I was working on swapping my carb with a rebuilt unit I had available from a separate project car a while back. Unfortnately, when I was trying to loosen the fuel line connection to the carb, the filter started to unscrew instead and I mangled the fuel line that goes back to the pump. I stopped at the local auto parts store and bought a piece of straight pipe pre-flared with ends and a tool to make the bends but this was a completely fruitless exercise in frustration. I think after 2 hours I had managed to bend the end to connect to the pump and it still wouldn't thread right, nevermind bending the end that connects to the carb.

Anyway, I gave up on that idea and so now I'm wondering what my options are. Where can I buy a new pump to carb hard line, OR can I buy some kind of braided fuel line replacement? The only problem with getting the hardline is going to be installing it - damn near impossible to fish that line down in between the water pump & other accessories without taking a lot of stuff apart. I checked online with Inline Tube and Fine Lines Inc and I don't see any pump-to-carb offerings, only the main lines that go to the tank.

So, bottom line ... where can I order the correct pre-bent hard fuel line or a braided line alternative, pump to carb, '84 LG4?

Thanks everyone!

 

www.summitracing.com, p/n SUM-G3150. It says "Quadrajet up to and including 1974", but I don't know why it wouldn't work. Perhaps the fuel filter length, not sure.

 

Thanks, I took a peak at that Summit kit and it's a possibility, though I hate the red/blue ends. I'm not hell bent on having 100% stock solution but fancy colors are kind of annoying to me.

I'm wondering as another solution if I can connect a small straight piece of hard line (say 3") to each end (pump & carb), flare the ends, then connect a piece of fuel injection hose to connect them up. Check out this Goodyear hose: http://www.goodyearep.com/ProductsDetail.aspx?id=5144
It's good to 375 degrees the specs say. Any problem with this? Pressure/heat too much for the rubber line? Obviously I'd keep it off moving parts and exhaust manifolds. Then someday when the water pump blows and I have to take it off anyway, I can replace this solution with the new OEM replacement hardline I can order from GMPartsDirect.

Should I be paranoid that replacing the hardline with rubber will cause some sort of problem? I don't know carb pressure specs but I'm pretty sure it can't be anywhere near the 100 psi limit of this Good Year hose. Should I be concerned about heat under the hood?

Thanks ...

 

Better yet, that last hose might be overkill ... what about this Goodyear fuel hose, available from Summit. Temp, gas, oil resistant:

http://store.summitracing.com/partde...part=GTR-65128

Also I should have no worries with PSI ... my Rochester carb book indicates an operating pressure of 4 to 6 PSI, hardly a burst risk ... plus there is already rubber hose that bridges the gap between the pump and feed/return lines that go back to the tank.

 

Limiting the amount of rubber hose is a good idea. NHRA says no more than 12" total for safety reasons.

If you don't like the color of the hose ends, they have different ones available. Look for the p/n's with a letter after them.

 

Thanks five7kid.

Decision, decisions. I will check out summit to see about other hose end options. However, today I was at the auto shop and bought a piece of that Goodyear hose I referenced in my last reply. I pondered the idea of connecting hard line to each end (carb & pump) then bridging the gap with this fuel hose & some clamps. Guy at the counter side I'd be fine clamping it down and I would not flare the ends of the line where the hose connects. five7kid, I see your reply stating the less hose the better ... I didn't even know what NHRA was, now I see it is the hot rodder's association, so not sure that that applies to me. There's already more than 12" of rubber hose in the factory stock setup (some near the gas tank and some in the engine bay).

So I'm down to two choices: Summit braided line or the Goodyear hose connected to two hardline ends. With the hose I figure I can maintain close to stock appearance since I can clamp the upper end on the hardline somewhere below the heater hose, disguising it a bit since only the hardline would be noticeable and then transition to rubber hose discreetly. Do I really have a safety concern for rubber hose in a stock setup with 5 or 6 psi of fuel pressure?

I know I'm being **** about this, but I do care about practical matters of safety and value this forum's opinions. I figure as long as the hose is not on top of the exhaust manifold or rubbing on the spinning crankshaft, it ought to work fine.

 

If you go to a drag strip, you'll either have to conform to NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) or IHRA (International Hot Rod Association) rules. I believe IHRA has the same limitation on length of rubber hose. Braided hose doesn't count.

But, you are right; in general, as long as the rubber hose doesn't get too hot or doesn't get rubbed on (doesn't have to be something spinning, though), you should be alright.

 

I remember going through that problem with my friends 84 camaro zf. We somehow ended up just getting the straight fuel line we bought to bend in and thread correctly after many, many tries.

 

i have the fuel line hose spliced in to mine too for same reasons as you described, 5 years now ,but i see some cracking on the hose now so i have to replace now,its not drivin much ive put bout 7,000 mile on it in last 7 years now.so maybe thats why i see dryrot cracks?

 

Thanks for the replies everybody - I think I have a solution. I called up Classic Tube and asked them about this piece. Nothing was listed for the Firebird but they did have a listing for an 84 Camaro Z28 carb'd 305. Neither me or the guy on the phone could figure what the difference would be ... should be same engine, same carb. Even if Z28 is H.O. should make no difference. I wonder if anybody out there with an 84 Camaro can tell me what their pump-to-carb line looks like to confirm. But I went ahead and ordered one anyway in the meantime ... $20 for non-stainless.

I also noticed that InLine Tube has a listing for this piece for an '85 Firebird but not '84. Weirdness. I guess maybe they only had request for that certain year and to avoid the liability of guaranteeing the part actually fits other years, they leave them out. That's my guess anyway. Meantime I'm splicing some rubber in, since I have to take the water pump off to get the new line in when it arrives in a couple weeks. Might as well just replace the whole water pump at that point for the trouble and cause a new one is cheap.

 

The inlet nut size on the Qjet changed. Try Aeroquip FCP0139 for Qjets after 1974.