Replacement Hard Fuel Lines for W123? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dieseldan44 · #31 05-28-2009, 01:43 PM

Well, removing the old fuel lines was a treat. ive discovered diesel does not come out of clothes no matter what...ive never spilled so much on myself during this one.

Anyways, the fuel lines could not come out in one piece, making me very skeptical about installing new ones in one piece. At the very least they will need to be snaked through like a rubber hose. No chance at preforming and just bolting up.

I am re-investigating flexible options. Id like to run biodiesel as well as diesel in this car, so I am looking into 5/16" tygon (bio compatible).

Any input greatly appreciated. Maybe snaking in the Aluminum lines wont be so bad? I have some of the 3/8" easy bend Al stuff from my Frybrid kit and it isnt so easy to bend.

dd

cmbdiesel · #32 05-28-2009, 01:52 PM

yep, that diesel, it don't come out. Did you drain the tank first? I've been on fumes all week in anticipation of this job, which looks like it might get put off for a few weeks.

Did you remove all the old lines? I am considering leaving some of the old line above the rear suspension, so I can zip tie to it. The long runs under the car I will remove, and try and get the new lines into the old mounts. Of course, I'll have the car on a lift, making it much easier to do. My condolences/congratulations for going after fuel lines on the ground, does not sound like fun.

I bought a spool of 5/16 line from NAPA, think it is listed as brake line, not fuel line. Fairly flexible, and I don't anticipate much issue snaking it in from the front, making as close as possible bends for over the rear suspension. Going to do the brake line while I'm there. It's not leaking, but has some corrosion from being in those hangers with the fuel lines.

Billybob · #33 05-28-2009, 03:04 PM

Contact these guys or better yet take a drive over there:

Federal Hill Trading Company
195 Federal Hill Road
Oxford, MA 01540
Phone: 508-987-2660

I'm sure they have a small a piece of their line they'll be happy to let you grab it and give it a try! I promise you will gladly pay the price they are asking once you've been up under the 123 rear subframe for an hour or two or three or ....... Wait till you try to use the line clamp just above the subframe and you're trying to hold the two fuel lines and the brake line in place with the rubber grommet and then the metal bracket while getting a tool on the 10 MM screw that secures it!! Or when you have to make that 90 degree bend just in front of and along the frame piece at the front of the trunk's wheel well. Your doing this yourself but your time is worth and your sanity is worth something, this can be an unpleasant one hour job or it can be a mind numbing three hour job especially if you're on your back!

I plug the end with a sheet metal screw, feed the line up and over the sub frame with one hand guiding and the other hand feeding/pushing, get that 90 done leaving a couple extra inches that can be trimmed off later. Then get the other line for the return, the line for the breather if your replacing that, and the brake line in place. Then you can get the clamp in place holding all the lines, I have a cheap 10 MM box wrench that has a washer welded onto one side of the box. That lets you put the screw into the wrench's box and then use that to lift it into place then turn it to get the screw started. All the others are easy! It's also a little more room to work with if you loosen but don't remove the subframe mount bolts and lever the entire frame downward on the driver's side you can get an inch more space that way. Check the plastic line clamp bracket screws and the threaded studs they attach to before you start putting everything back together. The studs rust and the plastic nuts crack. Blow the lines out before to you connect eveything back closed up. Good luck!

dieseldan44 · #34 05-28-2009, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cmbdiesel

yep, that diesel, it don't come out. Did you drain the tank first? I've been on fumes all week in anticipation of this job, which looks like it might get put off for a few weeks.

Did you remove all the old lines? I am considering leaving some of the old line above the rear suspension, so I can zip tie to it. The long runs under the car I will remove, and try and get the new lines into the old mounts. Of course, I'll have the car on a lift, making it much easier to do. My condolences/congratulations for going after fuel lines on the ground, does not sound like fun.

I bought a spool of 5/16 line from NAPA, think it is listed as brake line, not fuel line. Fairly flexible, and I don't anticipate much issue snaking it in from the front, making as close as possible bends for over the rear suspension. Going to do the brake line while I'm there. It's not leaking, but has some corrosion from being in those hangers with the fuel lines.

I took the old lines out. They were 100% useless. I am going to modify the rubber grommet brackets.

My brake line does have some corrosion but it is not as bad as the fuel line - I am going to clean it off, POR-15 it over and hope for the best. If it leaks, then I'll fix it.

I saw that same NAPA 5/16" brake hose when I was there the other day - I think you are going to have a hard time snaking it through the subframe area. At the very least you must lower the differential by undoing the 4 diff-to-floor bolts.

The fuel lines were put on before the subframe, and there is no good way to get them out with it in there. I had to cut the old ones into pieces.

In anticipation of the hardships ahead, I ordered some Tygon 5/16 ID fuel line that is biodiesel rated, item 5552K26 from McMaster-Carr. $2.01 per foot. I will try putting the Aluminum fuel lines in by snaking them, but I am very skeptical of it working.

