WARNING on Rubber Fuel Hoses!

As it stands in my hotrod, I'm using Gates Push-Loc type hose in my fuel system where I have hose to allow for flex and vibration in a primarily steel tube fuel line system that's clamped correctly. So far, no problems.
From what I've heard, in 2012 the ethanol percentage will be increased in pump fuel. I'm sure this means that someone in the aftermarket side will have the need to have a sideline of parts for 97's and more to deal with the fuel change. What's next?

 

just run aluminum or steel lines! boom fixed!

 

Once again the sky is falling over Ethanol Lets step back and look. Gas does not last as well as the stuff we used 40 years ago. Rubber seems to crap out faster than it did 40 years ago. We have been running Alky at 10% or higher for 25+ years with no issues until maybe the last 10 with fuel lines and such. I would say the issue is with the RUBBER as much as anything else. I like the Gates black hose with the fabric weave on the outside, anything else from the parts store tends to crack out on THE SPOOL sitting on teh shelf.

 

Yep, have always done it and have never had a problem with engine vibration breaking lines. You do it right and it works fine. No rubber ,no rot ,no problems

 

Lucas has a new gas additive out for the new gasoline .It is also supposed to protect carb and carb gaskets.Lucas ethanol fuel treatment. Good product.

 

Sso why do the factories not do that as well??

 

I am interested in this theory. How is the air pollition affecting rubber?

I use injection line or marine grade line. Marine line has a higher standard because explosion is extremely possible in the confined spaces on boats. Marine grade puts up with diesel fuel and diesel is solvent

 

I suppose the barricade lines are those w/ the fabric in the middle. if so i only use that after a whole bunch of rubber braided hoses started leaking after amybe 6 months of use, i had them in the tank to pump, frame to engine bay and filter to carb.....and i dont even like braided, it was given to me 4 free! i would have been better with the 40 years old hoses.

I agree w/ the guys saying is the new rubber quality that is terrible and not the new fuel.

 

Hysunite Rubber appears to be the same thing by Goodyear. These hoses are a few bucks more than the cheap stuff,but we're still talking short money for the needed foot or two.

 

Sorry, I dunno what he used. MOST of the braided SS Hose on the market is coming in from offshore, just like everything else.

BTW- Be aware that there are several companies selling Teflon Hose with white liners- the white liner is only for hydraulic lines, trans lines, etc. It's not SAE rated for gasoline.

The OEMs use a BLACK liner for Fuel & EVAP Hoses. It's impregnated with carbon-black to stop static build up.

 

When I got my shoebox as bone stock it had hardened fuel lines,with all the problems with rubber who would defend the use of it?

 

Thanks for the heads up Safari

 

Thanks for the information on the Gates Barricade, guys. That's what I'll be using from now on.
http://gates.com/brochure.cfm?brochure=12468&location_id=5348

I know very little about the rest of the country,....but here in Oklahoma, other than being in too big a hurry or not thinking ahead, there's no reason to even put ethanol in a fuel tank. I don't.

 

I affects about everything exposed to it. This is not a save the planet thread but I assume that it is a combination of the hydro carbons and acid? Unlike the average seeker of knowledge I don't have to know why most things happen if I know that they do that is good enough for me.

I used to read all the save mother earth propaganda and right if off ad just that. Then when I went live south of the border I had a friend that moved to Mexico City at the time easily one of the most polluted cities if not the most polluted city in the world at the time. It didn't rain often in the city but many of us lived in the rain forest and he could be called and need to leave on a moments notice so he had to kepp everything that he had in good working order.

His wiper blades would disintegrate if he left them on too long and to be on the safe side he had to replace them about once a month. He had an aquaintence at the U of Mex in the city and quizzed him about it. He handed him an article explaining it. But bacsically is was air pollution that was causing the rubber to wear so rapidly.

Here in KC there are two stations listed as having gasoline instead of ethanol/gasoline mix, one is in the neighborhood and has been out of business for at least 5 years and the other is at a marina. I guess you would either have to carry jerry cans or drive out onto the dock.

Your idea of running opure gasoline is only a good one of you never leave your neighborhood/home town. If I could get clean gasoline here I would do it also. The problem arises when you take a trip.

BC
I run aluminum lines from my pump to the carb as a rule. Ethanol is not nearly as caustic as methanol but it is still harder on stuff than gasoline. I doubt that an aluminum line will corrode with the standard ethanol/gasoline blend but I would keep an eny on them. As time goes on we are going to see more alcohol in our gasoline.

 

I also had found on one of my rods that a fuel line I had installed not long ago was full of tiny cracking along the whole length. I had it wrapped in a S/S covering and just happened to notice it at one of the exposed ends. Maybe the F.I hose is the thing to do. Working as a technician at a dealer ship, this week I was working on a 2011 ford pickup. I needed to check fuel pressure..in less than a minute the ethanol 60% fuel blew apart my Matco fuel pressure hose in several places as the attached pic attests to..just destroyed it that quickly..I couldn't believe it..that is nasty stuff!
Have any of you guys found that gates lined hose locally somewhere? looks like some good stuff to try..extra money would be well spent in this area, for sure.

