1969 fuel line installation questions

[Bill Stephens]

I am replacing a leaky gas tank on my 1969 350 and want to change the fuel lines at the same time. I have two questions.

Is there a trick to getting these lines on. The car is not on a lift, it is on stands. I can't see an obvious way to thread them in and don't know whether I should try from the front or back.

The lines I bought came with a shipping bend in the middle and need to be straightened. Can this be done by hand or do I need to get a tube bender?

Thanks for your help.

[Michael M.]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

Although brake lines can be installed with the body on the car, it is generally accepted that you must lift the body to properly replace the fuel lines. I believe '69 is the same as '68 in that the fuel lines (I believe there is a vapor return line) goes through the frame. The area of most concern is where the kick-up starts in front of the rear wheel. I just would carefully straighten the shipping bend by hand.

[Chuck R.]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

Hi Bill,

You CAN run the lines with the car as it sits, but the new lines would be pretty much mangled by the time you were through snaking it up along the passengers side kickup.

If you intent is to keep the line as pristine as possible, then loosening the body mounts and raising the passengers side even a little bit is your best option short of cutting the lines in half and splicing them back together.

Running the lines through the tranny crossmember is the easy part, getting those sharp bends up by the kickup is extemely tight and un-forgiving.

Chuck

[Michael M.]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

Chuck, I agree. You're right that getting them through the crossmember can be done first but then getting them over the kick-up will be nearly impossible. I would submit that the ways the lines would need to be bent, there is a significant risk of kinking the the lines and yes they would be mangled even if they didn't kink.

[Bill Stephens]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

I was afraid of that. I've always tried to stay away from those body mounts because I'm afraid something will break off. If I get them all loose without breaking anything, how big a job is it to raise the body? Is it necessary to unhook much else?

[Chuck R.]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

Items to definatley remove are the small braided body to frame ground straps and the front and rear bumpers.

Things to possibly watch as the body is lifted would be the shifter, pedal linkages, heat/expansion tank hose body strap connections and body attached wiring that travels to chassis components.

As the drivers side would be the pivot point if only the passengers side is lifted, obviously disconnecting body to frame components on the passengers side would be more critical.

I almost wonder if dropping the tank might be the simpler solution. That way you would have the tank cavity to start working the line forward from. Especially if you have the car on a lift. Just a thought.

Also when you go to raise the body, keep a weather eye open for the body mounts and shim locations. If the body starts to lift smoothly, then I'd raise it just enough to see if they are going to fall out on you. Just make sure that if you reach in to finger anything that you put a block of wood between the frame rail and the body in case of a sudden drop while you have your hands in a "pinch" area.

My 68 body resisted and then suddenly popped free jumpimg up far enough where shims and the rotted mounts fell out from underneath.

Raising the body even six inches will do a lot for you.

Others will more than likely pitch in with additional cautions I'm sure.

I hope someone else has found a better way to do this to save you the agony Bill, I feel your pain.

Chuck

[Bill Stephens]

Re: 1969 fuel line installation questions

Agony seems like the right word Chuck. I actually have the tank out. This all started because the tank developed a leak and I wanted to change the lines while the tank was out. Even with that out I can't see any obvious way to thread that line through. I think I'm going to try loosening the driver's side mounts slightly, loosen the passenger side mounts as far as I can without taking them out, and jacking the passenger side of the car as high as I can. Do you think I'll need to lower the transmission cross member as well? It looks like that is a job in itself.

Thanks for all the help.

[Chuck R.]

Re: I don't think

You must have an automatic huh?

I don't see an advantage to dropping it Bill.

I'd run the lines through the crossmember first and then work the lines back over the #3 crossmember.

You might as well resign yourself to the fact that you might be putting some slight bends in the lines to manipulate them where they need to go, but not so severley that you can massage them straight again with your hands and the frame clips.

Chuck