Can I use rubber hose for fuel line?

Standard rubber vacuum or heater hose should never be used in fuel applications. The hose will deteriorate from the inside out and can plug fuel filters and carburetors with rubber debris, long before it springs an external leak.

What is the best fuel line hose?

The best solution is a material called PTFE. That stands for polytetrafluoroethylene—a plastic material that is best known as Teflon in one specific variation. This material is impervious to the degenerative effects of fuel that also creates a vapor barrier so fuel vapors cannot leak past.

What type of rubber is used for fuel lines?

Nitrile rubber
Nitrile rubber (NBR) is an oil-resistant synthetic rubber. Its main applications are in fuel hoses, gaskets, rollers, and other products in which oil resistance is required.

What sizes does fuel hose come in?

Fuel Hose Sizes

AN Size Tube or Hose OD Tube or Hose ID
-6 3/8” .297”
-8 1/2” .391”
-10 5/8” .484”
-12 3/4” .609”

How long does rubber fuel line last?

Each time the car cranks and runs, the fuel hoses will have transport the fuel to the combustion chamber. These hoses can last anywhere from 10,000 to 50,000 miles depending on what they are made of.

How do you bend a rubber fuel line without kinking?

Put spring around the fuel line, it will let you make sharper bends without it kinking. Get some thin piano wire from a model shop or similar. Stick it down the pipe and bend it to the shape you want. Leave the piano wire inside – it won’t come out nor restrict the fuel flow.

How do you keep fuel lines from kinking?

Fuel line has reinforcement in the walls that should prevent kinking when bent to accommodate curves. If you were bending metal line, there are spring like tools you can fit over the tubing to prevent kinking. An alternative is to fill the tubing with a non-compressible substance that will prevent collapse.

How do I know what size fuel hose I need?

Place the top of a 1/4-inch wrench with an open end over the fuel line. Slide it carefully over the line so that it fits snugly against the tubing. Read the wrench’s measurements to determine the diameter of the fuel line. Place a caliper over the fuel line if the wrench did not give an accurate reading.

How much horsepower can a 3/8 fuel line support?

A 3/8”id fuel line can easily support 600 HP given sufficient “pump head”! Given a big enough pump a 3/8” steel line could support 1000 HP.

Does petrol degrade rubber?

Classic car wonders may find rubber inside their petrol tanks becomes “degraded” by ethanol blended fuel which can lead to consequences. Paul Ireland, fuel researcher and author of Classic Engines: Modern Fuel has warned the ethanol fuel could make target rubber “go hard” which may lead to leaks.

When should I replace fuel lines?

Any time that you crank the car, the fuel lines will have to deliver the gas that is needed for the combustion process. The fuel lines are made to last anywhere from 50,000 to 75,000.