Fuel line?

[fireguyfire]

Stripping the engine bay on my 73 for a refresh and I see the fuel line has been bent upwards just after the firewall; from there someone had run a soft line to the carb.
I'm guessing the fuel line originally would have ran along the frame rail towards the front of the car?

The firewall brake line looks a little off too where it goes under the frame rail right where the fuel line is bent upwards.

[edison1970]

Fuel line should run along frame. Brake line is correct.

[headejm]

Something like this. 1970 RT. 

[fireguyfire]

[emoji106]

[MoparLeo]

Just buy a new one and flush your tank while you are at it. Honestly, parts are so inexpensive and readily available now a days that it doesn't pay not do just do it right. Remember that these parts are over 40 years past their intended lifespan.

[Dakota]

That odd fuel line might actually be a vent line from the tank area.  Normal routing would bring it up along the passenger side frame into the engine compartment.   I'm sure one of the experts here can comment more accurately than me, but I believe that vent would normally go to a charcoal cannister for trapping evaporative emissions by your model year.

[Burdar]

That odd fuel line might actually be a vent line from the tank area.  Normal routing would bring it up along the passenger side frame into the engine compartment.   I'm sure one of the experts here can comment more accurately than me, but I believe that vent would normally go to a charcoal cannister for trapping evaporative emissions by your model year.

It's hard to tell if that's the main fuel line or the vapor line.  If that's the vapor line you are exactly correct.  That line runs from the vapor separator attached to the shock x-member up into the engine compartment and connects to the charcoal canister.  Your line looks pretty beat up.  You can buy a new line from Fine Lines.  Be aware that their line isn't totally correct.  The flare on the upper end should be larger then a standard 5/16 flare.  That's because the rubber line coming out of the charcoal canister is 3/8 but connects to that 5/16 line.  The flare should be larger so the rubber line fits tight.  The Fine Lines fuel line is made with a standard 5/16 flare.  Not noticeable when the line is installed but it could make for a looser connection then factory.






The main fuel line is not yet installed in this picture.  I was just test fitting the vapor line in place to figure out where the clamps went.

[fireguyfire]

 In my picture the vapour line is already removed. I'm struggling with the decision to put back the emission stuff or remove it all together and weld up the holes; I have a 70 383 engine in my car so the emission stuff was disconnected and just sitting there.
Anyone have an opinion on whether I should keep the emission stuff or not?
If I remove it there is a piece on the firewall above the heater that would leave a big hole if removed; wouldn't be that hard to weld up a patch but I'm torn as I'm not trying to hide the fact that my car is a rallye 73, but it has an earlier engine.

Opinions?

[Burdar]

The vapor line is what vents the tank so if you remove the charcoal canister and the vapor line, you still need to vent the tank somehow.  The charcoal canister stores the fumes so they can be burned when the engine is started.  The canister is a GOOD thing IMO.  There should be a port on your carb where you can attach the canister hose.

There are two valves on the firewall that are emissions related.  There should be a round hole and a square hole in the firewall.  The square hole is the location of the OSAC valve.  It runs in series with the vacuum advance hose on the distributor.  Since you are trying to go back to stock,(with the exception of the engine) I would just install that valve and not hook it up.  Some cars used a second valve in the round hole but some just used a block off plate.  That round valve gets hooked into the EGR circuit.  You could either install the second valve and not hook it up, or look for one of those block off plates and use that.  Either one would look OK IMO.

[Burdar]

The block-off plate that some cars used was shaped just like the valve that it replaced.  You could use your valve as a template and trace the shape on some scrap steel to make a block-off plate.  That might be easier then finding an original one.

[fireguyfire]

Thanks! I have the square hole but not the round one.
My car doesn't have the canister; my vapour line was just pointing up on the inner fender just like yours in the picture you posted; are the canisters available for purchase?
I am putting a sniper EFI "carb" onto my engine so I'm guessing I wouldn't connect the charcoal canister to it?

[Burdar]

You'll have to read up on that EFI system.  It might have a port for a tank vent.  Charcoal canisters were used for many years.  Each year looks slightly different but they would work just the same.  You should be able to find one on a RWD car up until the 80's I would think.  I doubt they are available new but I could be wrong.

[bennydodge]

As usual, excellent info from Burdar. I'll add that 318 cars were different than 340 cars in regards to the EGR system. 318's had an external EGR valve and a temperature control valve on the firewall, which was right next to the OSAC valve. 340 cars did not use the temp control valve(block off plate on the firewall) but instead used internal EGR floor "jets" in the bottom of the intake manifold. The OSAC valve hurts performance the most as it delays the vacuum advance at part throttle-somewhere between 15 and 17 seconds. The other stuff isn't to bad in my view, even the EGR as SMALL amounts are actually beneficial. The charcoal canister might be tougher to hook up because the purge fitting on the carburetor is an odd size I believe. But, since you're going EFI none of this may matter.

[fireguyfire]

Even if it doesn't hook up to EFI, I will want a charcoal canister for the factory look, and to have a place to terminate the vent line from the tank; right now it is a bare steel line pointing up on the front inner fender.