Fuel line question for 1956 Thunderbird

zuburg

zuburg

Senior Member
I discovered a gas leak on my 1956 Thunderbird in my garage. Strong fumes and quite a large puddle of gas collecting on the floor. I looked under the car and saw an active leak, so I siphoned some of the gas out of the tank and maybe releasing the pressure helped as well and got the leak stopped. The puddle evaporated away. In inspecting the area of the leak, I found that the metal tubing that connects to the tank was not all metal. About 6 inches from the tank, there was a two inch piece of rubber hose connecting two metal tubing pieces. It was held on with just spring clamps, not screw clamps. Is this type of "repair? acceptable, at least for the short term? Or does it need to be tubing all the way? Is it acceptable to cut a short piece of tubing with fittings on each end to patch the line? I was hoping for a temporary fix, I could replace the spring clamps with screw clamps to get a tighter fit. In measuring the tubing, it appears to be about 1/4" OD.
 
The repair is acceptable unless you're going for a concours points winner. The gas line was originally solid tubing from the tank almost to the fuel pump and you can replace it as such, but the body needs to be lifted off the frame. The original gas line was installed on the frame before the body. Screw clamps work fine and while you're under there you may as well replace the piece of hose with new. It's likely dried out and hard as a carp by now.
 
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Use modern fuel injection hose rated for ethanol, if it's in use in your area. Older hoses deteriorate rapidly with ethanol. Could be the cause of the leak.
 
zuburg said:
I discovered a gas leak on my 1956 Thunderbird in my garage. Strong fumes and quite a large puddle of gas collecting on the floor...... About 6 inches from the tank, there was a two inch piece of rubber hose connecting two metal tubing pieces. ...
In measuring the tubing, it appears to be about 1/4" OD.
Click to expand...

Dobie Gillis said:
..... you may as well replace the piece of hose with new. It's likely dried out and hard as a carp by now.
Click to expand...

miker98038 said:
Use modern fuel injection hose rated for ethanol, if it's in use in your area. Older hoses deteriorate rapidly with ethanol.....
Click to expand...
I have no idea what you're talking about. :rolleyes:
Here's one off the outlet of my 55's fuel tank.

IIRC the fuel line is 5/16" OD.
Don't bother trying 3/8 ID rubber tubing on the smooth metal fuel line, it's slightly too large to tighten without leaking.
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Almost sounds like there was a leak in the original fuel line that was cut out and "repaired" with a length of rubber hose.
 
I'm pretty sure DMSFRR is right about the 5/16", and for sure about 3/8" on a 5/16 OD tube. When I replaced the OEM fuel line on my bird, we had to figure out where we could cut it, and make up a nut/flare/coupling/flare/nut to splice it when we got it in. But my comment still stands on modern hose. It also applies to the hose from the hard line to the fuel pump, and anywhere else you use hose and ethanol fuel.

And we never know who or why some odd repair was done on these old cars.
 
Use 5/16" ethanol rated fuel hose. Ask for "ethanol fuel rated" hose specifically at you local auto parts store. They will cut to whatever length you specify. I don't care much for the old spring-loaded clamps. Get some wormgear clamps that will work within the range of 5/16 hose while you are getting the hose.
 
I don't have bird, but my Edsel line rubbed a hole in it in the same spot on the body over the years somehow. I had to jack it up to work on the brakes and found the leak. The pump would still pull the fuel but would leak if the car leaned to the drivers side on jacks. I cut out about 4 inches and put in a ethanol rated rubber line with hose clamps. That was over a year ago. No problems since.
 
Quite normal for to have a rubber hose between the tank and fuel line. Take the opportunity to splice in a gas filter. This way you can catch any crud well before the fuel pump. Use quality worm style clamps and I agree your Bird should have 5/16" lines.
 
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