35 Buick fuel line

[Buick35]

On my 35 40 series Buick I have a rubber fuel line attached to the hard line from the fuel pump to the carburetor. I did that to install an old type glass bowl fuel filter my neighbor gave me. Should I do away with that filter( there's one on the fuel pump) and just run a hard line all the way to the carb. to the pump? Pictures of others cars would help,Thanks. Greg.

[Jim Nelson]

I have a 35-58 that has several issues.   I needed to renovate my fuel system.    The fuel tank had the bottom full of pin holes.    I went to “ReNu” that fixed my tank.   The fuel line was in 3 seperate pieces..   BTW,  I replaced the original fuel outlet line that went into the tank.  Eliminated it.    The ‘35’ tank has a modern mount that uses the 5 screw attachment.   The ‘35’ tank used the mount to attach the level transmitter.   I bought a ‘39 - ? 54’ combo unit.   This gave me a fuel outlet pipe and a level indicating transmitter at the same point.   I needed to bend (very carefully) the line from the new unit because it was pointing 180* wrong.    I brought it around to point towards the drivers side.    I then changed over to flex fuel line - 5/16’ - and mounted the fuel boost pump with a large filter in front of the pump.   BTW the boost pump has a  ? 25 micron filter for fuel entering the pump.    So with the plastic cartridge filter with a Approx 300 micron  filter,   being my pre-filter, anything leaving the tank is good to go.    I did NOT use the original fuel pump with the glass filter.   Why ?   If you have an accident and break the glass filter and your engine keeps running,  you just lost your very nice pre-war car.   That is a big safety issue.    I then replaced the fuel line from the boost system  forward to a point about under the pax seat.    The steel line from forward was good.   I ran the flex line with heater hose that just went around the flex line.   Then I used electrical conduit clips to go around the hose to hold it so no vibration would chaff the line.     I have pix if you want.   If you are one of those guys who must be 100 % 1935, then my next item has a insulated cover around the fuel line after it leaves the pump to the carb.    This minimizes a vapor locking of fuel .    With the flex line from he tothe[pint under the. Pax seat,   it let  me run the fuel line easily and secured to the woof framing.    

[FLYER15015]

Buick35,

Yup, you had better get rid of all the rubber and plumb it in solid, before Matt Harwood sees this post !!!

He will jump all over you, if you use the wrong clamps on your hoses too.

 

Ask me how I know.

 

Mike in Colorado

[Jim Nelson]

If you knew how the original fuel line ran and how it entered and picked up fuel, you to would go crazy.   You would have to remove the body ( hang it over the frame) .    Then wind around the frame and suspension with the fuel line - - -,.   The fuel pickup pipe and how it was attached to the tank - - -.   I say Buick engineers (?) were having a bad hair day when they designed and installed the fuel system.     There is no way I would go to that effort to duplicate that fuel line path.   Throw in the ‘Marvel’  up draft carb and I almost get a headache just thinking about it.    Buick 35-40 series was the best thing.   That model had the last of mechanical brakes and the beginning of the 248 engine.   The first  Stromberg carb’s that we’re so far advanced that put Marvel  carb’s to shame....   Water pump on the front of the head,  mounting the generator on the drivers side etc.      The 50, 60 and 80 series all had the early 30’s  accessory design.       Matt has good thoughts on restoring our great cars.  He has the right ideas so we can see how it was really done back then.     I choose to bypass some of the very bad designs with safe options that let me put them back on the road.    People are interested in these 80+ year old cars and how they were made.   As we know, only the few people who know these cars as they were originally built really appreciate the engineering changes that were coming fast.....

[AussieTim]

Greg,

Here are some photos of my 1935 Series 40 with the hard line from the pump to the carburetor.  

Regards, Tim

[Jim Nelson]

Tim,    You might want to change the bolt that holds the gas line to the thermostat housing.   I replaced the bolt with a ‘all thread’ piece so I could remove / move the gas line with out disturbing the thermostat housing gasket.       Bottom  nut holds the housing together .   Then  I put the gas line bracket over the stud and then the top nut.      Interesting,  Greg 35 is just finishing up painting his ‘35’ with the same color.    I have a ‘35-58’ with the ‘pony brown’ color scheme.    The ‘35-58’  Vicky was only available in two colors.    A very dark green and pony brown.    My paint is getting rough as it’s beginning to peal off.   It’s not original but it’s a second time paint.    They did a good job but it’s been 30 or 40 years ago.    Fenders are good but the body will need work in the future.

[Matt Harwood]

On 8/2/2019 at 6:24 PM, FLYER15015 said:

Buick35,

Yup, you had better get rid of all the rubber and plumb it in solid, before Matt Harwood sees this post !!!

He will jump all over you, if you use the wrong clamps on your hoses too.

 

Ask me how I know.

 

Mike in Colorado

 

Have I said unkind things to you or about your car, Mike? I know what I like and don't like, but I don't necessarily care what people do with their cars. However, if something is incorrect or unsafe I feel like it's not unreasonable to tell them about it--most such issues are where people just don't know any better and learning isn't a bad thing. Rubber fuel lines ARE a mistake. They ARE unsafe. There's a reason the factory made them from metal.
 

Have I offended you somehow? If so, I'm genuinely sorry.

[FLYER15015]

We are good Matt.

I forgot to put the HE HE  at the end of my post.

Mike

[FLYER15015]

Here is what I did on my '40 LTD to solve the vapor lock issue.

Fuel line runs from the pump over to the right inner fender panel, back to the firewall, under the coil and over the valve cover, and in to the carb from the back

I do have a glass bowl filter hard plumbed to the carb, and the fuel line is covered with 1/2" heater hose from the pump to the filter.

Picture shows it coming over the valve cover.

Though I know this is not 'kosher", mine is a driver and I am not going after any "badges".

Living at 8500 ft and with very few flat roads, the dreaded vapor lock is a way of life, and this set up has solved that issue for me.

 

Mike in Colorado