rerouting fuel line and install fuel regulator

Has anyone re-routed the fuel line on an F-134. I have always been nervous about the plastic fuel filter, with ruber hose connections, being suspended over my exhaust manifold. I bought a Holley fuel regulator to install. If I am ever going to do it, now would be the time to re-route the fuel line to the passenger side of the engine away from the exhaust manifold.

Currently, I have a metal line (probably original) coming from the fuel pump to a Solex carburetor. The line is severed in the middle with an in-line filter installed with rubber hose connections (right above the exhaust maifold).
My thoughts are to remove the original metal line comning from the fuel pump and install a long flexible brake line from Autozone. I would route this new line around the front of the engine to the passenger side. Then, install the fuel filter and regulator before returning to the carburetor. Any thoughts on whether this will work? Perhaps I should leave well enough alone and not risk creating a leak at the fuel pump?

Anyone have experience with this? Can I use that cheap bendable brake line tubing available from Autozone and others for a fuel line? Will I need some sort of tubing bender to bend the old military metal fuel line?

 

sounds like you want to run it the way the m38a1's were ran. yes steel line will work, do you need a bender? well that all depends on you. I prefer bending the line by hand myself. It just works better for me the a1's ran the line under the radiator IIRC then down the passanger side frame rail, across the cross member behind the seats then thru the floor. keep in mind that the a1 went into the top of the tank and the cj goes into the bottom.

 

Thanks for the response.

Mine is an a1. You are right. I just looked up the routing in the ordinance manual and learned that it was originally routed the way I was thinking about doing it. I guess the military did not like the fuel line going over the exhaust manifold either.

My jeep is 200 miles away on my parents place in East Texas. When I am there, I have a limited amount of time I can work on it so I was trying to have it all worked out before I got there. The nearest FLAPS is 20 miles away so I am also trying to avoid multiple trips to the parts store.

Currently, the metal line coming from the fuel pump goes straight up. If I continue to use it, I'll need to bend it 90 degrees towards the front of the engine. Do you think I can bend it by hand without kinking the line? I guess the only way of knowing is to give it a try?

Are those flexible metal brake lines ok for fuel lines? I know I don't need a tool to shape them.

Again, thanks for your imput.

 

90° bend is a snap, just make it a swooping 90°(not a tight short 90°)

thinking flexible metal brake lines are gonna be too small inside for the flow needed. are you running a electric fuel pump? well even if you are everything past the regulator will be low pressure. I would just use regular fuel hose, and if you want the look of the braided line they make a kit for that.....

 

I just replaced mine on my CJ-5, the stock ones are 1/4" steel brake/fuel line. I think the stock routing went from the fuel pump, around the front of the engine, and then straight up to the carb. If you go that route you should have room for an inline filter as well.

I decided to change the routing on mine and basically went up the front of the engine next to the water pump, then around the valve cover and to the carb. The inline filter sits next to the small elbow tubing that goes into the water pump. It seems to be a decent route, but we'll have to see. I used a 12" piece of tubing and a 20", so I wouldn't have to make flared ends to connect the rubber tubing for the filter.

 

Thanks for the input.
I don't have an electric fuel pump. the military fuel-vacuum pump is still working. Has a rebuilt tag indicating that it was rebuilt by the army in 1970. Restricting the flow with narrower ID tubing should not be a problem since that is my aim anyways (with the fuel pressure regulator). From what I've read, I don't see any reason that I shouldn't use those easy to bend brake lines. Please, someone let me know if I am wrong.

I am not concerned about looks. You would laugh if you saw my "Mr. T engineered" alternator bracket. I had limited time to install the CS130 and had to use materials I could scrounge in the barn.

I think I'll first try to use the tubing that is already connected to the fuel pump. Try to bend it around towards the front of the engine. Unfortunately, it probably will not reach the passenger side of the engine and I'll have to connect it to a ruber fuel hose somewhere around the water pump. I'll insert the fuel filter and the regulator near the caburetor. I'm still going to need to find some place to attach the regulator to the engine. :?

Has anyone set a Holley fuel regulator? The pictures I've seen show a pressure guage attached to the regulator. While it looks cool on race cars, I don't want to spend more money on a guage. I'm guessing that I can set it by trial and error.

Thanks again for the input. I'll be in East Texas a couple of days this week and hope to squeeze this project in somewhere.

 

manual pump and you "want to run a regulator" :? if you have too much pressure with a manual pump something is not right!

 

My sole source of knowledge on this matter is the internet. In other words, what I am about to say is not based on personal experience and I cannot vouch for the source of my second hand knowledge. With that caveat, somewhere I read that the Solex carburetor (made in India, I think) is made to accept 1.5-2 psi IIRC. Sources said that the American fuel pumps put out at least 4psi. The result is that the Solex will run rich, foul plugs and burn a lot of gas. Sources also said a regulator set to 1.5-2 psi would cure those problems and improve performance. My jeep has a Solex. It runs rich, fouls plugs and burns a lot of gas. I don't know what pressure the fuel pump puts out but I thought I would install a regulator and see what happens.

Have you heard anything different about the Solex? Is there a way I can check the pressure going into the carburetor?

 

runing a solex myself have ran it with both electric & manual no fuel psi problems so far. yes you can purchase a vacuum gauge that doubles a fuel presure gauge (for older systems) at any flaps

ps the only reason i am running electric now is my manual pump craped out and i havent gotten around to replacing it........

 

I did not have an opportunity to install the pressure regulator. My son and his cousin drove the jeep every available moment. Heck, that's what it is for. The upgrade (hopefully an upgrade) will have to waite until another trip.