What fuel line can I use?
06-27-2016, 08:55 PM
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What fuel line can I use?
First off, I apologize for not knowing if there is a coast guard approved method, I couldn't find much on-line about it. I am more of a car guy but my neighbor wanted to get rid of his boat last year so I took it. Its a 1988 Chris Craft 245 with a 454 and a bravo 1. He wanted to junk it because one of the valves got stuck in the guide a few seasons back over the winter and he ripped the engine apart and forgot about it for 3 years with no heads or manifold on it. So I towed it home pumped about a gallon of water out of it, slapped on some 781 heads off my old chevelle and went a boatin' Yes I am as amazed it actually runs as you are. I love these big blocks, cant kill um
I dig it, but my dilemma today is this. The old q-jet that I found in the cuddy works, but the idle was a bit funky and the throttle bushing a bit loose. I bought a marine q-jet on-line a few weeks back and when I went to start the boat on the muffs it fired up fine but the steel line that goes into the front of the q-jet was leaking. I see the steel line from the mechanical fuel pump to the carb was cut in half and joined by a compression fitting. (you can see this in the picture below, compression fitting in front of the starboard valve cover) Strange right? Well I think I know why. The fuel diagrams I see on-line for mercruiser have the fuel line coming out of the pump facing the front of the engine, then up to the top of the engine and the in towards the carb. Well, the pump on the boat has the fitting for the fuel line coming out of the back of the fuel pump, towards the flywheel. 180deg in the opposite direction. It looks like in efforts to salvage the OEM steel line someone had at one time cut the line, rotated it 180deg towards the carb and it worked fine. Now it leaks with the new carb. I tried cutting the flare off and making a new double flare. Still leaks. I tried swapping the inlet fittings from the old carb to the new carb. Still leaks. I see one of two options here. Order a new steel OEM line that matches the way the pump outlet is. Or put a AN fitting on the existing steel line, to a braded hose and install a AN fitting in the carb and call it a day.
I found a line that is exactly what I need in this picture, but I have reservations about ordering it because the diagram in the mercrusier catalog has it 180 deg flipped.
http://bpi.ebasicpower.com/shop/inde...ducts_id=10905
Or use the AN fittings. Am I allowed to use braided line in a boat in place of the steel line? Can I?
I dig it, but my dilemma today is this. The old q-jet that I found in the cuddy works, but the idle was a bit funky and the throttle bushing a bit loose. I bought a marine q-jet on-line a few weeks back and when I went to start the boat on the muffs it fired up fine but the steel line that goes into the front of the q-jet was leaking. I see the steel line from the mechanical fuel pump to the carb was cut in half and joined by a compression fitting. (you can see this in the picture below, compression fitting in front of the starboard valve cover) Strange right? Well I think I know why. The fuel diagrams I see on-line for mercruiser have the fuel line coming out of the pump facing the front of the engine, then up to the top of the engine and the in towards the carb. Well, the pump on the boat has the fitting for the fuel line coming out of the back of the fuel pump, towards the flywheel. 180deg in the opposite direction. It looks like in efforts to salvage the OEM steel line someone had at one time cut the line, rotated it 180deg towards the carb and it worked fine. Now it leaks with the new carb. I tried cutting the flare off and making a new double flare. Still leaks. I tried swapping the inlet fittings from the old carb to the new carb. Still leaks. I see one of two options here. Order a new steel OEM line that matches the way the pump outlet is. Or put a AN fitting on the existing steel line, to a braded hose and install a AN fitting in the carb and call it a day.
I found a line that is exactly what I need in this picture, but I have reservations about ordering it because the diagram in the mercrusier catalog has it 180 deg flipped.
http://bpi.ebasicpower.com/shop/inde...ducts_id=10905
Or use the AN fittings. Am I allowed to use braided line in a boat in place of the steel line? Can I?
06-27-2016, 09:33 PM
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there are no braided hoses that are coast guard approved that I know of. personally I would make up a new steel line. it is possible that the line is splitting when you flare it. I have had that happen with certain lines and no matter how much I cut it back it would still split when flared.
