Fuel lines: Aluminum vs Steel vs Stainless

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Honky Kong jr

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Bad battery cables, loose cable and/or corroded connections, starter not having a good electrical connection to the block, battery not up to the task - all are contributing factors.. Those clamp-on replacement battery cable terminals are the worse for causing that problem.. A normal good working starter draws 180 - 200 amps, with the initial current surge being above that.. A hot starter and hot engine really "pulls" hard on a battery..
Inrush is probably 150% or better that’s why a hot start relay is a good mod
 

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Inrush is probably 150% or better that’s why a hot start relay is a good mod
Starter inrush current on those 6 volt air cooled VWs was a serious problem.. I don't know how many of those relays I've put on those things....
 

74 Shortbed

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I had that problem in my dually especially in the summer, changed it over to remote Ford solenoid end of problem, even in 115* temps it would crank over as if it was cold..
 

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theblindchicken

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RustyPile

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Any of you guys used parts from Right Stuff Detailing?

Saw that they have pre-bent fuel pump to carb lines at a decent price already:

https://www.getdiscbrakes.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=TPC7301S
Which one looks to be the correct one for a 350 w/ Quadrajet? TPC7301 MPC7701S MPC7701
Over the years, Q-Jet used a couple different fuel inlet designs.. One was straight out the front pointing straight ahead.. Another had the inlet pointing to the passenger side of the engine.. Some filter housings were short, only about an inch or so long.. Others were a bit longer, closer to 3 inches.. Then there's the fuel pump outlet "clocking" arrangement.. And to add more to the "equation", the fuel line itself had to weave around different stuff on the front of the engine.. Without having your truck AND those fuel lines directly in front of me, I'd never venture a guess as to which one you need.. Two flare nuts, a length of tubing and a tubing bender is your best bet.. The experience gained will benefit you, plus you'll add another tool to your arsenal...
 

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Jrgunn5150

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Both PolyArmour and NiCop work great, and are easy to bend and flare. You do need to secure them well to keep from being abraded.

I've done stainless, and won't do it again. I have a simple bar type flare tool, and even with tap magic, it took multple tries to get straight flares on it, and I had a few crack on me as well. The softer line flares much easier, and probably seals better. I speculate it would crush up against the fitting and seal more thoroughly.

There's no need for a check valve as has been stated.

I'm really not a fan of pre-bent lines, you pay quite a bit more for the "convenience", and wind up bending them anyway.
 

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I've played the guessing game before with starters, went through 3 before finding one with the correct mounting position.

Pre-bent fuel lines will probably be the same show too. Order 4-5, and one or none will fit.

My carb is a passenger inlet with the mech fuel pump having around a -45 deg from parallel with front of engine.
 

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Jeg's sells those deals. They has 24hr. customer assistance. 1-800-345-4545.


Hope this helps!
 

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Get a 6’ piece of 3/8” Ni-Cop and some fittings and make your own.
 

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You have to be careful with stainless. Pretty easy to crack a flare if you aren't using the proper (expensive) tools. I personally think aluminum is just too soft, and therefore susceptible to damage.
 

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