Running the Hard Line With the fue tank pickup unit modified to 1/2" we
are ready to work towards the mechanical fuel pump. Everything
from this point forward will be a combination of 1/2"
hardline and -8AN fittings plus braided line.
The brackets holding the factory steel 5/16" line
to the frame are removed and the line is dropped down.
The factory fuel line is two pre-bent segements, installed
on the assembly line before the drivetrain. Removal requires
making some cuts and ripping it out without elegance.
We picked up a 25ft. coil of 1/2"
aluminum tubing (0.43" ID) from McMaster.com At $26
this is much more economical than running steel braided
hose. Un-roll the coil against a flat surface as shown,
otherwise you'll never get a straight section.
We used -8AN compression tube fittings (or 1/2" JIC
comperion fittings) to connect the hardline to other -AN
fittings. The tube must be flared with a 37° single
flaring tool. Read more in our
article on AN Fittings and Flaring.
Bending aluminum line is not difficult, but because it
is so soft it is very easy to over bend and pinch the
tube. Three types of bending tools are show above, but
in the end we found the easiest is to use your hands and
be very gentle. Besides, it is virtually impossible to
use any of these tools under the car, once a portion of
the line is mounted.
We mounted our fuel filter (see sidebar) on the trunk
panel above the fuel pickup unit. A short section of -8AN
braided hose connects the pickup to the filter inlet.
The first hardline segment starts at the outlet and runs
along the subframe. Be sure to keep plenty of clearance
between fuel lines and exhaust or differential parts.
Rubber insulated clamps secure the hardline to the chassis.
Routing hardline requires guestimation in both length
and placement of bends. We found the best practice is
to cut some excess length. Begin by unrolling sparingly,
routing a small section, secure it, then unroll some more.
Just like the stock configuration, a second segment of
hardline runs from the driverside fender well and through
the factory passage in the subframe. We'll use braided
line to route through the fender into the engine compartment.
The two hardlines are joined using these Russell compression
-AN hardline adaptors. They require no flaring, which
would be difficult to accomplish with the lines in place
under the car.
We continue the theme at the fuel pump using -8AN to 3/8"
NPT adaptors, then -8AN braided line out from the pump
to the carburetor.
It would be senseless to create restrictions at the carb
by using cheesy chrome plated dual feed line. We're using
a Pro Products Holley dual-feed line with T-unions tapped
for fuel pressure regulators.
Not
all fuel filters are equal There is no point in upgrading
the fuel system to feed your engine the fuel it needs, only
to have it get choked up by the fuel filter. You must select
a filter that will flow at a rate greater than that of the
fuel pump.
We selected the Powerflow Competition+ filter from Professional
Products. The unit will flow 130 GPH @ 40 psig. The
housing features -8AN inlet and outlet ports, which means
no reduction in line size for our 1/2" system. The
filter is replaceable and captures particles down to 10
microns in size.
The brackets holding the factory steel 5/16" line
to the frame are removed and the line is dropped down.
The factory fuel line is two pre-bent segements, installed
on the assembly line before the drivetrain. Removal requires
making some cuts and ripping it out without elegance.
We used -8AN compression tube fittings (or 1/2" JIC
comperion fittings) to connect the hardline to other -AN
fittings. The tube must be flared with a 37° single
flaring tool. Read more in our 
Bending aluminum line is not difficult, but because it
is so soft it is very easy to over bend and pinch the
tube. Three types of bending tools are show above, but
in the end we found the easiest is to use your hands and
be very gentle. Besides, it is virtually impossible to
use any of these tools under the car, once a portion of
the line is mounted.
We mounted our fuel filter (see sidebar) on the trunk
panel above the fuel pickup unit. A short section of -8AN
braided hose connects the pickup to the filter inlet.
The first hardline segment starts at the outlet and runs
along the subframe. Be sure to keep plenty of clearance
between fuel lines and exhaust or differential parts.
Rubber insulated clamps secure the hardline to the chassis.
Routing hardline requires guestimation in both length
and placement of bends. We found the best practice is
to cut some excess length. Begin by unrolling sparingly,
routing a small section, secure it, then unroll some more.
Just like the stock configuration, a second segment of
hardline runs from the driverside fender well and through
the factory passage in the subframe. We'll use braided
line to route through the fender into the engine compartment.
The two hardlines are joined using these Russell compression
-AN hardline adaptors. They require no flaring, which
would be difficult to accomplish with the lines in place
under the car.
We continue the theme at the fuel pump using -8AN to 3/8"
NPT adaptors, then -8AN braided line out from the pump
to the carburetor.
It would be senseless to create restrictions at the carb
by using cheesy chrome plated dual feed line. We're using
a Pro Products Holley dual-feed line with T-unions tapped
for fuel pressure regulators.
Not
all fuel filters are equal