'74 fuel lines

I got the tub off and was cleaning up the frame when i noticed that the metal fuel line has a hole in it. Looking at tellico, jc whitney, quadratec, etc. i have found a couple of choices, but am unsure of the diameter fuel line i need. Can somebody help me out with the size? Is there a flexible line i can use or does it have to be metal? Thanks for the help.

 

I have a thread about this very subject about a month ago...I think the consensus was to use steel.

For my '74, with V8, it's 5/16" delivery and 1/4" return (if you have a return line).

I went to the parts store and bought brake line and bent/flared myself. I used small pieces of rubber fuel line where it connected to the gas tank and to the fuel pump, but I tried to keep the rubber lengths to a minimum.

 

I went the other way I ran all rubber lines from the tank to engine. I have all the lines securly tied to the frame every few inches. I also have 5/16 feed and 1/4 return.
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Here's the thread I spoke of...

http://www.earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67551

 

Here's what I wrote in the other thread.

"Rubber, especially when exposed to heat and environmental chemicals, rots away. Even the short lengths of hose hidden and sheltered up above the fuel tank will weather, and deteriorate. Rubber is also much more susceptible to insult by exhaust heat and road hazards.

For example, fuel filler hoses are common failure for old cars. The short lengths of rubber hose in the engine compartment should be replaced every year or two. The short lengths of hose next to the fuel filter should be replaced with the fuel filter, always. These hoses are very common cause of under-hood fires.

The short lengths of hose above the fuel tank are also above the level of fuel in the tank. The lines on the frame are not, and if they fail, they will siphon fuel out of the tank on their own.

I have seen a vehicle burn because of long rubber hoses. Not my car, not my work, but I was a witness.

Don't take a chance on a fire. Steel is cheap, and easy to work with. Steel will not fatigue from vibration. Go steel - don't take a chance on rubber lines."

Not kidding about the fire. And I'm sure it was directly attributable to long rubber fuel lines. Pretty sad to see a motorhome go up in flames with all the possessions, thousands of miles from home.

The line from the tank was originally 5'16" ID steel; same material as steel brake lines. 1/4" steel for the liquid return. Jeep used nylon (?) line for the vapor lines - seems to hold up pretty well. All Jeeps used the 5/16" - 1/4" combo except for the 134s, AFAIK.

 

Thanks for the info. I guess i should've done a search on this topic before asked the question.

 

Just a note, I've noticed two separate incidents of fuel line inner lining turning to mush clogging the fuel system. Lines were 2-3 yrs old. I attribute the failures to poor quality rubber and the change in fuel blends with more alcohol in it. jm2c These line could have been from the same batch btw.

 

Good point about the quality. If you get rubber make sure it's made specifically for fuel...there are a couple of codes you would find stamped on the hose are SAE30R7 for regular (non fuel injected) or SAE30R9 for fuel injected. There might be other SAE numbers to look for, but I leave that up to your research. If you can find the name brands like Goodyear, Gates, Dayco, etc., with those codes you'll be better off.

 

Thanks for the help. I'm still not sure what i want to go with, although I am leaning toward the rubber. I took the tub off to replace the body bushings and I am cleaning the frame up, knocking off all the crud. Rubber lines will allow me to get it back together faster and address the issue that kept me from driving it in the first place....the brake lights.

 

Use chafe protection, good hose and check it periodically you will be. Mine has been through 6 years of salt, sand, and whatever else they dump on the road in New England with no issues.