 

it's the same shit in acid rain that eats your paint, it gets on stuff under the hood from condensation and humidity in the air.


does anyone know if aeroquip is making lines designed to combat this? I have a low pressure system, without too much braided line in the fuel system, so it would be easy enough to replace the hoses between the fittings, I have braided lines from the firewall to the regulator and then to the fuel log and out to both carbs

 

Stock shoebox does have a rubber line from frame rail to engine.

 

The few guys I've talked to don't seem too concerned, but I found Gates Barricade hoses at O'Reilly at a reasonable price. I have some injector hose on my shoebox - was it agreed that it is acceptable? My car is mostly stock
and 6 volt - is there anything to worry about in the electic fuel pump? I have a metal fuel filter on the firewall before the original fuel pump, so I have not see anything in the glass bowl which is a good thing, but am I missing something??

 

When i posted in the above #77 post, that shoebox was/is the 6 cyl model....and the rubber line is on the suction side, not pressure.

With electric, you are going to end up with a pressurized rubber line. I don't see a way around that.

 

any Carquest store will have the Barricade availible also. just because you are buying fuel injection hose does not mean it will with stand the ethanol any better than a standard rubber line. the barricade is multilayer with a core to keep the ethanol from eating at the rubber.

 

I ran a steel line from my gas tank to the fuel pump, then a steel line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. Russel makes a fitting that you screw into your carb that allows you to screw in the steel line. If you mount your lines correctly you shouldn’t be overly concerned about fatigue, but obviously check the lines often for precaution.
If you are using rubber fuel lines and/or those stupid plastic fuel filter covers, then you are begging for a fire.
To each their own, but I feel I am using the lesser of two evils.
Steel Fuel Lines (with a petcock shut off on the fuel tank)
Steel Brake Lines
Steel Tranny Fluid Lines to tranny cooler
….just my 2 cents

 

the issue I have is with the dual SU's I have to have some flexible line, I'm just wondering if the real aeroquip hose can handle the stuff, it says alcohol in the specs, but I don't know if they are talking about in a system thats always torn down and checked or in a driver? my off topic car says in the owners manual not to use over 10 percent ethanol, but that was written in 86. it accumulated over 300000 on the original fuel system. On the other hand I can't keep a pump diaphragm in my lawnmower. It's caught fire once from leaks due to this

 

Well, from reading all of this, I decided to replace my generic rubber with the Gates Barricade stuff. If price is any correlation, it should work very well. Here's a shot of the end of my old hose going into the carb. The old rubber was there for less than two years. I'm not sure how the alleged ethanol deterioration manifests itself, but there is some visible cracking going on at the end of this particular hose. If anything, these threads keep us on our toes & remind us to check our stuff on a regular basis (regardless of whether the dangers are real or not).

 

I donno, I raced methanol powered cars for years. Some with the same rubber bladder and fuel lines for several seasons and never had anything like that happen. Im thinking other factors maybe involved.

 

iT HAPPENED TO ONE OF MY FRIENDS ALSO .HE WAS GOING DOWN THE INTERSTATE AND STARTED TO SMELL GAS.PULLED OVER AND THE ENGINE WAS COVERED WITH GAS. THE HOSE WAS LESS THAN 1 YEAR OLD. I LOOKED AT THE HOSE AND IT WAS ROTTEN AS HELL AND IT WAS QUALITY HOSE MADE FOR GASOLINE .SOMETHINGS GOING ON HEAR WITH THE NEW FUELS BEING SOLD TO THE PUBLIC. MABY SOME INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING SHOULD BE DONE.... J M 2CENTS WORTH

 

Gang, there is a reason a C. D. L test takes so long at a typical D M V . One of the first things you are rquired to do is an UNDERHOOD check of the engine BEFORE starting the engine !

Typicly, one has to check the oil levels , the Brake master cylinder if so equiped , belts , air lines , and of course the FUEL SYSTEM !

I do it routienly as a precaution every time I go out to start one of my antique Ford trucks . Yes , I discovered the same thing one day as I was prodding about the battery . I saw the spintered hose and I fixed it right then , right there ........... scrubba

 

On my daily driver I ran rubber hose from the tank all the way to the fuel pump and it hasnt melted or cracked the rubber. I bought 30 ft of rubber hose from Auto joke and its made in china. I dont get it?

 

year ogo bought corvette that had flash fire at the fuel line where it comes from tank...cooked firewall a little ,dash was shriveled up and windshield cracked before the fire got put out . was cautioned by firefighters that cars like this leave a residue thatif skin is scratched with it can cause infection that will have them cutting your hand,arm off....bad shit.....had to scrubbb the burnt area with #1 decreaser,#2 soap and water.....till any residue gone ....then painter quick with matching color cheap paint to encapsulate........be carefull.................................kev,all caused by cheap fuel line......

 

read the whole thing and still wonder about Aluminum fuel line on a low pressure carb system

 

Was not aware of this stuff, I will be ordering up some for my track car (alot of high pressure fuel) and my current Tudor build. Thanks.