I went out to the garage today to start building my fuel system, little did I know that I'd make little progress. This is a 78 Mustang II that's getting a 2.3 turbo. My original plans were to have a bung welded in the gas tank and pipe the original 1/4" main line into that for the return line and use the original tank pickup as the main line. I planned on running rubber fuel line from the pickup to the pump, it's only 6" so I thought no need for a metal line there. Then run metal line up to the engine compartment, and bridge the gap between the fuel rail and metal main and return lines with rubber fuel lines. For starters, I had the bung welded 1" to high in the tank and it hits the support, doh! Then I realized that I can't use rubber, low-pressure fuel line in a high-pressure fuel injected system. Then, from another post by Stinger, I realized that the fuel line size on the fuel rail and inline pump (from a Merkur) are the goofy Ford lines and wouldn't even take my rubber lines anyways. So now, I need to plug the first bung I had welded in, have a new one put in. Figure out how to safley connect the original carburated pick-up line to a high pressure line (maybe just cut off the flange and use the connecting things). Then get some Ford fuel line connectors and get them mounted to a high pressure line. I know the Ford connectors have a hard plastic line on them, how do you connect that to a metal line? Any other comments about this new system would be great, I really wish I would have asked the first time around instead of wasting so much time, oh well, all in the name of learning.
Although it may not necessarily work...maybe you would be better off taking the frame hardlines from an EFI car and adapting them to your II. The plastic/rubber lines connect to the hardlines at the frame with some of those weird clip things that ford uses. The ends of the hardlines and flanged for them. Either that, or you could get some AN adapters and run braided line or something.
There is a high pressure rubber line available from most parts stores. It's more expensive than regular fuel line, but I think it would solve at least one of your headaches. Double check the rated psi of the fuel pump as I believe the high pressure fuel hose is rated at 50 psi. After rereading your post, it looks like you're wanting to use rubber line on the suction side of the pump. the 50 psi hose should do the trick, its not going to see the output pressure of the pump and should be stiff enough not to suck shut when the pump is running. I'm also wondering if you could use a compression fitting to make the transition from the metal lines to the ford plastic lines. A couple of friends of mine who are fleet mechanics and work on Fords daily have had success placing the plastic lines in near boiling water to soften the line to remove or install the factory fittings. If it were me, and I didn't really need to use the factory fittings, I'd cut the plastic line behind the fitting to get to a clean section of hose, and use a brass compression fitting to make the junction. You'd still have a means to disconnect the lines and it would make the job that much easier. just my .02
Well, I went out to the junk yard today and got a bunch of thoes connectors attatched to the hard plastic lines. It looks like the hard lines go over the metal lines. So I'll try what was previously mentioned and put it in boiling water to soften it, then try to press it over a metal line. the return line shouldn't require high pressure fittings right?
