Fuel Lines for FI

[Doppleganger]

My square is an 85. Going Edelbrock FI - have 2 new tanks (with baffles). When I swap tanks, I want to do the fuel lines too.

Do I use the lines from an 87? Does the 87 have pre-bent fuel lines or are they all rubber? Looking at U-Line's stuff and cant see what I need to get.

Thx.

 

[Doppleganger]

No one has ever done this swap?

 

[Bextreme04]

There's lots of ways to do it. I would use either all hard line or hard line to AN fittings with braided line. I wouldn't trust fuel injection hose and hose clamps.

 

[Doppleganger]

There's lots of ways to do it. I would use either all hard line or hard line to AN fittings with braided line. I wouldn't trust fuel injection hose and hose clamps.

Me neither. I just wasn't sure what the '87's (or later) used (especially with dual tanks). Was going to order all new stainless but not sure what year to use. Prefer the hard lines.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Stainless or NiCopp for ethanol resistance. Both have pros and cons. NiCopp is much easier to work with, but perhaps you can find a fully pre-bent stainless kit. I did NiCopp and haven’t had any issues.

 

[Doppleganger]

Stainless or NiCopp for ethanol resistance. Both have pros and cons. NiCopp is much easier to work with, but perhaps you can find a fully pre-bent stainless kit. I did NiCopp and haven’t had any issues.

Were yours pre-bent (like for a certain year / model)? Kind of sounds like you bent your own.

I thought about calling U-line and just asking them what they sell (stainless) for an 87.

 

[C10MixMaster]

Me neither. I just wasn't sure what the '87's (or later) used (especially with dual tanks). Was going to order all new stainless but not sure what year to use. Prefer the hard lines.

My 87 tanks were connected with rubber hose/ clamps to the hard line. Make sure you use injection hose it has a much higher pressure rating. To the best of my recollection the tank switch valve maxes out at about 50 psi not sure what pressure your running.

 

[Doppleganger]

My 87 tanks were connected with rubber hose/ clamps to the hard line. Make sure you use injection hose it has a much higher pressure rating. To the best of my recollection the tank switch valve maxes out at about 50 psi not sure what pressure your running.

I got all the new updated solenoids, senders, etc. Think the newer one is 65psi (?!) I'm just wondering what the later FI lines look like, where they run, etc. and is there a specific year I ask for when ordering them. There is a place in CA that makes stainless braided lines for anything.....brakes, fuel, etc. Was going to use them for any of the flex parts.

 

[Frankenchevy]

Kind of sounds like you bent your own.

I did. NiCopp is easy enough to bend and flare. Earls vapor guard or something similar is what I used for the flex parts iirc. I used some fittings that have whatever AN you want on one end and the other end you simply slide the earls hose on. I say simply...but they make a special tool, because you are not sliding that stuff on with your bare hands. I can bench double my body weight and have a gorilla grip from deadlifts and it was still just shy of impossible without the tool.

If you have soft jaws for your bench vice, put the fitting in with the ‘barbed’ end facing you. With a pair of gloves on, carefully heat the last inch and a half of the earls hose with a heat gun. Once it’s soft, but you haven’t damaged or blistered it—slide it on the barbed end quick. That’s it, no clamps...nada. I got the black anodized fittings and black tubing and it looks good. Super simple and no leaks. Just use it for the last foot or so on either end of the hard lines.

FYI, I used a vortec era pump that puts out ~60 psi.

 

[Crispy]

Anyone ever use Dormans nylon fuel line for a full run instead of just a repair? Is that an option? Easy to work with, repair, and its high pressure.

 

[Doppleganger]

I did. NiCopp is easy enough to bend and flare. Earls vapor guard or something similar is what I used for the flex parts iirc. I used some fittings that have whatever AN you want on one end and the other end you simply slide the earls hose on. I say simply...but they make a special tool, because you are not sliding that stuff on with your bare hands. I can bench double my body weight and have a gorilla grip from deadlifts and it was still just shy of impossible without the tool.

If you have soft jaws for your bench vice, put the fitting in with the ‘barbed’ end facing you. With a pair of gloves on, carefully heat the last inch and a half of the earls hose with a heat gun. Once it’s soft, but you haven’t damaged or blistered it—slide it on the barbed end quick. That’s it, no clamps...nada. I got the black anodized fittings and black tubing and it looks good. Super simple and no leaks. Just use it for the last foot or so on either end of the hard lines.

FYI, I used a vortec era pump that puts out ~60 psi.

I know exactly the stuff you're talking about (earls hose). They use it on the banjo fittings between old Volvo chassis pumps and filters. Old timer I knew used to put a cup of oil in the middle of a bucket of HOT water - put the end of the hose in there for about 5 min....then take it out and slide it on the barbed fitting like glass. Oil helped slide it on and once it cooled, it wasn't coming off.

Way cool. THX!

 

[Craig Nedrow]

Gen ll chevy Camaro and my 98 ls both have non steel lines, over time they puke. Said that to say this, personally if you ever plan to go off road, use steel oem type. My 54 3600 has stock steel still works, good enough for me.

 

[Vbb199]

No one has ever done this swap?

Probably not even remotely helpful in your case. But my holley efi used 6an female ports on it, I was able to retain the factory fuel lines from my 91 k5, just get adapters to go from female 14 and 16mm to 6an male...

No ******** rubber hose... No aftermarket line...

The only areas I went outside of the realm of the factory fuel system was the adapters, and the high pressure fuel pump that went right into my fuel sending unit.

If your eddy FI uses 6an and you wanna go this route, contact me, I'll gladly supply part numbers of the adapters.

 

[Doppleganger]

If your eddy FI uses 6an and you wanna go this route, contact me, I'll gladly supply part numbers of the adapters.

Just may do that - THX

 

[Frankenchevy]

Probably not even remotely helpful in your case. But my holley efi used 6an female ports on it, I was able to retain the factory fuel lines from my 91 k5, just get adapters to go from female 14 and 16mm to 6an male...

No ******** rubber hose... No aftermarket line...

The only areas I went outside of the realm of the factory fuel system was the adapters, and the high pressure fuel pump that went right into my fuel sending unit.

If your eddy FI uses 6an and you wanna go this route, contact me, I'll gladly supply part numbers of the adapters.

Did you use the remote sump or in tank pump?

If in tank, tsk-tsk, lol! Holley specifies a 3/8(-6AN) for the return too, iirc. My factory return was 5/16”. In all reality I’m sure you’re fine. In fact, I think I contemplated reusing the factory lines, but it hadn’t run in a while and I was worried about crap in the lines clogging my injectors as well as the crap e10 fuel eating them up.