Well, the fuel lines on my '56 need to be replaced from the tank to the pump.

I searched around one day and one of the members said that you shouldn't use rubber hose for more than 3" spans in fear of vacuum causing the hose to collapse. So I ruled out using rubber for the ~5-10' of fuel line I need.

The original fuel line looks to be iron, not bronze or copper. Where can I get that?

What material should I use to redo my fuel lines? Is there a reason for preference? Easy to work with/bend?

I only need to get my brakes in order and this fuel tank up and operating and this truck will technically be ready for the road(minus tires and stiff like that).

 

Why does your fuel line need to be replaced? I had to do mine a few years back because they were full of gunk. If that's the case, make sure your tank is clean to. Go to the parts store and buy pre-formed fuel line. It comes with flares and fittings attached. Use a tube bender to bend them, and you'll be hooked up in no time. Little tip: Use an old coat hanger to bend into the shape you need as a template.

I believe I bought 5/16 fuel line in 5' sections. I have about a 12" section of rubber from the steel line to the pump, and another 4" from steel line to the carb inlet filter. Never had any problems with it collapsing.

On a side note, my 66 Merc's got a FULL twenty two (22') feet of fuel line, all of it is rubber, as was stock. No problems there either. I think the collapsing issue is with electric fuel pumps that run higher psi. A stock pump for a carb runs 6-7.

Good luck!

 

It's unlikely your stock fuel lines were iron. Most likely just a mild steel. As noted, it's readily available in many different lengths from your local auto parts store. It's easy to shape, especially if you have the right tools.

 

I replaced mine with 304 SS tubing. This stuff is easy to work with simple tools mentioned by Blue50 and looks great.

 

Inline Tube carries all the lines for your truck, pre-bent, in the OEM tin-coated steel or stainless steel.

 

I am really sorry everyone. I haven't had a computer with internet or the time for the last 2 days.

I will be more honest: I thought it may be a good idea to replace the fuel lines. The fuel line from the factory goes from the tank to about 6" before the radiator. Then it got cut off and detoured via what looks to be swamp-cooler water line....maybe not.

The original line that goes under the radiator is actually still there! Why was it re-routed? No clue. The end of the "dead" fuel line is crimped down where it would be meeting the fuel pump...so someone didn't want it to be used again....maybe there is damage to it where I can't see(tried looking).
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So with that being said, I really only need to replace the fuel line from about where the steering box is to the fuel pump. I now realize that I DO NOT want to replace the whole section if I don't have to; and I don't. So I won't.

I am not going for show looks, I just want something long-term that looks more factory, so that's also why I would rather metal line over the hose.

However, I don't know if I want to fork over a fortune for 6' of SS fuel line. Where would I get it anyways?

All I need is this section, and the fuel system is ready to go. I had no clue that average parts stores would carry this metal fuel line.


So, would it be a good idea to get 5-6' of metal fuel line and just bend it to replace the section I need(I'm mainly concerned about the bending part)? I don't want to buy the "factory formed" piece and then cut off the par I don't need; I have a feeling that is overkill(budget and material wise).
So would a place like NAPA or Carquest sell 6' of strait metal fuel-grade fuel line?

Thank you all very much.

 

Any part store will carry the fuel line you need. If you're only replacing the section you could buy a shorter piece.

I would shy away from buying the pre-bent line, mainly for cost. A good tube bender (the screw in type, vs. the pull over type) is only a few bucks, as is a section of straight fuel line. You could take out the old piece and use it as a template to bend the new piece, and then finish the section that you have an issue with. HOWEVER...

1) Why was the old line crimped off? Is there a rub/rust leak somewhere in the line that will come to light once it's got fuel running through it? Just replacing a small section and then later finding out the other side has problems only makes you have to fix it again.

2)Do you know that you can buy actual rubber fuel line from the same part store? Originally, my fuel line had been cut by a P.O. and had a rubber section clamped on to it. This worked fine for years until the original metal lines clogged up. Then I decided to "Do It Right" and go metal right up to the pump.

Either way, it's not an expensive repair, especially compared to all of the other things we do to keep these trucks up and running.

Just make sure it doesn't come back to bite you in the rear.

James

 

I have no idea why whoever crimped it over did that. As I said before, I can't get a good look at that part of the fuel line(not to mention it's out of use anyway) so I don't know why it's crimped.

There are many solutions to **** fix, so I may try rubber line for a little while since I have now been told it may work. But in the near future, it will be changed to metal line up to the pump.

 

You can get SS tubing from Bakersfield Pipe & Supply on PattonWay just north of Rosedale Hwy. You can get an alloy steel brake line from Chester Ave Brake too.

 

^^Oh hey!!!

Thank you very much sir!

 

We should get together for coffee someday and compare our projects.

 

Deal. But I have one stipulation. I'm gonna have to get my truck running first.

 

Ok, I'm going to try and fire the truck up using it's tank tomorrow. There are two filters, one right before the pump, and one between the pump and carb.

I decided to use the old line which is metal until 6" before the pump(goes from the metal to rubber, into a filter, then back to rubber into the pump).

What I'm worried about now is that how the pump is going to siphon the fuel when there is 10' of fuel line with air in it?

sooo...

What I was going to do is basically fill the line(between the pump and tank) backwards with as much gas as possible. Fill the fuel bowl(have a special contraption for both of these jobs), and then crank/start the motor to see if the trucks pump can take care of the rest........

What do you all think? The gas gauge WORKS!!!

 

I don't remember where the tank is in 56's. In my 50 it's in the cab, above the level of the fuel pump. Gravity fills that line pretty easy. The pump has no problem pushing fuel up the rest of the way. Might turn over a few times before gas gets up there, but if you fill the float bowls, odds are good she'll catch up before it dies.

I wouldn't worry about it.

 

Make sure that the bowl of the carburetor is full of gas so that it will run for a minute or so until the pump pulls fuel and gets it to the carb and then let the pump do the rest. It'll pull it out the the tank with no problem.