1957 Roadmaster - How does this "fuel" line terminate?

[High Desert]

I took hundreds of nice photos when I was taking the fuel tank and engine from the car but I cannot find any photos that detail how this fuel "return" line should reconnect. My buick service manual seems to make no reference and Google is failing me. 

I'm thinking that this wasn't hooked up when I originally disassembled. 

 

1. Where should this hose terminate in the engine compartment? 

2. Where/How should this hose terminate at the fuel tank area?

 

I cut some off the portion of hose showing in the photo near the master cylinder, so it was about a foot longer before this photo. 

[High Desert]

Here are a few more photos. This hose runs along the driver side frame. 

Edited June 16, 2020 by High Desert (see edit history)

[dei]

The rubber hose is a fuel "supply" line.

The end of the hose at the rear of the car connects to the gas tank on the fuel gauge which has the pickup in the bottom of the tank. The tube at the top of the tank is only a vent with a short hose clipped onto the cross member above where the springs, are preventing it from draining the tank. 

 

 

My tank is a '58 with the gauge on the side whereas the '57 I believe is on the top of the tank.

 

The hose goes onto the fuel pump naturally on the engine. Then there is a hose that goes up to the fuel filter and then another on to the carburetor.

 

Hope this helps. 

[buick5563]

If it is actually a 1/4” return line instead of a 5/16” supply line (assuming the original metal supply line is still in place), it is possible somebody engineered it to combat vapor lock like in “newer” AC cars. My 63 Wildcat had one, I think maybe they started as early as 1960. 
IF this is the case, it should connect to a fuel filter with two outlets. So 5/16” IN, 5/16” out to carb AND 1/4” return out which then goes back and dumps back in the tank somehow. 

[lancemb]

Yes, it originally had no line running along the driver side.  Just the supply line along the passenger side.

[High Desert]

What I believe I'm hearing is that most 1957 Buicks do not have a second fuel hose running along the driver side frame, just the passenger side. 

This is a 5/16" hose that appears to be the same vintage as the fuel supply hose on the passenger side and also looks to have been factory designed and installed. 

I'm removing this second hose since it isn't needed. Thanks everyone! 

Edited June 17, 2020 by High Desert (see edit history)

[High Desert]

Here is another part of the mystery. I beleve this T intersection was what was on the car at the fuel tank end when I took it apart. Someone had removed the brass nipple from one side and soldered it shut. This would have been the nipple for the driver side hose. 

 

Edited June 17, 2020 by High Desert (see edit history)

[buick man]

Yeah Don there was no factory "T" connection off the tank. The new for 1957 rubber line replaced the previous years steel lines and ran from the center of the tank outlet over the top of the cross member over the axle to the passenger frame rail with factory spade clips located with factory milled holes made at about 4 foot intervals drilled into the frame rail to accept the rubber fuel line clips. The factory rubber fuel line continued up to the engine on the passenger side and was secured by clips located at the frame engine cradle area and there is one just before the fuel pump located on the top of cradle along the fender inner well skirt.  The hose from the tank to the fuel pump is 1 continuous piece about 12 feet or so if memory serves me. From the fuel pump from the factory for 1957 it bypassed the previous years mounting at the thermostat goose neck as the factory eliminated the glass bulb configuration and instead used an additional rubber fuel hose which ran from the fuel pump to the front face of the carb be it the Carter or the Rochester being used by the factory.  Therefore no fuel line on the driver's side nor coming up at or near the master brake component assemblies.  Later during the model run, there was 2 different incarnations after the fuel pump.  Both included ditching the In Tank fuel filter and instead incorporated either going back to previous model years glass bowl mounting arrangement or simple using a metal In-Line fuel filter.  Factory clamps were of the simple screw less spring dog ear type clamp that one need only use a plies to install.  

 

As you can see in the photo from a October 1957 Test Drive report, the fuel line goes from the fuel pump via the rubber hose to the front of carb using no glass bowl filter setup.  But notice at the thermostat goose neck the old bracket which was used in the previous model years using glass is still in place via the factory.  The carb shown is the Carter 2507 4 barrel.  Note too the master cylinder power plunger tank ( #6 location ) s not painted black but rather was rendered via the factory in silver cadmium plating and there is no fuel line anywhere near it.

 

 

Excerpt from the test drive review regarding engine components for the new 1957 nailhead engine : 

 

[buick man]

Photo of spade clips used used to secure rubber fuel hose along frame and the type of clip used to secure at front frame cross member just before fuel pump.

 

[High Desert]

9 hours ago, buick man said:

Photo of spade clips used used to secure rubber fuel hose along frame and the type of clip used to secure at front frame cross member just before fuel pump.

