fuel line insulation
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 952
Likes: 0
From: Morgantown,WV USA
fuel line insulation
Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!
I recently replaced by carb, fuel pump and fuel line to the carb. When routing the stock fuel line I noticed it ran close to the choke tube and heater hose so I thought I would take a piece of rubber fuel hose, slit it down the side and slide it over the steel line from the inlet to the curve where it takes a 90* bend toward the carb.
On warm days (or after an interstate drive) afet the car sits for a bit it acts like its flooding. I suspect that the rubber hose I installed as insulation is actually holding heat in and causing fuel to boil over into the engine.
Does tht make sense? Would that metal line dissapate heat better without that covering?
Thanks,
Dan
I recently replaced by carb, fuel pump and fuel line to the carb. When routing the stock fuel line I noticed it ran close to the choke tube and heater hose so I thought I would take a piece of rubber fuel hose, slit it down the side and slide it over the steel line from the inlet to the curve where it takes a 90* bend toward the carb.
On warm days (or after an interstate drive) afet the car sits for a bit it acts like its flooding. I suspect that the rubber hose I installed as insulation is actually holding heat in and causing fuel to boil over into the engine.
Does tht make sense? Would that metal line dissapate heat better without that covering?
Thanks,
Dan
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
I wrapped my fuel line with foam pipe insulation. It is ugly and perhaps useless but its there for now.
Did the car percolate the fuel before you added the rubber hose?
I thought about putting a bunch of little magnets on the line to act as fins to draw heat away.
I'm clearly not an ncrs guy...
Did the car percolate the fuel before you added the rubber hose?
I thought about putting a bunch of little magnets on the line to act as fins to draw heat away.
I'm clearly not an ncrs guy...
Last edited by johnt365; Aug 21, 2012 at 07:11 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 952
Likes: 0
From: Morgantown,WV USA
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: Stanley NC
A while back I put the heat wrap over my fuel line coming from the pump to the carb and my mechanic took it off saying that the covering was not needed at factory so better without it. Any covering can reduce heat from getting to the line but also holds in heat making cooling slower. My '81 when run and temps are up normal, when stopped for a while does the same thing, hard start back due to some indication of the fuel turning to vapor, but spin the engine a few times and fresh fuel is back to q-jet and she fires up.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
Well that somewhat rules out the insulation. What carb and intake are you running. At one point I could hear the fuel percolating in the fuel bowl and see it dripping down the throat.
What about a spacer and or a heat shield at the carb base? You gotta get it cooler under the hood, fans timing all that. One of the reasons I switched to a holley carb was it is easier to adjust the float and a lower fuel level could help also. This was a big problem for me.
What about a spacer and or a heat shield at the carb base? You gotta get it cooler under the hood, fans timing all that. One of the reasons I switched to a holley carb was it is easier to adjust the float and a lower fuel level could help also. This was a big problem for me.
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Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,743
Likes: 37
From: Stockton Ca
Insulate Fuel Pump?
I have considered this too.
Cooler fuel has to be better up to a point.
If air gives a 1% increase in power per 10* cooler,
does cooler fuel make a difference?
There is a race car supplier that makes a rubber
insulator for the fuel pump.
Claims up to 40* reduction in temps.
http://www.sealsit.com/fuel.asp
It is on my list.
R
Cooler fuel has to be better up to a point.
If air gives a 1% increase in power per 10* cooler,
does cooler fuel make a difference?
There is a race car supplier that makes a rubber
insulator for the fuel pump.
Claims up to 40* reduction in temps.
http://www.sealsit.com/fuel.asp
It is on my list.
R
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
I am going to take a shot at this for discussion sake. Ethanol. Back in the day, ethanol was not added to our fuel. I am not a chemical engineer, but it is my understanding that the addition of ethanol to our fuel lowers the boiling point of the mixture. This is not a big deal for todays cars because they are fuel injected and under pressure thus raising the boiling point of the fuel. However, our carburetor systems are basically at atmospheric pressure so it is possible for the engine compartment to become hot enough for the fuel to boil, add high altitude to the equation and the boiling point is even lower. It just wasn't an issue when the car was built.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: Stanley NC
You knw another thing about today is the fuel is not the same as was years ago so that could be some of the issue. Hard to find gas without some level of mix today. I just pop the hood after some running to let the heat out so not to trap all in the engine compartment and build up heat...for now that works well for me.
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 1
From: Stanley NC
I am going to take a shot at this for discussion sake. Ethanol. Back in the day, ethanol was not added to our fuel. I am not a chemical engineer, but it is my understanding that the addition of ethanol to our fuel lowers the boiling point of the mixture. This is not a big deal for todays cars because they are fuel injected and under pressure thus raising the boiling point of the fuel. However, our carburetor systems are basically at atmospheric pressure so it is possible for the engine compartment to become hot enough for the fuel to boil, add high altitude to the equation and the boiling point is even lower. It just wasn't an issue when the car was built.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
There are also different fuel blends, one for summer and one for winter with different vaporization properties. In hot states, this can make spring and fall driving with a carb dicey.
Then again, it could just be global warming !
Then again, it could just be global warming !