Oh, to have a lift for this one!

dd

cmbdiesel · #35 05-29-2009, 10:25 PM

Mine goes on the lift. Took a quick look at it when I patched the leak, doesn't seem like it will be too bad.

dieseldan44 · #36 06-01-2009, 11:34 PM

Bent in new fuel lines tonight from bendable 5/16" aluminum lines. It wasn't too bad with two people. One person feeds line from the rear between the subframe and the body, the other pulls the line through and guide it up to the engine bay. Once in the engine bay, person under the car bends the line into the desired shape. Took an hour to get lines in and in basic shape. Ill finish the job tomorrow and post some pics soon.

Mike

biopete · #37 06-02-2009, 12:47 AM

Us WVOers get a kick out all this fuss over fuel lines. If there is one thing we've does is rerun some fuel lines.

Everyone should carry 15ft of 3/8 id hose with them at all times. (Just kidding but it does not hurt.)

I've gone to pull apart and pulled oem lines from a car. I'll never do that again. I've ran straight rubber 3/8 id hose back to the tank , zip tieing it to the rusted/clogged metal line. Better. Run aluminum tube inside a coolant hose. It is just a fuel line. Pretty much anything will work.

My favorite now is the 5/16th or 6/16th ID black line that is same stuff your brake booster vacuum trunk line is made of. That stuff makes great fuel line biodiesel and wvo compatible. You have to heat it up with a propane torch or lighter to get the barbed fittings in. Works great. Comes with Elsbett's wvo kits. Cheap too.

dieseldan44 · #38 06-09-2009, 12:28 AM

All the fuel lines bent in and trimmed...pics to come.

I put the tank back in today and it leaked from the fuel tank screen. huh?! put the tank screen back in with a new viton o-ring and re-torqued. still leaked. put back in with original o ring - still leaked. i still smell like diesel after a shower and am perplexed.

I ordered another fuel tank screen and hope tomorrow is a better day...

dd

stayalert · #39 06-19-2009, 03:54 PM

I'm in the midst of replacing the rusty hard lines on my sedan and pulled out a pair of brand new MB lines I bought for $100 years ago. I got one fit sort of in place....As I was bending the second one I crimped it

I came in here to search and take a breather.....I considering flexible alternatives at the moment as well.

Best,

Rob M

Graham · #40 07-01-2009, 02:45 PM

I have an '85 300D. Located in Canada. Noticed leaks under car that turned out to be caused by corrosion under the rubber clamps.

At the rear of the car, I had a leak years ago. I remember my wife paying an arm and a leg for the repair. Looking at it now, both fuel hoses from tank to front side of wheel well are rubber fuel hose. They are double clamped to the steel line that then runs under the car and up to the engine where it once again becomes rubber hose. So, at least I can clamp it off at each end.

I was going to buy OE fuel lies, but the price someone quoted changed my mind on that!

I think I would like to stay with metal for the long run, mainly so I can re-use the clamps and keep it neat. I will need to make a few bends still. I have an el-cheapo tube bender somewhere. Does that 5/16" fuel line bend easily?

dieseldan44 · #41 07-01-2009, 05:56 PM

Guys,

The 5/16" aluminum fuel line that bends in is THE way to go. It hand bends very easily. Throw the tubing bender away. Don't be tempted to snake rubber line for several feet. I could get the line bent in *perfectly*. Exactly in the stock routing.

I have not posted any pics yet because I only got the car running on the highway yesterday (the fuel tank leaked and had to fix that). I wanted to verify the repair before touting it's virtues.

The Al 5/6" line has a smaller inner diameter than the OE fuel line, so technically you can't flow as much fuel. I got the car up to 90 mph yesterday and noticed no change in performance.

The diameter of the Al line from McMaster Carr is about 5.9 mm, the stock stuff is about 6.5mm.

The only caveat here is that if your fuel lines are leaking, your brake lines are probably not behind. Im taking that one to my Indy. Without a lift, that will be truly truly miserable.

dd

Graham · #42 07-02-2009, 10:25 AM

Question about the rubber sleeves for the clamps.

Are those one piece or two?

In other words, if I replace the two fuel lines can I easily re-use the rubber?

Or should I order new ones? Are they still available?

Graham

Chad300tdt · #43 07-02-2009, 10:28 AM

The rubber part is a single piece with slits on one side so it can go on the lines easily and be reused without a problem.

Graham · #44 07-02-2009, 10:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

The rubber part is a single piece with slits on one side so it can go on the lines easily and be reused without a problem.

Great - Thanks!

Graham · #45 07-02-2009, 07:34 PM

Today I called the shop - I decided summer up here is too short to be spent lying under car with diesel fuel all over me.

I asked shop to replace supply and return lines from rear wheel well to engine with new coated steel. But, they suggested that Nylon would be a better choice. They are going to do it on Monday.

This is what they are using (lots of info on steel and Nylon lines):

http://www.fmsiinc.com

or more specifically http://www.fmsiinc.com/catalog/lines/L-2007-07.pdf