -6an socketless lines, could have been just a tad smaller) & SUM-G1883 (-6an clamps fit the -8an braided hose, could have been a little smaller) It was weird the way the clamps worked out.
You will not have to order the bulkheads/nuts if your using stock sending unit and return line flange. Stock is -6an supply line and -4an return line. If you change the hose size you have to change the mounting size on the tank. I don't see a point in running -8an line if you still have to squeeze fuel thru the -6an sending unit. No benefits there. Depending on your fuel pump you may not need the male to male fittings either. I bought them "just in case" I needed them with an aftermarket mech fuel pump.

Make sure you do not put the AN hose end on both ends of the braided hose before you snake it thru the car. I did this and had to remove it. The -8an hose to female fitting will not fit thru the kickdown area & trans xmember with the body on.

That is all i needed. You of course will need to trim both the braided line and socketless hose as 20ft is much to long so you will need a means of cutting the lines cleanly. You can buy Summits braided hose cutters, get angled cutters from home depot or buy a large very sharp chissle and go at it with one clean wack with a heavy hammer. Make sure you tape the ends before cutting to contain the braided strands.

Post any questions here or email me at doogie1101 at hotmail dot com.
My PM box is close to capacity and I don't want to delete some of the valuable advice from fellow members just yet.

 

Thanks for the detailed post. I'll likely go this route soon.

 

that really is a great post.

i think what im going to do is piece something together. from the tank, up ontop of the frame rail, and down the kick up is all very solid. the rest is all cracked and rotting. ill see about spliceing new in right at that kick up and onward.