Hello All, Newbie here and very happy to find and be a member of this Ford Truck Forum.

I recently picked up a nice 1996 F-150, 2x4 with a 4.9L, Auto trans, single cab with 8' bed and duel tanks. The older gentleman was having fuel delivery issues and long story short he butchered the fuel lines next to the front tank and installed an electric fuel pump to get the truck to run and then he quite driving the truck and it sat for 2 years.

I purchased the truck for a donor project and for now I would like to repair the fuel lines so that I can drive the truck around the yard without it spraying gas all over the ground. I removed the bed to have a better look at the fuel lines to see exactly what lines he had cut and pinched off.

I would like to remove the electric fuel pump and front gas tank for now and just use the rear tank because the rear tank looks like it just had the fuel pump replaced. I was able to get the truck running with his electric fuel pump set up, but it would spray gas on the ground from one of his pinched off lines so I just stopped. It's my understanding that they don't sell aftermarket fuel lines and I will have to make my own.

Since this isn't a permanent fix, can I just run standard rubber gas lines to the back tank or do I need to use the braided or hard plastic fuel lines with special fittings? I am sure I will have to go over the wires to the fuel pump to find out why he couldn't find and fix the original issue over adding his electric pump to make it run.

I would also like to ask, what material works best to place between the gas tank straps and tank?

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mike

 

Honestly, I'd go down to the nearest u-pull-it and get some replacements. Out of sight, out of mind isn't a good tactic for pressurized bare rubber fuel lines.

 

Hello and thank you for your reply. I had thought about used lines and from the looks of how tight and out of sight they are run along the frame, they don't look like they would be very fun to remove without the box off and front tank removed. Not to mention they too are almost 30 years old and probably fragile and not in much better condition.

This truck isn't going on the road and just a temporary bandage, just to be able to move the truck around the yard until I am ready to part it out for my other project. I didn't know if I could use rubber gas hose or if it had to be more ridged so it wouldn't possibly collapse? Then I would also use the better hose clamps because of the higher pressure.

 

Ah. Ok. Rubber gas hose would do in a pinch, and after clarification, I see that this will all be temporary. Maybe someone will chime in with what the pressure is so you'll know what your working with. I can't imagine it being more than about 50PSI, but don't quote me on that.

 

The way that guy butchered the steel lines and mounted that electric pump, he only had those small cheap gas clamps that like to strip out when barely tight. LOL I figured I could put a small flare on the steel line and use those better higher pressure full circle clamps to hold it all together.

Since he had fuel issues I put my fuel pressure gauge on the fuel rail for curiosity before I started it, just to see what his electric pump was putting out. I agree with you on the 50PSI at best.

 

Yeah, hate having to fix someone elses f ups. I, of course, always do everything perfectly, so that's never a problem.

Anyway, good luck with that. Signing off.....

 

I know right! LOL The scary part of it is that the old guy told me he was a retired mechanic. I am not sure what he used to work on, but obviously no diagnostic skills first before going through the trouble of butchering the fuel lines and adding the electric pump.

 

Most of the mechanics I worked with in the 35 years I worked for someone else were butchers and a few hacks. The really bad ones ended up as Service Advisors and Managers. Others could not find any work and retired. Stay away from retired mechanics.

 

The old man is up in his early 70's, I am sure that's why he is retired at this point! LOL