Gen 1 fuel line replacement / length?

Otto Skorzeny · Postby **Otto Skorzeny** » Fri Mar 14, 2014 8:12 pm

I'm amazed they used that much rubber hose for fuel lines at the factory. I thought for sure someone had cut the steel lines in my car and replaced them with rubber hose. I'm considering replacing all the hose with steel for safety reasons.

My '56 Cadillac is all steel from the factory except for an 8-10 inch hose with crimped fittings on it that connect the fuel pump to the main steel line to the tank. The only reason they made that portion rubber was because it has to snake through ac and generator brackets.

paxtonshelby1966 · Postby **paxtonshelby1966** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 5:05 pm

Does anyone have a diagram of the proper routing for the supply and return lines that also shows what parts are steel and what are rubber? The PO of my car had a heavy duty rubber hose ( supply and return ) run the entire distance along the passenger rocker/frame rail. It looks really shady to me and I don't want to keep it that way. And I really don't want to lift the body off the frame just to follow the factory routing of a metal line. Help!

bcroe · Postby **bcroe** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 4:16 pm

I have started using the newer nickel-copper alloy lines. Much easier to work with
than stainless steel, much more corrosion resistant than stock steel. Duct tape
them up where clamped to avoid electrolysis. Bruce Roe

paxtonshelby1966 · Postby **paxtonshelby1966** » Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:23 pm

Where do you get the nickel-copper lines? Sounds like a good idea.

bcroe · Postby **bcroe** » Sun Sep 20, 2015 10:41 am

paxtonshelby1966 wrote:Where do you get the nickel-copper lines? Sounds like a good idea.

Jut search NiCopp or Copper Nickel Brake Line and you will find plenty. They claim
it will not rust (get similar fittings. Works great with my double flaring tool, my 79
Eldo was quite a project requiring 100% new plumbing. Bruce Roe

paxtonshelby1966 · Postby **paxtonshelby1966** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 4:37 am

Thank you Bruce!

Can anyone point me to a link where I can see the routing of the factory lines, where I can tell if they're rubber or steel?

Otto Skorzeny · Postby **Otto Skorzeny** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 5:36 am

Do you have a factory service manual, known as the 1966 Oldsmobile Chassis Service Manual ? There is a diagram of the routing in the fuel and exhaust section.

You can usually find them on ebay for $20 or so. I wouldn't recommend the cd version since it's a whole lot easier to work on your car with a book you can flip through.

Here are 3 for $20 or less. Then there's some idiot selling one for over $100.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R4 ... l&_sacat=0

You can contact this company to obtain pre-bent fuel lines:

Inline Tube Brake lines, fuel lines, brake cables
800-385-9452
http://www.inlinetube.com/

Here's the page for Gen 1 Toros. For $185 for pre-bent, flared, ready to install, stainless steel brake lines, I wouldn't waste my time making them myself regardless of material. The original steel lines lasted 50 years. Do you really think you'll ever have to replace stainless steel lines ever again in your lifetime? It's not like you're going to be mud-bogging this car.

http://media.wix.com/ugd/4d7af2_8e5ce1b ... 112127.pdf

bcroe · Postby **bcroe** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 7:06 am

Otto Skorzeny wrote: For $185 for pre-bent, flared, ready to install, stainless steel brake lines, I wouldn't waste my time making them myself regardless of material. The original steel lines lasted 50 years. Do you really think you'll ever have to replace stainless steel lines ever again in your lifetime?

The undersides of my cars are covered with stainless or other rust proof plumbing,
because I don't want to ever replace them again. I have used the SAME 304 stainless
exhaust system on 3 different cars. If you use stainless steel brake lines, BE SURE to
order them with SS fittings. Otherwise when its time to put on new hoses, etc, the
fittings will have rusted onto the tube. The end will twist off and you have destroyed
your investment.

In these parts lines may rust through in 15 years. Bruce Roe

paxtonshelby1966 · Postby **paxtonshelby1966** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 8:20 am

Great info guys! Thanks!

Now...more questions...

Ok - so I'm switching my '66 single bowl MC and booster to a '67 dual bowl MC and booster. But I am keeping the 4 wheel drums. I am NOT converting to the '67 discs. When I look at the link I do not see a part number for '67 power drums. Wouldn't the '67 drum lines be different than the '66 drum lines since the '67 MC is different than the '66 MC?

To the comment above regarding getting the SS fittings on the lines... Do I need to specify this when I order, or will the SS lines come with SS fittings?

$185 does seem like a great deal if it's a bolt-in. I guess that price includes the long line from the front to the rear?

Thanks fellas!

Otto Skorzeny · Postby **Otto Skorzeny** » Mon Sep 21, 2015 9:17 am

I'm not sure which fittings Bruce is talking about. I think maybe the ends that thread into the mc or the brass manifold?

Call Inline tube and discuss it. I'm pretty sure they'll use ss throughout if ordered.

Yes, they include everything but I'd talk to them in person. The "long line" isn't really that long. It's basically a little longer than the car's door. The rest is rubber hose. I can't believe how much crappy rubber hose the factory used on these cars.

Even more amazing is that they didn't even use threaded fittings crimped to the ends of the hose to join the steel. The FSM shows a picture of basic, spring steel, one-time-use clamps like the kind you get with a new inline fuel filter.

My '56 Cadillac is steel all the way from the tank to the carburetor with the exception of a foot long piece of hose that snakes through the accessory brackets at the front of the engine to connect to the fuel pump. It has crimped, threaded fittings on each end.

Olds definitely skimped on the brakes for these cars.

Toronado.org