Braided Fuel Lines & Fittings

[Cameron 16]

I'm trying to figure out how to replace my rubber internal fuel lines with something a bit less.. bodged. I thought I had it sorted with Krontec Hardline tube, but it's looking like a total nightmare. The fittings come from Germany and are ridiculously expensive, so I'm starting to think it's going to be better to just cut my losses and start again with braided lines instead.

 

So my question is how have people connected braided lines up to the original pump, or have they just got rid of that too? I want to be completely rid of rubber lines and push-on fittings as I want the car to be as safe as possible, and rest assured that when I come to enter competitions it won't have any problems. Pictures / info would be very helpful!

 

Danke!

[welshpug 1,661]

IIRC Spiky took pics of how he sorted his, and Powers off here supplied the fittings and hose as he runs Torques.co.uk on ebay.

[Cameron 16]

Ok, I'll have a look through his thread. This could take some time..

[Cameron 16]

Well I finally found it..

 

I didn't know it was ok to jubilee clip braided hose over the push fittings on the pump. Does anyone know if this is allowed by the MSA? If it is then it makes my life a hell of a lot easier, and cheaper!

[rescue dude 0]

Well I finally found it..

 

I didn't know it was ok to jubilee clip braided hose over the push fittings on the pump. Does anyone know if this is allowed by the MSA? If it is then it makes my life a hell of a lot easier, and cheaper!

 

 

The OE hoses are jubilee clipped to the top of the pump so I don't see it being a problem. My fuel pipe is fitted this way without problem.

 

Mind you no-one has ever looked at it.

[Cameron 16]

Brilliant, thanks!

[tri_longer 25]

The OE hoses are jubilee clipped to the top of the pump so I don't see it being a problem. My fuel pipe is fitted this way without problem.

 

Mind you no-one has ever looked at it.

 

 

Same here. I have a small amount of runner hose from the pump and this is julbileed to my copper fuel lines. This is all under the original pump aperature.

[rallysteve 22]

Are you running them inside the car Cameron? This is what I am planning to do too. I will use two short lengths of Teflon lined braided hose to connect to the pump inlet and outlet (-6 if i remember correctly) I will then connect it to copper lines running along the floorpan and tunnel. They will exit through the bulkhead via two rubber grommets then connect with the fuel filter and return via another couple of short lengths of braided hose. Due to having to use the teflon stuff in the car to stop the fumes then i decided it was way to expensive to do the whole bit in braided. You should be fine using the hose finishers with the built in jubilee clips.

 

Steve

[Cameron 16]

Yeah they'll be run inside the car, I'm going to use braided lines throughout though as I want to minimise the amount of connections and therefore the amount of potential leaks!

[rallysteve 22]

Fair enough, i guess im on a somewhat tighter budget

 

Steve

[Cameron 16]

Yeah it's ridiculously expensive isn't it!

 

But after all the hassle of having rubber lines in the car before I don't mind spending the extra cash this time.

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

Cam, yes it's fine with the MSA provided they're sealed off from the inside of the car by a 'bulkhead' of some sort. Mine are just clamped onto the existing tank take-offs, but then the old circular plastic 'covers' are gone and an aluminium plate is sealed and riveted over the whole lot. All stuff within the passenger compartment needs to have secure screw-type fittings, as you no doubt know.

[Cameron 16]

Thanks Brumster.

 

I think I'll be running a set-up like this:

 

A short length from the tank to a bulkhead fitting in the vertical panel at the back of the exhaust tunnel.

A run of hose along the tunnel and up to the firewall to another bulkhead fitting.

A run of hose from the firewall fittings to a fuel pressure reg, then from there to the fuel rail.

 

Then I get a bit stuck, as the fuel pressure reg's don't seem to have returns to the tank. What do I do in this situation, won't running without a return to the tank put a lot of strain on the fuel pump?

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

My mate made a small top hat type thing for our car which fits over the circular hole above the pump. This top hat has a pair of bulkhead fittings through it, the braided fuel line runs from here off to the bulkhead fittings at the front bulkhead.

