Hot Rods Translucent fuel lines. Who is using them?

And what is the life expectancy? How often do you change them? Once year, more often?

 

They look cool but I don't trust them.

 

I haven't used them since the 60's and at that time they were not very resistant to gasoline,I had a engine fire because they failed on my 3 deuce flathead. HRP

 

Don't know about the new line but back in the 60's ,as HRP said, saw quite a few fires caused by failure of the translucent red line and some burned to the ground. I would stay away from it.

 

I have clear red line and I fully expect my car to go up in flames at any time.

Actually I ran 1/4' fuel line inside the red stuff and then have it terminate with a small amount of red between the firewall and the fuel block, the idea being that I can just keep switching out the last 6" with fresh red line every month or so...

 

I think they are illegal to use down here.
Don't quote me on that, I may be wrong, but I sure wouldn't want to see my engine covered in white fire extinguisher crap, or burned up.

 

this seems to be the only product available now: Helix Transparent Polyurethane Fuel Line - provides for superior abrasion, kink, tear, oxidation and chemical resistance. Will not harden and stays flexible. not to be used with fuel containing more than 10% alcohol.

 

i am using it, bought from speedway. this is what i found;
the color within the year has faded to pink.
i had to remove them off the hose barbs to swop carbs around and had a hell of a time getting them off.
i have been checking them often and will swop them out at ANY sign of a problem.
i have had black rubber fuel line go bad in as little as a year on other vehicles so unless you use the super fuel injection stuff i think they all should be checked often.

 

I the Helix line made by or part of the Hoffman group?

 

Thank you guys.

I currently use the black fuel rated rubber lines and change them every year in my open engine coup. I was hoping the translucent ones had improved in quality, but it does not appear that way. They definetly do look cool, but I have enough things to worry about when driving my hot rod so I guess I'll stay with the traditional rubber lines.

 

Teds right,even the normal black gas line is not 100 % safe with the ethanol in the gas nowadays,I'm still leery of the red clear lines. HRP

 

i don't think they are bad, they seem tough as hell, even when hot. i would be just as cautious with the rubber.

 

I have the newer stuff. It's 4 years old also use on my racing twin go kart this new stuff is made for gas or fuel. The older stuff goes bad quick No problems still soft as it came new

 

you got me thinking, i have a piece of cut off that maybe i will soak in fuel. i could add isopropul [sp?] alcohol would that be the same as ethanol to test it? maybe leave it in the sun?

 

in 1972 I had a olds powered 53 chev with plastic lines and they were hooked to the tripower, stoped to check engine and had spring lock clamps and touched a line and it flew off with fuel pump pressure, got fuel on arm and it was on fire, just never burned the skin lucky, walking away there was fuel burning about 20 ft high , just burned top of engine never ruined the carbs and fixed it toasted lines and wires sold car end of problem

 

Buddy of mine wants it in a tripower set up I'm building for him. Its the newer kind with some type of cord reinforcement. I won't use it on my stuff. I like hard lines or at the very least braided and AN fittings. But then again. I hate hose clamps too.

 

Different stuff.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isopropyl_alcohol
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol

You could use some Everclear if you wanted to mix up you're own E85 for testing purposes. That's nearly pure ethanol if I recall correctly.

 

Used to run them on my pickup until I had an old fellow go out of his way to approach me and tell me about how he lost his car in a fire due to these things hardening over time and leaking. I changed them the next day. Think about it..
how long does any plastic stay pliable????

 

Custom motorcycle shops sell it in different colors but I think it still get brittle rather quickly. If you can get some that is large enough to slip over a nice hard line you could possibly still have the look without the DANGER.

 

Years ago I used the clear vinyl (thick wall) fuel line and changed it every winter, never liked it, got hard and would occasionally leak. I now use clear TYGON fuel line, never gets hard and seals perfectly, had good experience with TYGON fuel lines on Experimental Aircraft we built and flew in recent years. I like to see fuel moving through the lines, with no bubbles, reassuring. The picture shows the clear vinyl I used in the past, didn't like it.
I believe it is now $2.43 a foot.

TET-375D Tygon E-3603 Tubing..3/8"ID x 1/2"OD x1/16"Wall

Component Supply Company
Phone 863-738-0084
Fax 863-285-9205
www.compsuco.com

 

My career was in healthcare, and as such, I had access to some tubing that was rather unique. It came with a red, blue, or green stripe on the black colored tubing. It was used primarily for vacuum pumps. It looked good, but within a couple of years it was "hard". Never had it fail, and we even used it on my brothers 56 Chevrolet pickup, and he drove that thing into the ground; the line never leaked, broke, or split. I think it's the under-hood heat that causes it to get hard, but it could be the fuel itself. Have't used it for years, and I still have a few feet of the stuff in my tubing and fuel line drawer. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

I use Gates Barrier fuel line, made specifically for the new fuels.
Black rubber with a special liner, also use fuel injection clamps.
May not be the coolest looking fuel lines put they should be safe!
KK

 

When I tore my roadster down a few years back found a chunk of the old red line between the tank and electric fuel pump. Had been there since the mid-sixties; hard as a rock but had never leaked... thankfully.

 

I don't use them, and never will.

 

Snowmobile/RV shops sell a pretty durable clear line. 90% of it is blue-green as a standard. Is it tough? I replaced my original stuff that was on a 97 Mach Z 2 yrs ago. I was impressed with how well it lived in a really shitty and hot environment, and also an area that went through really severe temp swings. Still, there's no fuckin way I'd put anything like that over a V8 hot rod engine. Hell even a banger. And worse yet? I cringe just a little bit when I see fuel blocks mounted on the firewall of any hot rod. When it fails (you know it will) and if it does indeed start a fire (you could bet it will and win) where's the fire going? Oh yeah, INSIDE THE CAR. Bad enough we see wiring that looks like fruit flavored pasta spilled under there sometimes, then add the risk of failed fuel hose or fuel block or fuel regulator to it, dammit I'm going to stop now...

 

I had the Speedway red lines on my 3X2 for awhile, checking things one day and it broke into pieces. Never going back. I did see someone threaded steel line inside some red tube then bent it into place, that might get the look and not actually have to risk the breakage.

 

Everclear is not pure ethanol. The percentage ABV is half the proof rating, so the 151 proof stuff is only 75.5% alcohol.

 

I googled it. The fuel line comes from Helix Racing Products out of Covington, LA. The Hoffman company, out of Oregon like the other Hoffman companies, is Helix Suspension.

 

That clear Tygon line you are using is not an actual fuel line.
It is actually yellow. ( Tygon fuel line)
I think you are setting yourself up for trouble.
Anyone who uses these flexible plastic fuel lines red or otherwise should carry a good fire extinguisher. And I hope you have good fire insurance.
Small consolation when your ride burns to the ground.
http://www.componentsupplycompany.c...F-4040A.html?gclid=CMafuLan3MoCFQqPfgod85wOzQ