 

Thanks! Yes, it does have those clips on the passenger side. I replace the hose there too (not all the clips survived that process). 

[High Desert]

10 hours ago, buick man said:

Yeah Don there was no factory "T" connection off the tank. The new for 1957 rubber line replaced the previous years steel lines and ran from the center of the tank outlet over the top of the cross member over the axle to the passenger frame rail with factory spade clips located with factory milled holes made at about 4 foot intervals drilled into the frame rail to accept the rubber fuel line clips. The factory rubber fuel line continued up to the engine on the passenger side and was secured by clips located at the frame engine cradle area and there is one just before the fuel pump located on the top of cradle along the fender inner well skirt.  The hose from the tank to the fuel pump is 1 continuous piece about 12 feet or so if memory serves me. From the fuel pump from the factory for 1957 it bypassed the previous years mounting at the thermostat goose neck as the factory eliminated the glass bulb configuration and instead used an additional rubber fuel hose which ran from the fuel pump to the front face of the carb be it the Carter or the Rochester being used by the factory.  Therefore no fuel line on the driver's side nor coming up at or near the master brake component assemblies.  Later during the model run, there was 2 different incarnations after the fuel pump.  Both included ditching the In Tank fuel filter and instead incorporated either going back to previous model years glass bowl mounting arrangement or simple using a metal In-Line fuel filter.  Factory clamps were of the simple screw less spring dog ear type clamp that one need only use a plies to install.  

 

As you can see in the photo from a October 1957 Test Drive report, the fuel line goes from the fuel pump via the rubber hose to the front of carb using no glass bowl filter setup.  But notice at the thermostat goose neck the old bracket which was used in the previous model years using glass is still in place via the factory.  The carb shown is the Carter 2507 4 barrel.  Note too the master cylinder power plunger tank ( #6 location ) s not painted black but rather was rendered via the factory in silver cadmium plating and there is no fuel line anywhere near it.

 

 

Excerpt from the test drive review regarding engine components for the new 1957 nailhead engine : 

 

This is solid information! It looks more and more like someone added the hose the the driver side on their own for some reason during this car's life. 

[High Desert]

I spoke with Dad today. He asked if I ever figured out the second fuel line issue on the Buick. This is the same car he was driving to school when he was 16.

I told him the second fuel line didn't belong and that I could only assume that someone used that line to feed an electric fuel pump that had been installed in the engine area at one time to provide gasoline for something else, or to fill other tanks. 

Dad said that would make sense. He heard that the original owner was a traveling salesman and that the car was used to pull boats, so the salesman may have used a secondary pump to fill small tanks for the boats. 

Who knows the histories of these cars? 

[DCCD]

On 6/21/2020 at 10:46 PM, High Desert said:

I spoke with Dad today. He asked if I ever figured out the second fuel line issue on the Buick. This is the same car he was driving to school when he was 16.

I told him the second fuel line didn't belong and that I could only assume that someone used that line to feed an electric fuel pump that had been installed in the engine area at one time to provide gasoline for something else, or to fill other tanks. 

Dad said that would make sense. He heard that the original owner was a traveling salesman and that the car was used to pull boats, so the salesman may have used a secondary pump to fill small tanks for the boats. 

Who knows the histories of these cars? 

@High Desert, did you replace the fuel line with regular, rubber fuel line (type used for non fuel injection cars? 

Does anybody know if that'll be fine to use?

[avgwarhawk]

9 hours ago, DCCD said:

@High Desert, did you replace the fuel line with regular, rubber fuel line (type used for non fuel injection cars? 

Does anybody know if that'll be fine to use?

Any rubber fuel line that can withstand ethenol corn gas should be fine. 

[High Desert]

On 7/2/2021 at 9:30 AM, DCCD said:

@High Desert, did you replace the fuel line with regular, rubber fuel line (type used for non fuel injection cars? 

Does anybody know if that'll be fine to use?

I just purchased new fuel line from NAPA. I'm assuming the stuff they sell now handles ethynol **shrug**

 

Seems to be working well.

[NTX5467]

From what I understand, the rubber fuel line material was upgraded in 1992 to handle the then-new Reformulated Gas (RFG), which included more ethanol in it.  Later versions should be able to handle the current E10 fuels, I suspect, or higher ethanol contents.  BUT . . . remember that ethanol is "a cleaner of oils", so might check the lines for seeps every year or so, while also keeping fuel in the lines (running the engine every so often).  It will deteriorate the rubber lines from the inside outward.  

 

Just some thoughts,

NTX5467