Fuel system questions for a FJ40

[ouibus]

I am in the process of rerouting the fuel lines on my '76 FJ40. I am little stumped to as where all the stock lines go to. I am also wanting to see if I can't eliminate some of the emissions stuff from the fuel system. I am currently running a carbed 350 with the mechanical fuel pump that has a return line off of it. I know the two lines coming from the tank that go underneath the body in between the seats are the fuel pickup and return. But what is the hard line that runs underneath the body outside of the frame rails go to. I know that it feeds up into that fuel evaporator thingy and has a filter hooked up to it, but where on the stock engine does it hook to. Since I don't have the stock engine anymore, is it even necessary?
Also, can I just hook up a tee fitting to the three outlets coming off the tank so I can plug them? Or will this mess with something inside the tank? Just curious. Also, for you guys that have rerouted fuel lines before, how are you securing them to the frame? Thanks in advance for any and all help. Thomas:)

[FJ40_1969]

If My memory serves me correctly my fuel line runs inside the right frame rail and I replumbed my rear brake line inside the left frame rail. You can use nylon or rubber lined clamps and follow the inside of the right frame rail with new stainless or mild steel lines. I have seen this on a few of the other rigs on the CON.
Good Luck!:beer:

Mike Cox :fj: :jeep2:

[ouibus]

Anybody else have any ideas? Just curious.

[ouibus]

Somebody has to know what that hard line that runs on the outside of the passenger frame rail goes to. Anybody?

[flexing40]

But what is the hard line that runs underneath the body outside of the frame rails go to. I know that it feeds up into that fuel evaporator thingy and has a filter hooked up to it, but where on the stock engine does it hook to. Since I don't have the stock engine anymore, is it even necessary?

On mine the line from the evaporator thingy ran to an emmision controling device. I would have to think that as you no longer use the stock emmisions parts that you could rid yourself of the extra pieces.

[Peabody]

You should be able to chuck that hard line outside the frame as it was for emissions. The fuel lines on my 66 ran right down the right side frame rail. Or was that the brake lines down the left side? :rasta: Either way, bend them to work with your set-up. For ease of routing, I agree with FJ40_1969, run it down the frame with clamps and call it good.

[ouibus]

That was what I was thinking. So if I scrap that hard line, can I just pull out the evaporator and plug the tank? Or will I run into problems when I need to have it inspected since it is a '76?
I am starting to think that maybe I should just run a fuel cell and call it good, but that is money that I just don't have right now. Thanks for the input guys.

[Pin Head]

My recollection is that the small diameter hard line runs from the vapor separator on the fuel filler to the charcoal cannister. If you no longer have the canister, just plug it.

[ouibus]

Thanks for the input Pin Head. Although, that still leaves the questions as to whether or not I can just plug the tank and call it good. Or, will I run into problems getting it inspected?

[flexing40]

Originally posted by ouibus
Or, will I run into problems getting it inspected?

Do you mean inspected when you get it smog checked?? If so I would think it would be highly unlikely the inspectors would know what to look for. I would cut the line under the seat and plug there. That's what I did as a tempory measure untill I have the time to pull and take in and have the line completly removed and welded off.
Mike

[ouibus]

I was talking about the visual vehicle inspection. You know where they check the turn signals,headlights, and other random stuff.
If they do check that area of the vehicle and I don't have the evaporator, and the lines coming out the tank are just looped back into each other, I imagine that I will fail inspection. But I imagine, most inspectors wouldn't know what to check on a '76 FJ40.
Oh well, unless someone tells me otherwise, I will just get rid of the evaporator and plug those 3 ports coming off the stock tank. Any ideas on what the best way to do this is? I was just thinking a tee fitting coming off the middle port, and then the sides splitting off and feeding back into the other two ports. Does that sound reasonable? Just curious. If I have over looked anything, other ideas would be appreciated. Thomas

[flexing40]

Originally posted by ouibus
I was talking about the visual vehicle inspection. You know where they check the turn signals,headlights, and other random stuff.

Is this like a safety check that they do randomly or when you have the vehicle registered? They are probably more concerned when they see items that have no connections.


I was just thinking a tee fitting coming off the middle port, and then the sides splitting off and feeding back into the other two ports. Does that sound reasonable?

Sounds reasonable to me.

[ouibus]

Thanks flexing40, I thought that would be the best way to do it. Now all I have to do is find tee fitting that is impervious to gas. That shouldn't be too hard.

[cruiserbrett]

The hard line that runs to the gas tank evap thing by the filler neck runs to the charcoal canister and it is purged by the stock emissions vacuum switching valve in to the the air cleaner or intake depending on year. This prevents the vapor build up from escaping while driving. (not while parked) If you are set on removing it, then plug it off, but the truck will smell of gas by the filler when warm. I would leave it and extend it to a little fitting on the underside the air cleaner. I also suspect you would have problems on hot and cold days of suction and pressure vented from the tank when removing the cap to fill it up, since you are removing the only vent in the tank by taking out the evap piping. Some older gas caps are vented(all will vent under enough pressure/vacuum) so try to find one of those...

(People remove the evap vapor separator(and associated hoses) all the time but it does not in anyway hinder performance)

[t wrecks]

My Evap line is plugged and the gas tank does build pressure on warm days as cruiserbrett described. At times the gas vapors in the cruiser get pretty bad. I am running a 350 and havent seen a air cleaner with a place to route this evap line to. Does someone know of another place to vent this line?

[ouibus]

Thanks for the input cruiserbrett and t wrecks.
So, what if I just cut that hard line right after if goes through the body and leave it so it will vent underneath the truck?
I am going to cut my rocker panel eventually, so I would have to remove or reroute that hard line anyway.

[flexing40]

to prevent pressure from building up why not use a vented gas cap? That seems to be working on mine.

[ouibus]

Actually, that is a good point. I just have never seen a vented gas cap that will fit a cruiser fill tube. Maybe I am not looking in the right places, but I have bought several gas caps, and have never seen one. If you know of a place that sells them, then by all means lead me to them.

[t wrecks]

Someone once told me that all gas caps were vented. Guess not. I have tried leaving the gas cap cracked open a little which worked but there is alot of gas smell around the filler then. Wouldnt a vented cap produce the same results?

If you want a vented cap and cant find one why not drill a small hole in your existing cap?

[Peabody]

I'm sure I'll be corrected post haste if I'm wrong but a vented fuel cap is actually spring loaded to vent only when the pressure in the fuel tank rises to a certain pressure. No air passes (I'm sure some air does come in slowly around the rubber ring of the cap) when there is a vacume in the tank.

So no, you can't just dril a hole in a fuel cap and have it be as good as a mechanically vented cap. You'd have a fuel leak when you get off camber with that side down.

[ouibus]

Peabody,
I am not sure if a vented cap uses a spring or not, but I think you are right in that it only vents when pressure gets to a certain level. You bring up a good point in that when you are in an off camber or near vertical stance, will a vented cap leak or not? That makes me wonder if I should just keep all the evaporative equipment so I can run the regular gas cap. I will have to keep thinking on that one.
This decision is getting tougher by the day. What to do? What to do?

[ouibus]

I am still curious as to where I can pick up a vented gas cap for my cruiser. flexing40 said he had one on his, but I still haven't found one. Anybody have an idea?