FYI FORD MustangSteve's Ford Mustang Forum / Creating a fuel line

**Posted by roslo** 11/27/2016 12:12 AM

I just bought a 1965 mustang coupe from my step dad larry and started by pulling out the gas tank and engine, before I throw in what I believe to be a 89 gt I want to make new hard line fuel lines. Problem is I have no clue how. I figure that buying a 20' coil of the stainless steel tubing is a good place to begin but after that there are the fittings, it had spring locks fitting (awful little things) but I need to know where to buy more of these and also how to make the flares or what ever on the lines (basically just how to make a high pressure fuel line) I need to do it my self because A. i want to and B. i just dropped 300 buckaroos on a automatic transmission for the car.

Last edited by Hakan (11/27/2016 6:53 PM)

**Posted by Bullet Bob** 11/27/2016 9:14 AM

They may be "awful little things" butt (TS &T) they work beautifully and DO NOT LEAK! Try this link for AN to Ford Girdle Spring fittings and AN to Ford Duck Bill fittings. These can be easily mated to custom hard line so you can use the stock ford fuel filters and other parts.

https://www.google.com/#q=1990+ford+fuel+and+AC+fitting

BB

**Posted by TimC** 11/27/2016 2:29 PM

If you were to consider setting aside the hard fuel line thought in favor of flexible high pressure EFI fuel line, I have EVERY PART you would need to put efi in a classic mustang. I have the 16 gallon fuel tank (with fuel sender and drain) all the fuel line, Ford fuel rail fittings, fuel filter (& bracket) along with the duckbill fittings, little brackets for mounting the fuel line to the underside of your car, a Rosehill Performance "header tank" with high & low pressure pumps to eliminate fuel slosh starvation in the non-sumped/unbaffled stock 65/66 fuel tank. All parts are brand new, never installed. If you have any interest, click on the little "private message" link on the left, below my name, and send me a message.

More importantly, WELCOME to the best place on the web for classic Mustang knowledge

Last edited by TimC (11/27/2016 2:31 PM)

**Posted by roslo** 11/27/2016 3:58 PM

I meant to title this creating a fuel line BTW.

**Posted by Hakan** 11/27/2016 6:53 PM

roslo wrote:
I meant to title this creating a fuel line BTW.

Edited the title for you.

**Posted by BobN** 11/28/2016 4:33 PM

I understand. It is not hard, it is only time consuming to get things "perfect".

I made all new fuel and brake lines for my 66 coupe when I built it. I started with a 25' coil of tubing and it turned out great. Take your time getting things straight before you make the bends. Get the best flare tool you can buy and there are suppliers out there to either flare the duck fitting right into the fuel line, or using the AN style adapter to get things working.

This is a project that traverses all makes and you can find some great project diaries on the internet describing exactly what to look out for.

I encourage you to do it. My preference is not to use stainless though. I like the green or brown tubing you can get at Autozone in coils. It bends and flares really easy and the coating is a corrosion inhibitor. And it is cheap.

BobN

**Posted by BillyC** 11/28/2016 9:02 PM

TimC wrote:
If you were to consider setting aside the hard fuel line thought in favor of flexible high pressure EFI fuel line, I have EVERY PART you would need to put efi in a classic mustang. I have the 16 gallon fuel tank (with fuel sender and drain) all the fuel line, Ford fuel rail fittings, fuel filter (& bracket) along with the duckbill fittings, little brackets for mounting the fuel line to the underside of your car, a Rosehill Performance "header tank" with high & low pressure pumps to eliminate fuel slosh starvation in the non-sumped/unbaffled stock 65/66 fuel tank. All parts are brand new, never installed. If you have any interest, click on the little "private message" link on the left, below my name, and send me a message.

More importantly, WELCOME to the best place on the web for classic Mustang knowledge

I don't have EFI but I've always wondered what would be the harm in using a good quality hose to run fuel line from tank to pump. Next question... What is considered good quality fuel hose?

**Posted by Jimj** 11/29/2016 9:28 AM

Based upon my experience, run, don't walk, but run away from stainless lines unless you have the expensive flaring tools that stainless requires. While I have managed to get a couple of conventionally flared stainless joints to seal, I've had way more fail.

Use the conventional mild steel fuel lines and an affordable flaring tool and you'll be happy.

**Posted by Bullet Bob** 11/29/2016 11:02 AM

Just my opinion: "Good Quality Hose" = Steel line with nylon for flex where required. Neopreen hose is something I use only when nothing else can be easily...or hardly...made to work. And I make sure I check any fuel hose often.

BB

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 11/29/2016 4:17 PM

Stainless is not particularly easy to work with. It will be very hard to get coiled tubing straight and not have it look like you straightened out a coil of tubing. Stainless is very hard to flare. I've only ever flared 3/16" line for brake lines, but I've broken at least two mandrels doing it. Stainless really can't be flared with a standard flare tool. Fuel line is going to be 5/16" to 3/8" and that I think would be literally impossible to flare with a standard flare tool. Typically stainless lines are flared with a hydraulic flare tool, but you are looking at $300-$400 for one of those.

