Splicing a fuel line in an emergency

[Mt Doom Field Owner]

I was showing off with my new toy to the gang and ran the deuce over an old dead pine tree about 5 in. in diameter. Of course it plowed it right down but when I got home I saw a trail of diesel fuel down the roadway... the fuel line was crushed and severed between the fuel pump and the filters and spraying everywhere. Incredibly it still delivered enough fuel to power the truck home with no loss of power at all. The fuel line is copper tubing 1/2" dia. so I found my tube cutter and cut the offending section (about 5 inches) out and found a 7" piece of your average green garden hose to splice the line. Two hose clamps later the thing was fixed and I used some handy nylon wire ties to pull the entire line up and behind the axle so it's no longer between the frame and whatever comes up from the ground. Was it common practice to run the fuel line along the bottom of the axle? I found two screwed in line clamps right along the bottom of the axle with no protection from ground obstacles. Anyway my question... would some heavy rubber hose clamped in place of the garden hose make a suitable and permanent repair?... or should I go with copper line splices using compression fittings between broken ends... or should I break down and get off the wallet and get a whole new line (or have one made up)? I am not as knowledgable about mechanical things as many of you guys and have limited tools in my old tool box. I already tried to break the copper line loose from the fuel pump and with the limited room to maneuver a wrench under there I couldn't budge the fitting. The other end at the filter came loose easy as pie. To replace the line with a new one would call for me to take the beast to the truck shop for an hour (about $50 an hour here)... plus the new parts. Also they could probably manufacture me the part easily. I appreciate your honest inputs and hope you'll fill me in on any problems I may encounter if I go with the rubber line splice (cheap fix). Or will the compression fittings splice fix it better? Thanks! Love these forums! Have a great weekend guys!

 

[cornrichard]

I think that there is just regular plumbing flare fittings on those lines. Go buy a flaring tool and some new copper line and make up a new one yourself. You can buy a tubing bender or just be careful and hand bend it. Look and see if you can route the line in a safer location.

 

[jatonka]

If you really can't break it loose, just take it to the shop and let them replace the whole line. They will get a kick out of working on a deuce and you'll have friends in all the right places. JT out

 

[jasonjc]

"Was it common practice to run the fuel line along the bottom of the axle? "

Under the axle????????????????????

 

[atankersdad]

They put the fuel lines there so GL could destroy them with forks!

 

[Nonotagain]

Dump the rubber garden hose and purchase a couple of compression fittings and a piece of soft copper.

Mount the line away from moving parts. Rubber mount the fuel lines on either blocks or rubber isolated clamps.

 

[Mt Doom Field Owner]

Thanks for the input. It appears I have a couple of compression fittings in my basement that are the right size. I will pick up a short length of tubing to fill the gap and fix it right. Also will have an easy place to disconnect the line if needed in the future. I will re-route the line up and behind the axle so no more crushing occures.... plus I wll restrain myself from running down poor helpless pines and leave it to Bubba and Sons
Tree Removal Co. for that sort of service.