Thread: Running new metal fuel lines.

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Anyone know off hand, how the original fuel line was run in a 1970 Buick Riviera???
The original fuel line was gone, I guess they removed it when they changed the stock mechanical fuel pump out for a electric fuel pump in the tank. They had run the new rubber fuel line down the passenger side of the car, right over the top of the exhaust. The rubber line had 3 spots where it had melted because of being over the exhaust. Plus on top of that it was run in the top of the passenger side rear wheel well. so if they would have hit any hard dips or bumps the wheel would have come up and hit the fuel line probably pulling it out, or at least tearing it up. It has a X type frame under the car.
I was thinking of going thru the frame, but then thought I better not, because the drive line runs thru the center of the X in the frame. I also need to know what wire in the tank works the fuel gauge in the dash, is it a ground or a power wire??? Since they rewired the tank for the electric pump. I am gonna go back to the original float that was in the tank because the one that's in there now does not sit right to seal the pump in. It was not even locked in like it should have been to keep the tank from over flowing or leaking fuel out the top. So I am gonna run a inline electric holley fuel pump, out side the tank. Not sure if I should run the Blue or Red Holley pump though this is a 455 motor and I want to have plenty of fuel. Then I'll run a fuel regulator to keep the pressure down where it should be. I'll be running Edelbrock heads and intake with a 750 or 800 holley carb and a nice lopy street cam. What size fuel line do you guys think I should run from the tank up, 3/8 ??? Thanks for your help or input. Kurt

The fuel gauge wire will be a ground. You can test with a light any wire close by and if it has power, put a ring of tape over it to prevent a short. The one/ ones that don't have power, put them to a good ground and watch the gauge, you'll know when you hit it provided the gauge does work.

I don't know how the fuel lines ran but I was thinking that maybe one of those shops that makes the line kits might have a diagram as an example? You could also get the sizing too! But 3/8" is good, they aren't racing it I'm sure so it'll be overkill.

I'd run the fuel line down the passenger side since most Holleys feed from that side. The sending unit is nothing more than a calibrated variable resistor and if you ground the wire the gauge should read full, the voltage is at the gauge. Holleys don't like much more than 5 lbs of pressure so I'd pick whichever pump has the best flow.

Kurt, Summit lists tank to pump brake lines for Buicks, made by an Ohio company called Right Stuff Detailing. If it were me I'd contact Right Stuff directly to see if they can guide you to the right part number for your body/frame. Their lines are listed as 3/8".

Why are you not going to simply replace the mechanical pump on the engine? I would think it would be a lot more reliable over the long haul, and easier, too.

Originally Posted by rspears

...Why are you not going to simply replace the mechanical pump on the engine? I would think it would be a lot more reliable over the long haul, and easier, too.

WFT!


^ OK, that's not 10 characters so it didn't like me posting such an abbreviated message, thus this comment.

Hey Kurt good to see you back on the site! I ran a length of aluminum fuel line down the drivers side frame member and just attached flexible rubber hose on one end to the tank, and on the other end to the mechanical fuel pump with an inline canister filter from summit by the tank, as well as a fuel shut off valve to be able to replace the filter without gas pouring all over the place. That worked well for me, and was fairly cheap. I bolted the line to the frame member with rubber hose clamps to keep it from moving around and rubbing again any other metal. I figure it's safer in the frame and less exposed to heat(though not as big a problem here as in the high plains dessert. I just don't like vapor lock after having Dodge vans break down every summer in Arizona and southern Colorado due to vapor lock! Not sure if the Buick is a unibody or has frame rails?

Originally Posted by Hot Rod Nick

WFT!


^ OK, that's not 10 characters so it didn't like me posting such an abbreviated message, thus this comment.

Nick, I'm not sure what your "WFT!" is intended to mean, especially since you "Liked" the post that you referenced. Maybe you can amplify what you're saying, or meaning to say? Or if it's a derivation of "WTF" then maybe it's best to leave it alone....

Thanks 30_40, NTFDAY, rspears, Stovens. rspears The reason I am not going with the stock mechanical pump is I grew up out here and have had lots of experience with the heat out here and vapor locking mechanical pumps. I figure that's why they went with a electric pump in the first place, the stock pump was probably vapor locking. Sounds like Stovens has had the same problems with vapor locking in Arizona too. I am only about a hour away from Death Valley where temps have reached 134 degrees before, yep officially the hottest place on the planet. This area I live in has lots of wide open area's with nothing around for a hundred miles or so in any direction. Not a place you want to break down in, Shoshone at hwy 178 & 127 is about a half hour from where I live, That's also where Charles Manson like to hide out in caves. Since people know he hid there , they think they can hide there too. If they want to hide they probably are not good people. Breaking down is not a option out here, Nothing for miles, high heat no one around for mile and when someone does pull over are you gonna want to chance it, if they are good or not??? Yep if you grew up out here you know about mechanical pumps and vapor locking. Why chance it. Kurt

C'mon Kurt.... tell'us how you really feel!
Just funnin..

