Hotrod did any article in January about PTFE hose vs regular CPE braided hose. They said you change your regular braided fuel hose every 12-18 months. Wow that doesn't last long. I put my Russell proflex hose on 4 years ago. I haven't driven my car much, but according to hotrod I should have changed it a couple times already. How often do you guys change your hoses? When I do replace mine, the PTFE stuff is what I'm going with. I assume its twice as expensive.
How often do you guys change your braided fuel hose?
DenRS
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Some hose will smell, but not all rubber hose does this. My car is in a enclosed garage and there is no gas smell. I do know some of the rubber lines do smell, I have seen it first hand. Not all braided line is the same.
The gas smell seems to be a more recent problem. Years back, this did not seem to be an issue, but now it is pretty common... even with good quality hose. I had a customerr of mine complain about his new Aeroquip AQP hose. Ended up swapping to Teflon, now this is all I use.
Please post what kind of hose you are using that does not smell.
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I am pretty sure I have Russell hose on my car. It's been a while. I know XRP had issues with their hose and that is what my friend had on his car that made his garage smell like gas.
Ditto on the cut off wheel. And in my group we call it the "blood test", like when the doc pricks your finger.
I think over time in an effort to sell in the automotive aftermarket some companies have only provided cheap knock off's of "the look" of true stainless braided high pressure hose like Aeroquip but fail at the quality of the product. I still use Aeroquip for everything. I'll bet most modern hot rodders don't even know what the "AN" in AN fittings stands for.
What is happening to rubber hose is the break down from higher percentages of ethanol in pump gas. The Gov't now allows up to 15% blend in gasoline and that can stir trouble for older cars without teflon hoses and components. Some of what you read is scare tactics but some is for real. Ethanol also attacks aluminum and can damage the gears in your electric fuel pump over time as gasoline is used as a lubricant in electric fuel pumps. It's probably a good idea for everyone with an older car to eventually upgrade their fuel systems.
I'll tell you one fuel to stay away from: Methanol. Road Pilot tried this breifly in a high octane fuel they developed and it was a total failure. Methanol is very corrosive to rubber components. I found this out the hard way.
One of the reasons i started this was I noticed my edelbrock carb leaking gas from the throttle shaft on the drivers side while at the bodyshop. I opened the carb up and the gas was dark brown and full of crude. I'm hoping that the crude was causing the needles to not fully close and flood the carb otherwise I have other problems. I ran my Russell fuel filter before my pump, but I'm tired of crud getting into the carb so I just bought a billet specialties filter with a replacement ac delco paper element thats going on right before the carb. Anyway, my camaro was started every week or two at the body shop so the gas in the carb could not have been in there long. I'm being to wonder if the ethanol in the fuel is breaking down the hose and that dark color is a result of the rubber hose breaking down. I filled up the tank with fresh gas the day I dropped the car off an the bodyshop in Nov. I know gas goes bad over time, but I've never experienced gas turning dark brown in only a few months.
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I have gas that is close to a year old in my shed and it still smells, looks, and works fine. I let my engine set on the stand for over 3 years after pulling it from my Camaro, never ran the fuel out of the carbs, thinking it would only be a few months beforeI would be ready for it again (LOL). I pulled the carbs off to rebuild them thinking I really screwed up and they would be nasty inside. Opened them up and nothing, clean as a whistle. The fuel just evaporated.
I have not seen gas go bad in many years, the old gas used to turn bad, stink, and get gooey, I have not seen that at all. I know there is a point where it will go bad, I know it's more than a couple months that's for sure.
What does the inside of your fuel tank look like/ Is it rusty inside? If so that may be the source of your brownish fuel. Do you run any additives in your fuel? Maybe you guys get a different formulation than we do out here in CA.
I have not seen gas go bad in many years, the old gas used to turn bad, stink, and get gooey, I have not seen that at all. I know there is a point where it will go bad, I know it's more than a couple months that's for sure.
What does the inside of your fuel tank look like/ Is it rusty inside? If so that may be the source of your brownish fuel. Do you run any additives in your fuel? Maybe you guys get a different formulation than we do out here in CA.
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Yep, used a cut off wheel too. Even used a hacksaw once, sorta.:sad:Ditto on the cut off wheel. And in my group we call it the "blood test", like when the doc pricks your finger.
I think over time in an effort to sell in the automotive aftermarket some companies have only provided cheap knock off's of "the look" of true stainless braided high pressure hose like Aeroquip but fail at the quality of the product. I still use Aeroquip for everything. I'll bet most modern hot rodders don't even know what the "AN" in AN fittings stands for.
