datsun327 Posted January 13, 2005 Share Posted January 13, 2005 in the final process of my v8 swap. where and how to route to fuel line. im running a holley blue pump,2 in line filters, and fuel press. regulator/ was woundering where to route the 3/8 steel fuel line. was think of mounting pump in the stock 260z location. and running line in tranny tunnel. does anyone have any pic or write up on this small issue. feel free to add in any extra helpful info about fuel system installtion. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted January 14, 2005 Share Posted January 14, 2005 I used 3/8" hard line also and ran it along the upper passenger side of the tunnel. I tried to run it along the middle but there isn't enough room to get past the hand brake hardware unless you run one line down each side. Oh, BTW I'm running an LT1 so I had to run a feed and return, if you're running a carb you may not. I used loops with rubber coating on them I got from Home Depot to hang the tubing. It's found in the electronic department and costs about $1.50 per package of 6. If you want I can post a picture as I don't have the engine or tranny installed right now. Let me know. Edit: I decided to just post the picture anyway so here it is. I need to move the line that's closest to the center of the tunnel a little to the right where it crosses the tunnel brace but other than that everything clears. I also plan on shortening the line in the engine bay to eliminate the 90 degree bends, my bender is a piece of junk and the line kinked slightly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I think this is the route I'll take with mine. Since it's an LS1 I can run the fuel line into the back and exit from the other side. I guess that I would have to run flex from the manifold to where ever the lines end up. 3/8" should be a good size for the feed, and 1/4 for the return. I guess I'll be venting through the original lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 A nice sanitary job of running fuel lines, wish all were that clean. A thought with that route is; What happens if and when your driveshaft takes a crap, possibly cuts the fuel lines, has sparks, you know the rest. IMHO I'd run it where the stock lines are on the bottom of the car inside the pseudo frame rail or on the outside of the pseudo frame rail. I ran stainless braided hose on the outside of my reinforced frame rail, but that is a big expense by the time you buy fittings. Just my opinion, but I think it is a safety concern and with the HP these things crank out......well you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Humm, good point. I hate fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
COZY Z COLE Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I agree 100% with dr hunt. I broke the front diff mount and the shaft went up and beat the HELL out of the emergency brake assm. The rear end came loose at another time ( long story) and the shaft went up and did the same thing....DAMN. the saving grace was that the fuel lines are routed along the frame rails. There is no way I would route them through that tunnel..JMO LARRY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Dr_Hunt and Cozy, This is a 73 240Z which has all the fuel and brake lines run pretty much where I ran mine, thats why I decided to put them where I did. I also plan on running a drive shaft loop, I just don't have it installed yet. Before I fab the loop I need to have the drive shaft built and install everything so I can make sure nothing rubs. Unless I'm wrong the loop should prevent the shaft from contacting the fuel lines should it let go. One other thing to consider is that these lines aren't aluminum, not that it would make a huge difference if the shaft was to beat on them a while. Please guys correct me if I'm wrong!!! I thought about running the fuel lines along the frame rails but didn't like how exposed they would be there. Edit #1: DaleMX, You might want to reconsider using 1/4" for a return line. I'm running an LT1 and the feed and return lines at the rails are 3/8" and 5/16" respectively. I would think an LS1 will need lines at least as big. Wheelman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Juday Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I ran 3/8" aluminum (fitting steel lines is a major ordeal fraught with much pain and cursing) supply and return lines. I used the original path and the stock rubber clamps. On a '73 this is through the tunnel. On the latter 280's Nissan ran them along the frame rails. Either location, IMHO, has it's pluses and minuses. I decided that since Nissan had put them there and supplied the nice little clamps for me it was probably a reasonable place for them to be. On the clamps I just removed the rubber piece, clamped the two sides up in a vice and drilled out the smaller holes to bigger ones. On the ends where I had to deviate from the stock locations I also used the rubber coated clamps. Worked great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaleMX Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Quote from wheelman: DaleMX, You might want to reconsider using 1/4" for a return line. I'm running an LT1 and the feed and return lines at the rails are 3/8" and 5/16" respectively. I would think an LS1 will need lines at least as big. Thanks, I measured the lines supplied by Speed Inc. for my setup and they are 3/8 and 5/16. Your right, a small return line would build pressure and make me run rich or burn up my pump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr_hunt Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Well, I was driving my '73 chevy crew cab 3/4 ton truck one night about 90mph. That long winded thing had a drive line about 15 feet long. Well, it came apart, took off the dual exhaust including mufflers and the fuel lines were inside the c type frame rails, beat them in half and caught on fire, and yes, they were steel lines too. Good thing the dual gas tanks were on the outside of both frame rails and it was carburated and had a mechanical pump on the motor instead of an electric pump in the tank or it could have been alot worse. IMHO when a drive line comes apart, they are turning at the same or more rpm as the engine, say 3K or 4K or whatever, they can beat the crap out of anything, drive line safety loop or not. I guess my point is that no place is 100 percent safe, just that the trans/driveline tunnel probably isn't as safe as outboard side of the pseudo frame rails, but that's MO and food for thought is that later z's apparently have moved them as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I am really curious after reading the posts in this thread, How many people are running their fuel lines down the chassis rail instead of in the trans tunnel??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buZy Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Mine is in oem tunnel location. Yea if the driveline exploded etc, ..not good. Inside the frame rail would be safer, but that has other maintinence issues too. Running it along side the frame rail/floorpan exposes to road debris. Nobody is safe. If safety is #1...stay off the throttle or sell the Z buy a new minivan lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkach Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I ran my down the chassis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSM Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 I like what Jeffer949 did on his car 74 260z w/Turbo swap. He left the lines all stock and mounted a surge tank in the front of the car. Then mounted the highpressure pump in the front right off the surge tank. Much cheaper route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 I had a look under a 280zx over the weekend and compared it to my 1974 260z - the chassis rails on the 280zx hang down about 2-3" in comparison to about 10-20mm on my 260z - there is alot more cover for the fuel lines on the 280zx on the inside of the chassis rails compared to the 260z!!! Thats probably why Nissan ran the lines down the inside of the chassis rails in the later Z'ds, I gotta pull the engine any way, think I might just re-mount the lines back in the transmission tunnel, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonycharger72 Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 However, if you reinforced the chassis rails, like welded some channel over the top of the existing chassis rail to give some protection I think that would give you piece of mind, but would certainly prefer some sort of guard, because my stock chassis rails are really thin!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktm Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 It all depends on your car. You can not run them down the rail on a 240z. The rail is not that deep and it ends mid-pan. I ran mine in the trans tunnel, but on the driver side (used braided SS hose and not a hardline). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tkach Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Did anybody use any kind of heat shielding on their fuel lines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony D Posted June 29, 2008 Share Posted June 29, 2008 Many will encase the fuel lines inside a larger pipe of hefty wall when in the vicinity of the flywheel 'plane of rotation' as wel... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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