Looking for suggestions on how to re-route or protect my fuel lines from the header


And what shorty spark plugs have people found work well with headers, i.e. minimize burning of plug boots and allow easier replacement without having to remove headers?

Info: 350, stock iron heads, lunati bracket master II cam, edelbrock performer intake/carb, 2460 headers.

 

I just bent my fuel lines out of the way as much as possible. Werent you able to use those short autolites I sent you? They should have plenty of clearance.

 

You can wrap the fuel lines with DEI fire sleeves, as far as the plug wires, MSD has ceramic plug boots wire kits that work great.

 

The Autolite plugs are the shortest I know of.

 

Thanks guys!
Knight: I'm having a hard time tracking down details on the heat range of the ar135's (relative to the ap26's I'm currently using) so I'm looking for additional options. I'm also not sure what effect they'll have being "non-resistor" type plugs...so little information about them that I've found, but I'd love to use them as they are really short!

I tried bending my stock fuel lines and ended up crimping it slightly so I've ordered some 3/8's steel line, bending tool, compression union, double flare tool(which I can use for my brake lines too), heat shield tape(for fuel line and starter wire), and nickel antiseize for the new header's bolts. Hopefully I can cut into my existing fuel line and link it with the line I'll be bending to better clear the headers.

 

You're overthinking it lol. Use those plugs they are a higher heat range perfect for stock low compression heads. The fuel lines should be fine unless you kinked them real bad. I had a couple small kinks and caused zero issues because i used a prybar to bend my fuel lines over lol. My dads been running a carbed 440 engine for years and we recently found a kinked line by the tank. It was kinked halfways shut but never missed a beat all those years.

 

Haha...Thanks Knight! I'm no stranger to over-thinking things ;-)
The angles I need to bend the stock fuel line are near impossible in the area I need to bend them in...the material is pretty inflexible. I figure if I can pre-bend a new section outside of the car and use a union to connect it near the tranny I will be able to get it to sit much tighter to the frame rail and will give me much more clearance than I could get by trying to bend them in the car.

 

Youll be able to bend them easier that way just remember to put the nut on the tube before flaring it. I mess up everytime lol

 

I totally see myself doing that!
Due to the location I plan to cut into the line, I may just use a compression union(non-flare) as there's no room to maneuver the tool around.

 

They don't look close enough to really be a problem. Looks like you've got 1/2" or more of clearance... but it could be an illusion.

Look around at car shows next summer, you'll likely see someone with their headers rubbing against the fuel lines or brake lines, and the owner drives it that way.

 

like the man says..... there are all sorts of inexpensive new high tech shields. I know the angle plug heads had problems, but I personally have never seen iron straight plug heads have clearance problems. Mock it up, all you need is 'airspace' between the silicone boot and the header. People do all sorts of *****, cut the wire end of the plug off 1/8", and use a fat gasket

 

New section of fuel is in. Used a compression fitting for now as it was a PIA fo get my flare tool in there.

 

I see you’ve partially fixed the issue but I made a heat shield for mine using a thin piece of galvanized sheet steel from Home Depot. What tooling do you have access to? Band saw and metal brake is what I used, I wish I had some decent pictures of it. Mounted it using the screws the line clamps use, then covered the header side in the fiberglass reinforced foil heat tape.

 

Wow! Beautiful set up you got there!
I only have your standard set of tools plus a 110v mig welder. I might fab up some heat shielding like you've done. Currently I have finish fabbing up the interconnect to my existing exhaust which has proved challenging due to my sub frame connector.

I still have some work to do on the fuel system, but this is what I got done so far. Wanted to route the hard line behind the motor but it would be problematic if I ever wanted to use a mechanical pump again.




And here's the 2.5" collector to 3" exhaust piece I spent all day fabbing. I cut back the hooker 2.5" y-pipe collector and ovalized a 3" section of pipe to mate up to it.