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I removed the gas tank from my 1970 Jeepster , there were two fuel lines ( why two lines ) they had several breaks and clamps so I am replacing the fuel lines , question is can I use rubber fuel lines or should i use steel , they run above the transmission so will heat from this be a concern
I personally will be using composite for my lines however I was watching a restoration show yesterday where they were running copper tubing. I thought that was interesting but it was for an old race car.
Copper to me seems user friendly to install but will it hold up to gasoline ..I m not ready to install the lines sometime next week or weekend I will be so I hope to have enough Info to make a discission ....I am leaning towards rubber fuel lines at this moment installed on the inside frame rail..wish I had more info throughQuote:
Originally Posted by 1948 Cal Willys Pickup
i have been told tha copper is not legal to use for fuel (petrol) lines. thats in australia but i guess if its not consided safe here then it would be much the same everywhere.
i would be trying to get some thin steel tubing and a bender to get it into shape to run the long sections and use rubber on the ends to allow for flex and movement. or i think you can get a neopreme type tube as well.
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"Thanks Dave , copper must be illegal to use in vehicles , now that you brought this up I don't recallQuote:
Originally Posted by dave351cid
ever seeing copper used in vehicles ...I like this idea of steel tubing , and rubber at each end....I was working on my hydraulic clutch line tonight ( its steel tubing ) and was not difficult to bend so that's my plan will keep you posted on the out come....talk to you again soon..."
Just to let you know I used the steel tubing , and each end I installed 3/8" rubber fuel line and this seems to be great for my project....I need more clips to secure it to the frame but for now it's a work in progress , drive it after each task....sometimes just around the yard with my grandbabies ....
What size steel did you use? Did you bend yourself or was it pre-fabbed? I need to do the same thing so trying to ideas.
I used 5/16" tubing and made the bends with a stiff spring using my hands....it was not a great looking job as it would have been if I purchased preformed tubing that was like the original ...maybe I will do this at a later time.....on each end I used 3/8 " rubber hose to make my connections to the tank and also to the fuel pump....
I think you made the right choice. Also just so you know copper was used often in the 50's for many vehicles including Harley's. VW used them from the 30's thru the 60's. It is however mostly not recommended as copper becomes brittle and cracks. It is also known to flex in some circumstances and should not be used in pressure applications. Cunifer is a type of metal line that is often mistaken for copper and is more widely used. So with all that being said I will most likely do the same thing you did. Oh yeah copper braided is used more predominately nowadays for people who want that old school look.
After the holidays and I repair the gas tank I may run new lines again ....I didn't do such a great job....reading all the restore projects is making me rethink how well I want my to look........lol
Your mind will change a lot more times before you're done trust me. I got to fix my tank as well but wont worry about that for awhile.
I took off the gas tank this evening and taking a closer look at it , there are a few repairs to it...dented and banged up pretty good so right now I may be replacing it but I will clean up the other one first to make that call
If you can see inside try and make sure there is no corrosion inside. That will cause you some problems down the line.
I can see inside and no corrosion but there were some fiberglass mesh pices that were inside but not sure why they were there....
The gas tank repair was a success , I welded all the holes that were repaired with some sort of JBWeld puddy or something like it....installed new rubber fuel line from the tank all the way to the fuel pump ...ran the line in the frame to protect it ...so check list is moving again....
Thats awesome. Glad to see you are moving forward. I have been at a stand still for awhile. May be borrowing a cherry picker today and finally get the motor mounts done so I can proceed forward. Had some trouble with weather last night. Did some damage. Had a 10x10x20 canvas garage blow away last night. Exposed most of my body parts and sand blasters to the elements last night. Had it cargo strapped down so not quite sure how it lifted up. Wind and rain was pretty bad. Did you ever figure out what the mesh was you found in the tank? Sounds like someone tried to do a repair job with some fiberglass.
Yes I did find out what the repair materials were....you are correct about fiberglass and it had bondo applied over that ...over time the fiberglass released from the bondo ....I welded all the holes , the tank is quite thin but I was able to make a good tight weld very happy with it
Sorry to hear about the bad weather and the hit you took, I would remove all abrasives from the blast pot and keep in a dry location ....moisture and abrasives are big time headache ....good luck getting everything back in order....Merry Christmas