I continue to dress the 455 for duty in the 77 Pace Car. I need to purchase a 455-spec "fuel pump-to-carb" fuel line that I can adapt for use with an electric pump/pressure regulator/gauge setup. I don't know if there's one version of the fuel line that will be better than another given what I want to do - namely, dramatically change the bottom half of it.

The 403's fuel pump to carb line runs around the _driver's_ side of the thermostat housing - it is too small to fit the 455. I am using the stock 403 Quadrajet and the stock 403 aircleaner - the aircleaner has a drop base and expects the fuel line to not be in its way.

BUT - I am using an electric fuel pump (Holley blue) - and there is no mechanical pump installed on the 455. Of course the hard line from the gas tank will still terminate around where the mechanical fuel pump would be.

I would like to place the fuel pressure regulator+small face pressure gauge assembly somewhere it will be accessible for observation/adjustment and require the least amount of fuel plumbing changes AND clear the factory aircleaner. The mechanical fuel pump location is probably "too low" for accessibility - therefore, I would have to substantially modify the bottom half of the "standard" fuel line (OPGI #CT20150) to accommodate the change. Which I'm not afraid to do - but I wonder if there's a factory part that can be adapted easier/better instead.

Could a 1971 W-30 two-piece fuel line setup (like ILT # OCC7101 - page 80) be a better choice for my application?

 

Why can't you just cut your existing steel fuel line and marry the regulator to it?

 

The "existing" line I have is for a 403. It runs around the _driver's_ side of the water neck (not around the passenger side, as on a 455 piece).

I can't reuse it because of the difference in width, SB to BB - it won't clear the 455 water neck and also mate to the carb inlet.

If the 403 piece were of a design more similar to the 455's (to Witt (hah!) wrapping around the passenger side of the water neck) I might have been able to re-use it on the 455.

But it's not, so I can't.

 

In that case I would just bend and fab my own or use braided or heavy black hose and AN fittings.

 

^^^THIS. I just made up the line for my 67. Not a big deal.

 

• Buy a good-quality tubing bender, such as Eastman, for the line size you want to use.
• Buy a few sticks of tube to practice on.

I use coat-hanger wire to make up a pattern and then bend the tube to follow the pattern.

There's usually a little tweaking involved to get everything to fit perfectly; in all it's as straightforward as Joe says.

 

I am really bad at bending my own tube. I don't want my bad work to be the first thing I see when I open the hood. I see that Year One (for example) sells tube in a roll with fittings - but I haven't yet sourced the material locally.

"Oh yeah that's a stock piece that I fixed up" is more where I want to be. I see that there may not be a great alternative other than wasting money on a stock piece I'll end up hacking up - or doing it myself.

 

Any auto parts store (even Advance) sells 25ft rolls of tubing.

 

x2

Plus, if you use AN hoses and fittings the guy with the red beard will know AND it will BLING!

Really though, one of the best investments I made was a set of cutters from Summit that allows me to cut AN hoses. If it's good enough for the Army and the Navy (AN) then it's good enough for my Olds.

I fabricated AN hoses for the transmission cooler lines and pump to carb fuel line on my 71 98. I also redid the water separator to injector pump lines on my 86 f250 with AN hoses. I still have about 15ft of AN hose left. I plan on redoing the transmission cooler and oil cooler lines with AN hoses as well.

 

The OP wants a stock-ish looking installation for the 455 in this 1977. AN line is not stock-ish. Also, I'm not a fan of rubber AN hose. It's still just rubber hose and I've had it go bad over time and leak fuel through the braid. No thanks.

 

Sorry but having a fuel regulator right there on front is not very stock ish looking. There are many good rubber fuel lines available without braiding.

 

I agree, it's better than "stock-ish."

Of course I was joking about the "guy with the red beard." It's an inside joke related to Oldsmobiles Oldsguy and I have had for years. Even before we became active on the old ROP.

I offered the OP my honest opinion of what he should do. He can take it or leave it. It's his car, not mine.

 

Sorry, but in no world is a rubber hose "better" that a steel hard line for this application. Also, cleanly routed hard lines look MUCH better than a spaghetti bowl of braided line.

 

Putting the gauge and regulator down where the mechanical pump used to be is the least conspicuous location.

 

I would gladly do this for appearances sake. I was surprised that I was unable to find a block-off plate that was already setup for the regulator/gauge combo described. What I've done (replace the mechanical pump for electric) isn't groundbreaking.

I will look at it again.

 

Given the above - doesn't it seem like the "1971 W-30" item below (at least the top half of it) would be a good start for me?



Also, the other half seems like it would work pretty good to connect the regulator to the gas tank supply.




This is a pic off the web labeled "1971 W-30". I guess I'm proposing mounting the regulator where the W-30 fuel filter is. Doesn't that seem like a good idea?

Was this filter retained in any way other than by the fuel lines top and bottom?

 

The one certainty is that the W-30 lines won't match your regulator and you'll need to modify or bend them anyway. Personally I'd just make the correct ones from scratch. You appear to have already talked yourself out of that, so do what you want to do.

I have to say that I've never understood the need for having gauges under the hood. Fuel pressure at idle is rarely a problem - insufficient pressure at W.O.T. is usually the issue. An underhood fuel gauge is exactly zero help with that - but it IS a potential source of a leak. Even if you use it to set the regulator, you are going to do that one time. Use a temporary gauge and insert a plug when you're done.