 

Underneath the top hat is fuel injection spec rubber hose from the original pump tails to the rear of the bulkhead fittings.

[brumster 135 1 Cars]

I'd be careful putting a union in the floor panel directly above the exhaust - just because they're braided doesn't mean they can't catch alight

 

The neatest solution, and what I plan on doing with the new build car in the next month or so, is to build up a mild steel box directly over the two access holes to the tank, welded onto the shell floor, with a removable but sealed/screwed lid on the top. I can then put pumps and swirl pot into this box directly over the tank, and get them down low in the car. The bulkhead fittings then go into the sides of this box - one feed, one return.

 

Two braided lines down inside the car - a feed, a return. Feed goes to in-line filter, to fuel rail, to pressure regulator and then once out the other side of the regulator it's a return back down inside the car along the return line - in my case to the swirl pot, but if you're not running one then obviously that would be the return into the tank.

 

Yes, I wouldn't run without a return, I don't imagine the pump will last long without it!

 

edit: You've got the order wrong in your post, you go to the fuel rail first and the pressure regulator sits the other side, holding the pressure up in the rail. The output from the regulator is the excess fuel bled from the 'pressure relief', if you will - the return to the tank.

Edited May 6, 2010 by brumster

[Cameron 16]

Sorry in a moment of clarity I've realised I'm not using the fuel rail on my throttle bodies, I'll be using the original GTi6 one with it's built in reg!

I was thinking I had to use the GSXR rail and injectors which doesn't have a built in regulator.

 

This simplifies things a lot. Now I have:

 

Two short runs of (insulated!) hose to the bulkhead fittings above the exhaust tunnel - on the vertical panel that the seat pads mount to.

Two runs down the inside of the car to the bulkhead fittings on the firewall, with an in-line filter on the supply line.

Two runs from the firewall to the fuel rail, with some JIC adaptors welded to the fuel rail input / outputs.

 

I'll measure how much hose I need first though, don't want to be buying more (or less) than I need!

[Mad Scientist 106]

You could use hardline tube in the cabin to save cost. The dearest things are the fittings, especially the bulkhead stuff.

 

If you want prices for Goodridge parts let me know.

 

Pete

[Cameron 16]

Thanks Pete, can you get hold of the hardline fittings? I had bought a load of the tube and a couple of bulkhead fittings but annoyingly didn't get enough and now nowhere seems to sell them! I could get them direct from Krontec but they wanted silly money for postage. I need a couple more bulkhead fittings and the nuts for them, since Krontec don't supply the nuts with the fittings!

[Mad Scientist 106]

I can do the Goodrisge hardline stuff, but its all special order.

 

See here, from page 65 on:

 

http://www.goodridge.net/webapp/wcs/stores...=http:ClickInfo

 

Its not cheap though, even at our prices!

 

Pete

[Powers 13]

Hello Cameron,

 

If you let me know exactly what you need whether it be for the hardline or Teflon lined hose I will sort you out unbeatable prices.

That offer also goes for any other 205gtidrivers member.

[sport1901966 8]

This site might be of help Cam, not done any comparisons myself but found it for future ref - http://www.speedflowshop.co.uk/

 

I'd be interested in pics of your final set up if you don't mind, or a look in person depending when you get it done!

[Cameron 16]

Cheers mate, I'll see how they compare to the prices from Pete (Mad Scientist). Their braided hose is cheap - £10 per metre!

[GilesW 41]

You want to be carfeul. Not all fittings and hoses are alike, and you need to understand the differences and teh implications.

 

Also - what 'braided line' are you using? - rubber lined will let petrol fumes through it. Not a problem if you're hardcore and don't mind a smell inside you cabin. If you don't want any fumes you have to go teflon (and pay a bit more). This can also impact on the fittings you will need/want to use.

[Cameron 16]

Thanks Giles. I'm using Krontec hardline tube so it should be fine on cockpit smell.

[timb1046 1]

i am following this with great enthusiasm. as soon as i am all healed up (2 broken legs (one which has now had the knee re-built) fractured neck) i am going to do the same thing as you cam. so all of this information etc. in this thread is a great help