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I know this is kind of dumb but I would like my car to be as close to fuel injection ready as possible so the fewer lines, hoses etc that need to be added the better. I am mounting my pump under the tank and am wondering if I hook up the fuel line to the pump with the check valve in place is it going to dribble (i.e. I need to leave that end unconnected so I can run my carbs for now) or is there some kind of cap I can put on the end until it's ready to be used? Where would I find such a thing? Otherwise I'll just leave the dust covers in place and stuggle on my back with the flashlight, screwdriver and hose clamps when the time comes. Thanks

Hi
I did a similar thing in preperation for my EFI setup. I just ran all the lines and plugged them with a bolt and fitted a hose clamp around the hose.
Regards Steve C

See if this sounds logical and will work in your installation. Hook up your carb pump to the return line for the efi system, but if it extends up into your tank you will be short a few gallons maybe? If it doesn't, it should work fine. Then leave the supply pump, filter and everything else hooked up all the way thru the pressure reg to just short of hooking up to your fuel rail. Then cap it off and make sure your pump has no power to it.

When you are ready for the efi, just hook up your fuel rails correctly at the engine and turn on the pump, does that make sense?. Will that work for ya?

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Tom Notch
Tom's Old VW Home

I'm not sure I follow. What I'd do is install two 3/8" OD stainless steel lines under the car near the tunnel and have a couple of brass "hose adapters" fabricated so that you can hook up the linking 3/8" ID rubber fuel injection hose to your stock fuel tank outlet and fuel pump inlet. Cap off the other stainless steel line with vinyl caps from Home Depot. Why 3/8" for both the delivery and the return line? Because stainless steel fuel line is usually only available in 20-25 foot rolls, which is more than enough to do one car. It is available online from http://www.summitracing.com.

When it comes time to installing the EFI components, remove the "hose adapters" and run full size 3/8" hose everywhere (make sure you buy hose specifically designed for fuel injection purposes, as regular fuel line only has a burst rating of about 30-40 PSI).

If your car has an under-the-hood gas cap, you can drill a 1/4" hole in the side of the filler pipe close to where it is welded to the gas tank. Take a piece of 1/4" steel tubing and put a short radius bend in it. Braze the tube in place so that enough sticks out on the outside to slip a hose over, and so that the inside end points down towards the tank body (if you don't point the discharge end downward, the returning fuel will splash around inside the filler pipe and possibly leak out your vent line). Then use standard rubber fuel line and maybe one of those old brass "hose adapters" to connect the 3/8" stainless steel return line to your newly installed 1/4" return fitting. I don't think I have to warn anybody regarding brazing or welding on gas tanks. Simply take the tank out, drain it, fill it completely with water, and let it sit for a while before draining it again and letting it air dry.

If your car features an external fuel door, you can install a fitting in the long filler pipe. One solution might be to use an all brass valve stem from a tire shop. Brass bolt-together valve stems are used in light duty truck applications because of the high tire pressures, and they feature a rubber grommet that is normally used to seal the valve to the rim. If you unscrew the shraeder valve inside and drill out the core of the brass body as much as you can without compromising the strength of the threaded portion of the stem, you can simply drill a hole in your filler pipe, install the shraeder valve, and slip some 1/4" fuel hose over the exposed threaded end. If you use this technique on cars with under-the-hood gas caps, you'll need to braze a 90 degree fitting to the end inside the tank to direct the discharging fuel downwards (for the same reason outlined above-- don't ask me how I know this).

Thanks for all the responses. How do I adapt my SS lines to high pressure fittings (at least on the pump output side)? I understand that if I use Earl's tubing adapters that I need a different tubing flare kit than the usual 45 degrees. Is that true and where do I find the tube flare kit? Also, Tom do you know if on the '76 Beetle tank are both fittings at the bottom of the tank at the same depth inside?

The tank fittings are the same depth, the difference is that the curved removable outlet tube with the screen on it, sticks up into the tank 25mm from the end of the threaded fitting on the bottom of the tank. Just like a standard VW gas tank, just a bit larger. The picture of the "dog bowl" that I grafted into the bottom of my Notch's tank from the later efi T3 tank, is the same piece that's inside a T1 efi tank.

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Tom Notch
Tom's Old VW Home

Just a thought. You can run all of your F.I. lines now and at your fuel pressure regulator inlet install a tee fitting. The regulator will work as normal but the bottom of the tee would return fuel to your tank. I think that the 3-4 psi would be enough to give you good flow back to the tank. I may try this myself.

I ran the new lines yesterday and found out that I had to add a restriction to the return line to keep from returning too much fuel to the tank. Works like a champ!

[This message has been edited by noincome (edited 05-21-2001).]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Victor H:
Thanks for all the responses. How do I adapt my SS lines to high pressure fittings (at least on the pump output side)? I understand that if I use Earl's tubing adapters that I need a different tubing flare kit than the usual 45 degrees. Is that true and where do I find the tube flare kit?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I ran high pressure (ie: EFI) rubber fuel lines between the fuel pump outlet and the hard 3/8" aluminum fuel delivery line I used... mainly because at the time I simply did not have enough room for all the necessary SS hose fitting adapters, etc. Besides, nobody is going to see it under the gas tank anyway. High pressure rubber fuel line is more than adequate for the task. Just remember to check it every few years for signs of aging.

As for alternatives for joining hard lines to SS fittings such as Aeroquip, Russell, or Earl's, all three companies make the necessary tube nuts & sleeves. As for tools that will flare the necessary 37 degree flaring, I don't know (I even tried Snap-on Tools). However, I simply went ahead and used my standard 45 degree flaring tool and haven't experienced a sealing problem. It is possible that the 45 degree was close enough and that my aluminum fuel lines simply distorted when the 37 degree fittings were tightened down. Can't say whether it would work with stainless steel hard lines, and I'm pretty certain that standard double-walled steel line is still too hard for the necessary distortion to seal the unions.