how to run a new fuel line thru the hump?

[plated]

i'm needing to replace my fuel line that runs thru the hump,is there an eazy way someone can fill me in on how to? thanks...........

[Glenn]

It's not that hard, but you'll have to cut a few windows in the tunnel on the passenger side to assist.
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
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[Caqfatboy]

Hot Vw's did a great article this month on that very topic...Check it out!
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[73resto]

Why are you replacing the gas line??.. Howd it break. If by rust I suggest you crawl un the car and with a hammer tap around the whole chassis. I restored a car and over look rust through that the previous owner covered up pretty well with rubberized undercoating. check especially where the framehorns are.

[clrrer]

First off, ou don't need to cut any holes in your pan. If the body is still on the car you will need to remove the following items to use the existing access holes. Remove the front bumper and the front access cover in the framehead, remove the pedal assembly, shifter and inspection cover under the rear seat. Last of all you will need to remove the latge bolt at the rear of the vehicle that secures the trans bracket on the tube that the fuel line comes out of. This will allow you a hole to look in when running the new line.
Secnod, The fuel line is not welded inside the tunnel, it is held in place by 2 tabs that are bent around the tube. One is located just rear if the pedal access hole and the other is accessible thru the rear inspection hole and is where the rear frame tube is attached to the pan. You can reach the rear one with a screw driver to bend it open slightly. The front one is a little harder. I took a 4 ft long piece of 1/4 inch square steel tube, from Home Depot, and hammered the end flat. I reached through the front access hole and bent the strap open with it. Be patient.
Third. I broke off the existing fuel pipe where it exits the frame in the front and rear and used a screw driver to push the tube into the frame. Then, I worked the old tube out of the frame through the pedal access hole using a pair of channel locks and pryed against the upening to leverage the tube out the hole.

Now you have the old fuel line out. If you put a trouble light in the rear access hole facing foreward you can look into the frame from the front access hole and you will see where to route the new fuel line.
Buy a 25ft roll of 1/4 inch steel fuel line at the auto parts store. Roll it out on the floor and tape the end to keep dirt out of it. Feed it into the frame through the front opening and don't worry about getting it in the clip until the end. Once it reaches the rear insbection hole you will have to bend it slightly to guide it down the rear tube. Turn your light in the rear inspection hole to face down the rear tube and you can look in the tube throught the trans mount bolt hole. Once the tube is at the opening in the frame, use a long thin philips screw driver or any long roung object that you can fit into the fuel line. Reach into the tube with the 1/4 inch square steel piece you got at home depot, and gently lift the fuel line up towards the opening and stick the philips screw driver in thru the frame opening into the end of the fuel line. This will act as a guide for the line to follow up and out the hole. Now go back to teh front of the vehicle and push the line in and it will come out the rear hole very nicely. Push about 1 foot of extra out the rear frame hole to allow you to have extra for working the front into the hole. Do not cut the extra off yet.
Go to the front of the vehicle and cut the tube with a tube cutter, Make sure you can get your philips screw driver in the end of it so you can guide it out the frame hole like you did the rear.

Go to the rear and pull the line unti the end of the tube up front is aligned withe the hole in the frame and gently lift the line using the 1/4 inch steel tube and insert the philips screw driver in the frame opening and into the fuel line. Go to the rear and push the fuel line back into the frame and it should pop out the front hole.

Now you can adjust the tube inside the frame so it's in the straps you bent open. Use the 1/4 inch steel tube to pry the front clip back closed around the fuel line.

With your tube cutter, cut the front and rear tube so you have about 4 inches sticking out. You can adjust this length later for the perfect fit.

Place the new rubber fuel line grommets over the fuel line an into the frame holes.

Reinstall your inslection cover, trans mount bolt, front access hole and front bumper and you have a new fuel line installed just like new without cutting up you car. It took me 3 hours by myself with me car body still on my 66 very. If the pan is off the cat it's even easier.

It's not a bad job, just be patient and take your time.

[LeafsBug72]

We are fixing up a '72 Super Beetle and are also having to replace the fuel line that goes in the tunnel.

What would the major differences be between the job that you described above and the job for the '72 Super? The front access cover doesn't exist on the super that I can find, and I can't see the clamp through the rear access cover. Can it be done without cutting holes in the tunnel? My line broke off right by the front.

Also, what month of Hot VW has the article (I'm in Canada- sometimes they have different release dates for each month)? I couldn't find anything on the website. Is it a Super Beetle?

Thanks.

[dualref]

Has anyone ever just forgot about the rubber fuel line hose and did metal tubing all the way from the tank to the engine? This would seem to be the safest method to use.

[ach60]

[ashman40]

Hi dualref, while you might be able to get the steel line to run all the way into the gas tank, I don't think it would be a good idea to run steel (or any metal) all the way to the fuel pump mounted on the engine. There needs to be some flex near the engine to allow for movement and vibrations. Just my point of view.

Any solid connections below the tank also mean you will need to loosen and remove the connections before removing the tank. This means a shut-off valve and screw on connections that need to be removed with the tank still on (a pain to do)... the rubber hoses also give you a place to easily clamp off fuel flow.

But replacing the rubber hoses w/ steel braided lines would be a nice upgrade. You just need to make sure the method used for attaching the AN fitting to the steel tubing is solid and will not leak (brass compression rings used for tubing are not the best sealing solution; welding/soldering is better)
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---------------------------
'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[Baja Champ SE]

the hot vw's article in this months issue shows and tells how to run a metal fuel line thru the channel. it requires prebending the metal fuel line and cutting 2 access hatches for ease of installation.
they do a very clean job with it and is a good diy description if you've got the know how and proper equipment.
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[bdub74]

[VolkDubz]

[conrad1468]

[glutamodo]

[coW]

Using an electrician's snake, you shouldn't have any problems getting from the frame horns to that hole in the tunnel near your serial number. Using that same snake, you should be able to do the same from your frame head.

After you've established a conveyor, tie the line to it and carefully pull it through.

I did mine but had the frame off (turtled on its back, in fact). I made a hole using a hole saw to get the old one out as it was tied to the tunnel. Also tied the new one to the frame but suspect you can do it through the transmission's stick hole as well.
In retrospect, that may have been overkill as Bill May's suggestion was to just leave the old one in place.

[ashman40]

Just finished reading the Aug Hot VWs issue about installing the 3/8" hardline thru the center.

The article left me w/ two questions...
1) While they welded the front end of the line to an AN fitting and then welded that fitting to the frame as it came out of the center section... they left the rear of the hardline just poking thru the frame horn? No welding, No grommet and the nearest support was up front near the shifter? Does that just seem wrong to anyone else?

2) They only mention welding a fuel line support bracket at the front access panel, not the rear. Why not the rear?

They did a real nice job of it, but IMHO they left out a few steps.
- rear fuel line support bracket near the emergency brake access panel

- rubber grommet the line as it come out of the rear frame horn (not sure I would weld it there since there might be different expansion rates between the line and the frame which might stress the line)

- run a second return line for FI. Better to do it while you have everything off even if you have no plans to go FI now. (maybe not a good idea since this was a "show pan")

- if this really was a "show pan" like it said on the cover... polished stainless lines would have looked better that just steel lines, but you'd probably have to rubber grommet the line to the frame at both ends because the different metals couldn't be welded together (brazed, maybe?)
_________________
AshMan40
---------------------------
'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}

[RWilliamsga]

I run them beside the tunnel like VW shows much easier and quicker.

[bluebus86]