My fuel lines rusted through. Please help me figure out how to hook them back up...

[badpeanut]

I have a 1971 Blazer. I was driving today and smelled gas. I stopped and found it dripping out where these three fuel lines are attached near the drivers side corner up behind the bumper.

Pic 1: Hard line <-> rubber line <-> rusted hard line

Pic 2: Rusted hard line <-> rubber line <-> hard line

Pic 3: What is left of rusted hard lines and metal cover which caused rust

Pic 4: Wierd tube in bed which hard lines in Pic 2 go to

How do I hook these back up? 1<->A, 2<->B, and 3<->C? Could somebody post a picture of theirs?

Thanks in advance for any help,

Wes

[blazerholic]

Wish I could take pics for ya, but I need to run new electric to my garage (where my 71 2wd is hiding) before I have any lights. I'd probably try cutting the rusty lines up past the rust and adding longer rubber hose to join. I believe these are breather lines. Anybody else know for sure??? I'll check on my 72 tomorrow to see if the lines are the same. Not sure what good pics would do ya though...

[badpeanut]

I intend to get rid of both ends of rubber hose and the rusty lines entirely, and just replace it all with rubber hose. Unfortunately I don't know how to hook up the rubber hose without a picture (three ends on each side--what goes where?).

[blazerholic]

Originally Posted by badpeanut

(three ends on each side--what goes where?).

I see says the blind man... I'll try to get you some pics tomorrow afternoon

[thisolechevy]

If I were you I would find out exactly where each line goes by tracing it and replacing it with all new rubber fuel line. Because in theory if there is one bad place there is bound to be 2!! I would keep it safe, after all a fender bender is all you need to blow something up! think it through
peace

[badpeanut]

The rest of my hard lines are okay. This was the only spot where the factory had a sheet metal cover over the hard lines. This cover held dirt between the underbody and the cover. After 33 years I'm left with this.

[gabet40]

bad peanut-
i completely restored my fuel lines last month. all the fuel lines that you are having problems with are return lines. the return line from the engine goes all the way to that strange tube (i couldnt figure out what it did either) then splits to two return lines, one to each side of the tank.
what kind of carburation are you running? im installing fuel injection so return lines are necessary but when my uncle was driving it, he had a 4 barrel quadrajet in it and wasnt even returning any fuel, so theres a possibility you dont need them.
but if you do need a return line, id say the best thing to do is drop the tank and have the return line that comes back from the engine go straight to a return port on your tank, and plug the port on the other side. this would completely bypass all the rusted lines and that strange tube. also save you a lot of trouble trying to repair the old ones

[badpeanut]

I have the stock 4bbl carb complete with charcoal canistor on mine.

My lines must function since enough gas dripped out while I drove for me to smell it, and when I pulled over I could see my drip trail.

I see the repair as being easy (just eliminate the rusted lines with 12" or so of rubber line). Unfortunately I don't know which lines to hook up.

[gabet40]

yeah your definitely gonna have to drop your tank. plus if those lines are bad theres no way to know what shape the lines connected to the tank are. after you drop it youll be able to tell easily which lines are which.
but if i were you id just bypass all those mess of lines. my tank is still dropped from the blazer so let me know if youd like any pictures

[badpeanut]

Yes, please send me a picture of the fuel lines in this area of your Blazer. I want to see how the hard metal lines labeled "1", "2", and "3" in Pic 1 match up with the hard metal lines labeled "A", "B", and "C" in Pic 2.

Either post here or email them to me at: wstegmil@buffalocity.net

[gabet40]

ok i havent got a program to write on the photos yet so this may be a little tough. in this photo theres two lines coming out of the frame from the engine and one line (with the new hose on it) coming in from the back. the one with the older 'S' hose on it is the main feed line that hooks up to the sending unit. the metal line next to it that comes off the frame then continues back is the main return line. the line with the new hose on it is the return to the passenger side after it has been split by the vent tube

[71RestoRod]

Those are vent lines... and the strange tube is a vapor tube.

You have two lines that run from the tank to the vent tube, one from each side of the gas tank. This is so that when the fuel sloshes back and forth you always have venting on one side or the other. The third line should run to the charcoal canister.

Of course, dont quote me on any of this because I'm only a casual observer and having said all of this it still is indeed a strange setup!!!

(btw, the factory assembly manual has a pretty good picture to go by)

[gabet40]

this is almost the same view as the previous but on this u can see the two lines coming along the crossmember. the one on the inside is the main return line, while the one on the outside is the metal leading to the passenger return. so these two lines have an opposite flow direction

[gabet40]

heres where the two lines come off the crossmember. the first one to come off (the line furthest to the right) is the main return, while the other is the passenger return. at the bottom of the photo u can see the the driver return after the vent tube, hanging ready to be attached to the tank, exactly like the pass side

[gabet40]

this is on the drivers side of the frame where they run to the vent tube. the bottom line is the main return and u cant tell in this pic but theres two other lines above it

[gabet40]

heres where they go into the tube. the line furthest right is the main return (line number 3 in your pic 1, and line A in your pic 2) and the other two are the pass and driver side returns

[gabet40]

so the one in your pic 2 thats rusted all the way through can go to either of the return ports on your tank. one of your returns after the split is still in tact right? that way youll know where the other one runs to, but it wont matter which side you run each one cuz they do the same thing.

[71RestoRod]

Just got home from work... had this page marked in the assembly manual.

[gabet40]

that is a sweet diagram. which assembly manual is that? i gotta get it

[Gee_Emm]

Its from the factory assembly manual, most if not all vendors sell it, its a good thing to have.

[badpeanut]

Thanks for the help everyone! Here is my repair:

[gabet40]

looks great!