Replacing fuel line with body still in place?

Post by: **Top at** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:04 am

Any advice on replacing the fuel line on a car with the body still in place, plus all ancillaries? I've considered passing a wire down the existing plastic pipe as a guide wire and then pulling the plastic pipe out leaving the guide in situ wire to guide the new metal pipe line through.
I'm unsure if the existing line is clipped in place in the chassis tunnel. Also any suggestions on securing the new line in place?

HELP please.

Hi again. Sorry the plea for help is in the wrong section. However Many thanks to you all for the replies. A further variation on the theme of using a guide wire, is to use strimmer cord. Very strong, cheap, long and quite slippery to ease passage and available in B&Q.

Post by: **billwill** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 3:04 pm

Although I have just gone for a metal fuel line myself, running down the INSIDE of the cabin under the right hand door sill.
elan-f14/getting-ogu-roadworthy-again-t26101-90.html

On the internet research that I did AFTER I'd bought the pipe and rubber ends, I'm not really sure that this was the best solution.

Modern fuels are containing more & more Ethanol bio-fuel and apparently this attacks rubber. The industry doesn't seem to care much because (as far as I can tell) most modern fuel lines are nylon. So it's possible that Lotus got it right in the first instance using a plastic pipe.

Nylon pipes are fitted using a fair amount of pressure onto a barbed rigid end fitting.

PS. your topic has been posted in the wrong section. This section relates to questions & answers about the organization/management of the forum. Your question should be in "Things in Common". Most of the members will not notice it in this section, so it might be best to repost it in the appropriate place.

Post by: **GrUmPyBoDgEr** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:27 pm

I think the job you are contemplating will be difficult but not impossible; your idea with the wire shows a lot of lateral thinking.
The existing plastic pipe passes through special grommets in the sheet steel end plates on both ends of the frame tunnel & at the centre of the tunnel it is, as you suggested, supported by a "P" clip that is fastened to the tunnel & practically impossible to reach with the car's body on.

Have you maybe considered routing the new pipe along one of the lower corners of the tunnel & leaving the old, redundant pipe to "rest in peace"?

Cheers & good luck (Let us know how you eventually get on)
John

Post by: **Bud English** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 5:29 pm

You don't say which variant of the car you are working on. On the plus2 the original nylon line is held in place, inside the chassis backbone, with two metal clips. I don't think you have success pulling the old line out, let alone getting the new one in. I'd guess the "real" (in deference to the purists) elan is similar.

Edit: Looks like John and I hit send at the same time :lol:

Post by: **oldelanman** » Fri Dec 28, 2012 6:50 pm

Like the Plus 2 the Elan also has two metal clips, one on the "horse collar" above the gearbox and the other about half way along the backbone. The clips are omega shaped and the legs fit through the hole in the chassis, held in place by the pipe itself. The clips also have two inner sprung lugs which grip the pipe itself. With the body on, the front clip can just about be reached from below the car and the rear one through the large access grommet in the side of the tunnel but even then it would be very difficult to feed the pipe through.