plastic fuel line issue

[NJGearhead666]

well one of the plastic tubing lines that go from the rear tank to the steel lines cracked and its leaking. my question is what is the best way to get the plastic lines off of the steel lines that are running up the frame of the truck? can I just replace the lines with good rubber hose?

 

[icanfixall]

Its just like any other hose. Just cut off the bad area and replace with diesel fuel rated hose and use clamps. Nothing speacial or hard doing this job.. But make sure you don't let the diesel run down your arm and end up in your armpit... That really burns..... Just cut the new hose to fit and work fast .... I try to clamp the new hose so not much will run out the open end. A C clamp or vice grips work great....

 

[Diesel JD]

This is one nice thing about still having a selector valve but only one fuel tank you can switch to the "non existent" front tank and work with minimal spillage. I would add if you want, NAPA has the factory plastic fuel hose which has so far held up even to my B100 biodiesel pretty well. If you use biodiesel or WVO your "diesel rated" hose should be viton, neoprene, braided nylon, or hydraulic hose, or fuel injection rated fuel hose. This stuff is much more expensive but the cheap rubber fuel hose will need replacing more often than you want to do it I'll bet...from hard experience...but even that won't cause any catastrophic failures.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

If you carefully split and remove the plastic tube from the outlet (or inlet) at the tank-end of the line, the plastic coupling is barbed and will accept plain old rubber fuel-line.

You can, and I have, just slide the rubber-hose over the plastic tube and clamp it; BUT, this will crush and kink the thin plastic tube and is not really a good way to fix things.



Also, if you will first un-couple the fuel-line at the tank, you will not get a fuel bath, as it can no longer siphon.

 

[Diesel JD]

I have always done the cut and clamp method, and it's held up long term, but I'm pretty careful to slide the rubber hose as far over the plastic tubing as it will reasonably go and not to clamp it down too hard with the hose clamp. I don't THINK I have caused the plastic tubing to collapse but you never can tell....

 

[NJGearhead666]

Thanks guys I'm looking for a long term fix. I don't want to just patch it I'm just going to just cut the hose off the steel line and use some multifuel rubber hose to go from the rear tank to the steel line.

 

[opusd2]

I have replaced most of my plastic lines that had been cut by my brother in an attempt to fix an unrelated issue (please don't ask, I don't know how his mind works) with braided rubber line and have not had one issue.

 

[k_williams1982]

I have a set of plastic fuel lines here that I was going to hold onto just incase mine started leaking. Only problem is they are for a standard cab and I have a CC now. If they will help you, just let me know (the other half would love to see some of my "junk" disappear... ).

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

(the other half would love to see some of my "junk" disappear... ).

My "other half" is a bigger pack-rat than I am, so she doesn't even notice the extra trucks, engines, and assorted paraphenalia that I accumulate.


For you guys who don't have such an understanding wife/concubine, whenever she starts harping that you need to get rid of a bunch of stuff, catch her gone for a few hours and put a bunch of her shoes and clothes in garbage bags, and set them out like you were headed to the dumpster.

When she demands to know if you have lost your mind and "just where do you think you are going with my stuff", answer with her own reply that she is never going to use that stuff anyway and you got tired of looking at it.



Enough marriage counseling for the moment; back to the business at hand.


I have just about entirely eliminated all of the original fuel system from my truck; but, lurking inside the frame for the last few feet going into the two stock fuel-tanks, is still some of the original plastic tubing, both DRAW and RETURN, with rubber hose just slid over the plastic and double-clamped.

My intentions are :

1. Somehow attach a JIC fitting onto the plastic nipple at the fuel-tank outlet, either by epoxy-ing the JIC right onto the plastic, or by using a very short "adapter hose", then proceeding forward all the way to the manual tank-selector valves with high-quality hose.(both DRAW and RETURN)

2. Completely cut away the stock fuel inlets/outlets from the fuel-tank port/flange and replace them with JIC 90-degree "bulk-head" fittings, then devise my own "draw-straw" inside the tank, proceeding forward with high-quality hose.(both DRAW and RETURN)

I will probably go with option 2.


JIC is the way to go wherever liquid line fittings are used; any future need to remove a component is then a very simple leak-free task that is not at all dreaded like fighting with stuck-to-the-hose barb-type fittings, usually requiring the hose be cut off the fitting.

 

[Al_E]

Another alternative to useing or repairing stock plastic fuel lines is to use big truck airbrake lines and fittings. I have used this many times, holds up to temps, oil resistant and flexiable.

 

[NJGearhead666]

well its fixed for now I just cut out the bad part of the plastic line with a wiz wheel, took a straight 4 inch piece of 5/16 brake line slid it intothe line till they both met up in the middle of the steel line and hose clamped it. no leaks this will work till I put the new bed on the truck next month and have easy acess to the tanks.