The EFI fittings used in the OEM Ford fuel lines are not available from any source I could find. I am working on an '89 GT right now and have been having fits trying to get a set of properly made replacement fuel lines. I considered making them myself and got nowhere looking for the fittings.

Remember that EFI fuel system pressure is typically around 45psi. What might work for a carb system running 5psi isn't going to work with that much pressure.

A properly designed fuel system should have no more than 1' total rubber line in the whole system. NHRA rules actually mandate that. Rubber breaks down over time and cracks, leaks, and fails. BB is right on checking it often. Long lengths of rubber in a fuel system just invite problems including fires. My '67 has 100% hard line and fittings from the pump to the carb. There is a short section of rubber from the pump to the main line and from the line to the tank, but that's it. The EFI cars have considerably more, but a lot of that is because of how the tank has to be dropped with the sender above, etc.

**Posted by Hakan** 11/29/2016 4:40 PM

TKOPerformance wrote:
The EFI fittings used in the OEM Ford fuel lines are not available from any source I could find. I am working on an '89 GT right now and have been having fits trying to get a set of properly made replacement fuel lines. I considered making them myself and got nowhere looking for the fittings.

Looks like they are available here:
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=RMP21+01&catkey=74-01&srccode=MULMVWEB
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy01.asp?T1=RMP22+01&Category=Air%2FFuel&subCategory=EFI+Conversion&CatKey=EMUSTANG
https://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=RMP20+01
http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=RMP19+01

**Posted by Bullet Bob** 11/29/2016 5:37 PM

Hakan, I used those fittings with short sections of 5/15" nylon tube for the flex sections from the steel source to the fuel rails and from the rails to the return steel line. Also found corresponding fittings to attach to the 5/16" steel line. Nice, clean system with no leaks and lasts nearly forever. I did use a short section of Alky-safe neopreen from the fuel sender to the external pump.

BB

**Posted by Hakan** 11/29/2016 6:18 PM

Bullet Bob wrote:
Hakan, I used those fittings with short sections of 5/15" nylon tube for the flex sections from the steel source to the fuel rails and from the rails to the return steel line. Also found corresponding fittings to attach to the 5/16" steel line. Nice, clean system with no leaks and lasts nearly forever. I did use a short section of Alky-safe neopreen from the fuel sender to the external pump.
BB

I as usual got a little carried away and used AN fittings throughout my whole system. The passenger side exhaust I made was in the way for the lower part of the original fuel lines from the fuel rail and down. The solution I came up with is around 2ft of hose from the fuel rail down to the aluminum lines on the frame rail:

**Posted by Alan** 11/29/2016 7:19 PM

Way too shiny Hakan.

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 11/29/2016 8:49 PM

Thank you my Sweedish friend! I never checked a source like MU. I was all over Earl's, etc, etc. and no luck. I could find the male end, but not the female ends I needed.

BB, how did you get the nylon tubing to go onto these fittings?

**Posted by jkordzi** 11/29/2016 9:40 PM

I did this a while ago for my 65. I used 3/8" stainless that I bought in a coil and duplicated my stock 5/16" fuel line after I did my brake lines. See my post on it: http://fyi.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=4254

Like I described in the post, I used wooden blocks with a groove cut in them (larger and longer than the ones for the brake lines) to straighten out the coiled tubing. Then I used a couple of bending tools to duplicate the original. The stainless was harder to bend, but mine came out fine.

**Posted by Bullet Bob** 11/30/2016 6:34 AM

TKOPerformance wrote:
Thank you my Sweedish friend! I never checked a source like MU. I was all over Earl's, etc, etc. and no luck. I could find the male end, but not the female ends I needed.

BB, how did you get the nylon tubing to go onto these fittings?

I knew someone would ask...LOL. Everything I read said you just need to heat the nylon in hot water for a couple of minutes, then push it onto the barbs....BULL! I finally discovered that if I clamped my tubing flaring tool...the clamp part...in the vice and then clamped the 5/16 nylon in the flaring clamp after heating it in boiling water for a number of minutes, leaving about 1/4" more protruding than I wanted to push onto the barb, I could just barely push the barb into the nylon...if I was quick. NOT EASY and I was a little worried about the "grip" marks from the flaring clamp but after ten years and 20K miles nothing has given any trouble so I guess it works. Hope this makes sense....good luck.

BB

**Posted by TKOPerformance** 11/30/2016 6:32 PM

Ah, okay. Yes, that makes perfect sense. Thanks.

**Posted by roslo** 12/14/2016 3:29 PM

I think im going to look into that kit tim is throwing out there. ill keep you guys updated on how everything turns out if you are intersted.