What is happening to rubber hose is the break down from higher percentages of ethanol in pump gas. The Gov't now allows up to 15% blend in gasoline and that can stir trouble for older cars without teflon hoses and components. Some of what you read is scare tactics but some is for real. Ethanol also attacks aluminum and can damage the gears in your electric fuel pump over time as gasoline is used as a lubricant in electric fuel pumps. It's probably a good idea for everyone with an older car to eventually upgrade their fuel systems.
I'll tell you one fuel to stay away from: Methanol. Road Pilot tried this breifly in a high octane fuel they developed and it was a total failure. Methanol is very corrosive to rubber components. I found this out the hard way.
But no one's mentioned this; The Summit cutters can be used in place during the installation. The hose only needs to be marked with a sharpie. Then poof, it's cut. Then slip on the collar, assemble and then connect. Done. No dust, no cleaning needed, no loosing a finger to a cut-off wheel, no tape to peel and expose braided wire (ouch) and no removal of hose for trial fitting. You can even do one end, install the hose, say from the gas tank to the engine, and do so permanently. Use your clamps or ties and call it good. Then cut the end for a perfect fit with all of the other advantages listed above.
The worlds most perfect stuff.:yes:
AN = Army-Navy. It was developed in WWII so as to minimize specialized fittings.
New repo tank was put in when i did my fuel lines a few years back. I don't run additives, except form the ethanol mobil puts in. I usually store it with stabil, but this time it was pretty much just fresh gas. Funny thing is the car ran fine other than gas leaking out of the throttle shafts. when I removed the carb, the gas in the fuel line was clear so I don't know what to make of this. Maybe the ethanol is eating away at the gaskets in the carb.
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Did I tell you guys my bad gas story? Actually it's my 'good gas' story.
After my car sat in the garage for over three years while I rebuilt our sailboat in the back yard, it was time to fire-up. Bought a battery, turned on the key, waited for the fuel pump, then cranked. Sorta. The starter didn't get a chance. The engine went; ur, WHOOM! Never missed a beat. Gas 4 years old. (2000 gas still good July of '03.)
After my car sat in the garage for over three years while I rebuilt our sailboat in the back yard, it was time to fire-up. Bought a battery, turned on the key, waited for the fuel pump, then cranked. Sorta. The starter didn't get a chance. The engine went; ur, WHOOM! Never missed a beat. Gas 4 years old. (2000 gas still good July of '03.)
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Fred,Yep, used a cut off wheel too. Even used a hacksaw once, sorta.:sad:
But no one's mentioned this; The Summit cutters can be used in place during the installation. The hose only needs to be marked with a sharpie. Then poof, it's cut. Then slip on the collar, assemble and then connect. Done. No dust, no cleaning needed, no loosing a finger to a cut-off wheel, no tape to peel and expose braided wire (ouch) and no removal of hose for trial fitting. You can even do one end, install the hose, say from the gas tank to the engine, and do so permanently. Use your clamps or ties and call it good. Then cut the end for a perfect fit with all of the other advantages listed above.
The worlds most perfect stuff.:yes:
AN = Army-Navy. It was developed in WWII so as to minimize specialized fittings.
I would love to see you assemble one of the AN fittings that has the barbed type of end in place (I think Earls are the ones). They are challenging even in a vise with the fitting adapter and oil. How do you verify your fitting hasn't slipped if you do it in place? I'm not saying you didn't have luck doing it, I just have done tons of braided line and would never do it in place unlessit was in a place that wouldn't allow me to remove it (I've had to do a few that way).
I've also watched guys assmble the hose/fittings wrong and seen by buddies car burn up because of not making sure the hose didn't push out of the collar. Hose slipped out of the fitting and sprayed all over the header. I mark my hoses once I seat the collar and then I finish assembling the fitting I double check to make sure the mark is still right at the collar. I then clean the hose (blow it out with air) and install on the car. Even using the cable cutters (that's what the "Summit" cutters are) I would always assmble my hose in a vise whenever possible.
As with most things there are more than one way to get the job done. :yes:
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XRP has a new CP hose with a Teflon inner. It's expensive but perhaps more flexible than straight Teflon hose. They say you have to use their special fittings, but the hose ID & OD is within a couple of thousandths of regular CP hose.
I just replaced the hose on the One Lap Camaro, I looked at the inside & it was perfect. I need to ask James what brand it was.
I just replaced the hose on the One Lap Camaro, I looked at the inside & it was perfect. I need to ask James what brand it was.
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