36 Dodge - Frozen Brass Fuel Line Fittings

[1936 D2]

My turn for a question...

I found most of my poor starting/running issues turned out to be a slowly failing mechanical fuel pump. I went to my pile of spares and got all set to replace the pump. Was going pretty good until I found two brass fuel line fittings have frozen themselves together! These fittings are on the pump end of the rubber flex fuel line. normally I would heat the outer one a bit and these brass pieces would come right apart. But I'm not going to do that on this fuel line part. I assume the steel line is filled right up to the rubber flex line because the glass bowl was full on the pump.

So I am looking for opinions on how to part these frozen fittings. I don't think I need the 90 degree angle fitting anymore because of a slightly different AC fuel pump configuration. (The new one is more correct).

I wanted to try a flare nut wrench on the hose fitting but the hose is larger than the fitting hex. I used a nice standard open end wrench and a larger wide surface crescent wrench on the adapter fitting but, as expected, the open end rounded off the hose end fitting. :mad: I then used a needle nose vise grip pliers on the hose fitting and the same crescent wrench on the adapter fitting. Even as tight as I could possibly apply the vise grip pliers on the hose fitting in this very tight space, it STILL rounded off the hex some more!

So that's where I sit right now. I am supposed to have the car at a show tomorrow morning (nine hours from now!) but it doesn't look like that will happen if I damage the hose fitting any more than it already is.

Any ideas?

[32bizcoupe]

Perhaps an iron would heat up the brass without the flame?

[frankngin]

Take a Drumel tool with a cut-off wheel. Cut part way down on each flat side of the 90*. Take a cold chisle and wack it in the slit. Do it again and again untill it cracks and un screw it. Or heat it in boiling water let it full boil for at least 5 minutes. Have gloves and wrenches ready you only get one shot at it.

Frank

[1936 D2]

Both are interesting ideas! They both involve the heat idea I was considering.

I still wonder whats going on with those threads? Why is that so tight? Does brass sort of "weld" itself together over time? (They have been tight since about 1996.) Is there a corrosion going on that expands like iron rust does and causes the parts to get even tighter? If so, what would the solvents be for this corrosion?

Let's see if there are any other ideas too. In the mean time I am going to try the dry heat (iron) first. That's the least invasive I guess.

[1936 D2]

OK. Dry heat from the soldering iron did the trick. It took four cycles of heat and wrench with the heat at around one minute each time on the 90 degree angle adapter. Persistence paid off. The only casualty was the hex on the hose end. I really had to put some maximum vice pressure on the grips to keep them from slipping. (There is a fair amount of "gold dust" down on the splash apron!) Then POP! It was instantly finger loose! Looking at the threads I see NO corrosion. the only light corrosion/deposits are in the gasoline flow area of the inner tubing. So this would tend to make me think it was just very tight well machined threads doing their thing!

Thanks again guys for the replies! I will finish up in the AM and probably make it to the show - hopefully on time!

[35cz8]

Glad to hear you resolved the problem. I am sure I will run into some problems as I progress with my old Dodge too.

bc

[1936 D2]

Yup. But as an example, the problems never seem to end. And that's the "fun" of old cars!

After many conniptions because of the very tight space and all the trouble with the frozen connectors, I was finally able to get the new (NOS - Very nice looking!) fuel pump in. Whew!

Got it started up right off. Ran well - for about three minutes. Then the "new" fuel pump's diaphragm apparently failed because there was fuel coming out of the small weep hole under the diaphragm chamber! Talk about frustration!!! And not going to make the show after all!!!

Such are "old cars".

Have a good one. And thanks again for the info!

[Guest 1930]

I went to a show recently and there was a nice 36 Dodge pick-up there. Original for the most part from what I know. I waited and walked around a bit but never could see the owner. I wish that I had a camera but I did not. How often do we ever see original old cars at any shows that are not Fords.