I lived in New Mexico for a few years and the daily 110+ degree heat could cause some "funny" things to happen. Perhaps maybe consider a return circuit so that fuel doesn't sit in the line absorbing heat. I think Mike P. (maybe?) did this on an El Camino that he was installing a caddy motor into.

I did this same thing with a 3 port regulator in my coupe.

I've had a old 67 Ford a 69 chevy van, a 70's caddy and a old 69 Buick all of which vapor locked on me at one time or another.
Not sure what all the lines are going to it now, It has the main fuel line and 2 other lines that go to the tank.
I'm sure the one that's about as big as my thumb is a vapor return line, but not sure what the other smaller line is??
Kurt

Charcoal canister in this year?

I would *think* if this came with a canister, the lines would be--

3/8 feed
3/8 or 5/16 return
?3/8 ? to canister
?/? tank vent if no canister

Holley Red states regulator not required.
Blue states regulator required.
Agreed with above-- Set pressure, & use a return if you go Blue - the pump can eventually over heat "dead heading" against itself & cause drive ability // delivery problems similar to if not including vapor lock.
Read the info on each pump you like. Ask Tech questions specific to your app.

http://www.justanswers.com/classic-c...970-buick.html

70 riviera fuel pump - Buick Forums

HTH

Originally Posted by vara4

Thanks 30_40, NTFDAY, rspears, Stovens. rspears The reason I am not going with the stock mechanical pump is I grew up out here and have had lots of experience with the heat out here and vapor locking mechanical pumps. I figure that's why they went with a electric pump in the first place, the stock pump was probably vapor locking. Sounds like Stovens has had the same problems with vapor locking in Arizona too. I am only about a hour away from Death Valley where temps have reached 134 degrees before, yep officially the hottest place on the planet. This area I live in has lots of wide open area's with nothing around for a hundred miles or so in any direction. Not a place you want to break down in, Shoshone at hwy 178 & 127 is about a half hour from where I live, That's also where Charles Manson like to hide out in caves. Since people know he hid there , they think they can hide there too. If they want to hide they probably are not good people. Breaking down is not a option out here, Nothing for miles, high heat no one around for mile and when someone does pull over are you gonna want to chance it, if they are good or not??? Yep if you grew up out here you know about mechanical pumps and vapor locking. Why chance it. Kurt

Kurt we had two identical Dodge ram 15 passenger vans, one with a bigger gas tank and trim package. The smaller tank one would consistantly leave us stranded in the high plains desert where we would sit for 30 minutes, then it would start and take us about 10 miles before the whole process would start over. We had a mechanic put in an electric fuel pump which was back by the tank, which worked for the rest of that summer, but the next year it got vapor lock started up in the high plains desert again. So the 3rd year I called the Dodge Boys and spoke with an engineer. He recommended putting a quart of transmission fluid in with each case tank fill up while driving thru the dessert. So that summer we did, and never had vapor lock. According to the engineer, it wouldn't hurt the engine, and the transmission fluid raised the vapor point of the gas to prevent it from getting vapor lock going thru the hot fuel line.
Maybe wouldn't hurt to carry a quart to drop in the tank, should the problem start while your in the middle of no where(which is exactly where it happened to us every summer, and this was in the pre cell phone days, where their was no way to call for help. Usually we'd pack up as many kids as we could into the second van and send them ahead to the next destination, and a phone booth to call for a sag wagon for the second van, needless to say I didn't like that particular van very much!

Hey Stovens: I had never heard of that though I have done that before just to clean up the inside of the motor.
But after I had torn down my holley I found I found what looked like oil in it so I stopped putting it in the tank.
So I started putting a can of trany fluid in a gallon bottle then filling it the rest of the way with water.
I would let that trickle strait down in to the carb to clean the valves, heads cylinders and piston tops.
It does a good job too because any time I tore down one of my motor's, it would not have any carbon build up in it.
I have torn them down even after 50,000 miles to find no build up of carbon.
Kurt