Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Topic: Repairing plastic fuel lines? (Read 4325 times) previous topic - next topic

Repairing plastic fuel lines?

October 17, 2004, 01:42:15 AM

Sorry for the double post, but my car's blocking the driveway and I need it for work tommorow. Ok, so after I spent an hour out in the cold tonight replacing all my headlamps, I tore the fuel filter off of my car pulling outta the drive. I had the fuel filter flipped around to the other side of the frame rail to accommodate the dual exhaust, and apperantly it was haning down too low and it caught on the ground and tore off.

Is there any way to repair these plastic lines? It tore off right after the elbow on the outlet of the fuel filter.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #1 – October 17, 2004, 10:19:11 AM

Your car is CFI, right? If so, the fuel lines are relatively low pressure, so you should be able to fix it with a compression union. If you've got SEFI the pressure is pretty high so you may be boned. I don't think a commpression union would be safe at high pressures.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #2 – October 17, 2004, 11:23:58 AM

Compression fitting? I didn't know they made those for plastic lines.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #3 – October 17, 2004, 11:41:47 AM

Yeah they do, you can get 'em at plumbing supply stores. Now whether you can get 'em in your diameter is another matter entirely...

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #4 – October 17, 2004, 12:15:33 PM

yeah,, they do make splice kits for plastic. You will probably find that using the plumbers glue will also make a better connection. the glue will fuse the plastic insert to the line by that magical chemical process.

Im my opinion,, id put an outter sleeve on vs an insert.,,why? an insert would probably cause a fuel flow restriction(decreasing the inner diameter of the line.

if you can find an outter sleeve of some sorts,,put the glue on the outside of your line and slip the sleeve on each loose end.

even better would be if you could heat up the line and slide an insert large enough up inside each end but id be skitish on that cause your dealing with gas.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #5 – October 17, 2004, 01:40:07 PM

Right now I just have a very temporary fix on there. I looked at the car and realized both of the fittings going into and out of the fuel filter are broken. So I bought one of those brass barbed inserts and put it in where the fuel filter would be. I hate running it without a fuel filter but it's all I can do for right now. It's cold out and I have to be at work in 20 minutes.

On a side note, the car seems to have more power now (greater fuel pressure?) but I'd trade that in on having clean fuel anyday.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #6 – October 17, 2004, 01:44:34 PM

mighta been time to replace that filter

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #7 – October 19, 2004, 10:11:16 PM

and,,,,,,,,you could always leave it llke that and install an inline clear fuel filter do hicky up at your input fuel line like i did.

they are pretty small for the most part, about the 3/4'' in diameter and a couple inches long. Makes it easy to change your fuel filter from now on. I did this when i pulled the screens on my injectors.

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #8 – October 20, 2004, 01:55:35 AM

Mmmm, I like the idea of having the filter up there. That would solve the problem regarding where to put the filter again anyway. Did you install it into the steel part of the line? If so then what'd you use, a compression fitting? I'm interested to know.

Oh, and I should mention I tried your injector mod but I was unsuccessful because all but one of the screws that hold the two halves of the CFI body together, came out. Anyone have an extra CFI body laying around?

Re: Repairing plastic fuel lines?

Reply #9 – October 20, 2004, 10:00:18 PM

What you do is cut the line and for congetion purposes, remove at least 4 inches of the line in the middle. Use a flairing tool to flair the line on each new loose end but dont flair it too much. I used a large punch to worble the end into a flair like pattern. purchase soem heavy duty fuel line hose (has braided cloth inside) and clamp a coule inches on each loose end. Put clamp your fuel filter right there in the middle.

you only flair the end so the hose stands less chance of poping off with presure applied. The clamps and the flair put the new hose in an extra bind.

yes, i have a couple extra throttle bodys but both have broken mounting ears in the same spot (where the gold tube fitting is that sue to run up to the pvc.

I also had one hell of a time removing 1 screw out. I ended up drilling the phillups head off,,separating it then borrowing a new screw from a spare.