This was on socalbiodiesel yahoogroup
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Message 7
From: "Clark, Rich" rich.clark@w....
Date: Fri May 19, 2006 4:26pm(PDT)
Subject: Re: WVO and SVO are not Biodiesel
I recently rebuilt the fuel system on my GMC Yukon with a 6.5L and the
trickiest part is finding appropriate fuel line. NAPA sells "Heavy Duty
Fuel Injection Hose" which is made by Gates rubber and is basically
normal synthetic rubber fuel line surrounding a fluorelastomer tube.
This is also known as the brand names "Viton" and "Fluoran" by other
manufacturers. This is the cheapest place I could find compatible 3/8"
hose, and replaced all the 3/8" hose on the truck with it. About $19 a
foot. Unfortunately, GM used 1/4" hose as the main tank return line,
and 3/16" for the return lines from the injectors. I don't think Ford
uses return lines from the injectors, only from the injection pump,
regardless if it is a Cummins or International (depending on year of
your truck), but I am unsure of this. For the smaller lines, I tried to
find fluran tubing, and the problem was not the price (about $25-$45 per
foot) but that no one stocked it in the whole country and 50 feet was a
minimum order with a 6 week lead time. So I used instead the
polyeurethane fuel line sold by Procycle:
http://www.procycle.us/main/fuel_hose.htm
The line is transparent blue. I have tried other types of "poly fuel
line" that was clear, but it swells like the rubber does. I also tried
to use silicon fuel line for the return lines from the injectors, but
eventually it also succumbed to biodiesel...
At the time I started the rebuild project in December, I took all the
various hoses I had accumulated and dropped them in a jar of biodiesel.
I had accumulated probably 10 different types of hose, and all of them
failed and started to either swell or rot except the blue poly hose from
ProCycle and the NAPA (Gates Rubber) hose. The blue poly hose was
tested by me to about 300 degrees F (with no liquid inside), before it
became to soft to use, and the rubber hose is what you would expect as
far as heat goes. Fluorelastomer tubing has a much higher heat
resistance, but costs a fortune, if it could be found. The silicon hose
(available from hobby stores) showed great heat resistance, but
eventually turned out to be unusable, even though it it rated for
alcohol and diesel use..
To clamp the hoses, I used standard screw type clamps (lined so the
perferations don't cut the hose [Oetiker Mini R]) for the 3/8" and 1/4"
and for the 3/16" and 1/8" poly line, I got Oetiker 15100009 and
15100004 or 15100003 crimp on ear clamps that can be tightened with a
small pair of dikes. All the clamps can be got from:
H.W. Eckhardt - Huntington Beach, CA @ 800-606-4466 or 714-375-4926.
Rich Clark
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