Fuel Line Question By straightbangin (Read 6,568 times)

[straightbangin]

so my mechanic pointed out that the fuel lines I had on my scooter weren't meant for fuel ( luckily just the ones below the connection to the tank so its an easy replacement and glad I have a fuel line clamp now )

I figured I had the right lines since they were connected to the fuel ports on the new carb.

but anyway.. I bought new lines from ebay here

www.ebay.com/itm/271604836932?_trksid=p2060778.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT


When I received the fuel line in the mail today it looked like this.





I was like " what the hell is smoke oil tubing !? "

It seems like it will work but it says for gasoline ( unblended )
What does this mean? Is gas from the gas station blended or unblended?
Prob a dumb question but ive never heard this term when it comes to fuel before.

Thanks

[jct842]

not good....it says compatible with smoke oils? and gasoline (unblended) am sure that means no crapahol or alcohol.

I get my gas line from the saw shop and it is a tinted almost clear silicon rubber and is kind of expensive but you only need a few feet. A saw shop is a place that sells and repairs chainsaws and weed wackers. Last time i was there they mentioned that 85 90% of their business comes from the pumps that dispense gasahol. In fact they recently quit servicing stuff they did not sell due to most repairs due to fuel problems and they had to keep their own customers happy first.

Looking at the ad I think you will be ok with it. It mentions glow fuel and that is some nasty stuff they use in model airplanes. That has nitro-menthane in it and thats a lot more corrosive to plastics and rubber than just straight alcohol.

[straightbangin]

Thanks. From the ad it looked like I was just buying regular fuel line so I was caught off guard with what they sent

[richardv]

The shop that sold you the jet sky may have what you need as well as any marine supply. They use the same fuel as your scooter.

[Bashan]

Go to auto weinie and tell them you'd like 3' of 1/4" fuel line and 3' of 3/16" fuel line, you'll be set for years.

[straightbangin]

Thanks RichardV. I dont talk to my jetski dealer. $1,500 in dealer fees left a bad taste in my mouth but I didnt have a choice. It was the last seadoo spark they had and four people in line behind me waiting for me to say no so they could get it

bashan - the auto stores near me don't have employees that speak English. ive tried. Ive gone in there and asked if they had something they say " como? " I repeat and they say " no " So i tested it out to see if they really have no idea what im saying. I'll say " do you sell oil ? " and they will say " uuuuuhhhh, no, lo siento ". I looked around and the fuel line They have is clear and not pliable enough. I tried it before and I couldn't get it to grip on the barbs of the fuel filter and manual shut off.

There is a scooter parts store right by my place. It says scooter & motorcycle repairs, parts, service. I tried to buy tire valve stems from them. I asked for two and they said " no parts " The sign out front says parts. Uggg. Sometimes I wish I lived in a place where it was just english like in NY lol.

I'm just trying to figure out if I need to return this to the ebay vendor or if I can use it.

[richardv]

Don't any of the dealers that scroll across the top of the page have the best type of tubing for the parts they sell? From what I've been reading all the Chinese scooters need this first thing.

[Alleyoop]

What I think is someone made that suggestion and it has snowballed into a must first thing to do because the rumor has now gotten out of control and crap made up and added to it with no prove of anything just HEARSAY. Now it's to the point where it is RUN FOR YOU LIVES THE HOSES ON THE SCOOTS are really bad and will break down and do all kinds of bad things to your scoot.

Just a F.Y.I my Trike was made in 2008 and sold as a 2009 I bought it in March of 2009 and to this DAY PEOPLE going on 6 years(LISTEN UP 6 YEARS) I have the same HOSES on the Scoot, that includes both Vacuum hoses and Fuel hoses and NOT A PROBLEM TO BE HAD. So take it for what it is worth just my .02 on this subject.
Alleyoop

[cyborg]

I changed all of mine on my Vespa and on the Stella to clear from a motorcycle store and blended fuels are just that gasoline blended with alcohol,,,

[straightbangin]

Thanks. I think I'm going to try to get a refund on this fuel line and try again. The fuel lines on my scooter now didnt come with it. They are just ones I put in when I changed from petcock to a manual fuel shut off system. My mechanic noticed they were not pliable and he said they will prob spring a leak within the next 6 mo or so. He then showed me the difference between okay for fuel and not from the end of a hose. (I had another piece of it in my scooter parts box)

[Bashan]

That's BS, I used to buy clear line from Bike Bandit that was racing grade. It was stiffer than regular line which made it less susceptible to kinking and abrasion. As long as it's made for fuel and not dirt cheap you should be good. It's great you're being this conscientious but I really feel you're overthinking this. Regardless of what kind of line it is you have to use your head in installing it so that it won't get pinched or rubbed. Other than that, if it's for fuel it is safe for about any fuel. I used some thick 1/4" line from Lowes that was designated for fuel oil. I ran it for a year and it did not degrade one bit. I'm not saying do that but my point is there is some tolerance here. Just buy gasoline grade and forget it, they sell it at auto parts stores by the mile.

[straightbangin]

Thanks. I always over think everything. I'm just concerned about this fuel line the guy sent me saying its for gasoline ( unblended ) since almost every gas station sells fuel with ethanol in it these days. I sent him a request for a refund. I weighed it and it will only cost me one stamp to send it back.

Thanks bashan I have about a zillion zip ties holding the line so its strategically placed to not kink and stay still (not pull on its connections) when I turn the manual fuel shut off switch through the hole in my trunk. So I've got the way it flows ( kink free) down pat. I warned the mechanic that he will prob laugh when he sees how many zip ties I have in there but he said, ya it looks nuts but makes perfect sense how and why you did it and it works. LOL

I got my friend who speaks spanish to call the two auto parts stores near me and they both said they don't have that size. I've used the transparent kind before but it felt too stiff and I had a hard time getting it over the barbs on my fuel filter and shut off switch and getting it to conform to it without gaps. I only want to go with the black rubbery stuff now.

I searched all over amazon, ebay, the vendor links at the top of the screen for 5/32" ID black fuel line and can't find any that say this. It really shouldn't be that hard to find.

Ya know, I bet these auto parts stores have it and the box in the back where they keep all the fuel lines are just showing a different measurement than the inside dimension . I think I'm going to go to the auto parts stores, bring a fuel filter and a piece of hose and say " necesito manguera de gas " I need gas hose. That way if it fits on the filter I know it will fit my needs.

[Bashan]

You're overthinking again. 3/16"=6/32" so you'd be 1/32" off of 5/32"! In this case size does not matter. 3/16" will work just fine. Spray a little WD-40 into the line to help work it on. I've used 1/4" on a 3/16" fitting and just clamped it down tight. 5/32" fuel line is bizarro, you'll play hell finding that. Use 3/16", it'll do just fine.

[straightbangin]

Thanks. I just went to both auto parts stores with a fuel filter and neither one of them had a fuel line that came anywhere close. Smallest they had was about an inch thick and the fuel filter barely fit in the end of it. I asked they had fuel lines for lawnmowers and such and they said no. I didn't know that you could use something that wasn't the exact measurement . I'll look up 3/16" online. Thanks.

[Bashan]

Tractor Supply, Lowes, Home Depot, Advance Auto, Auto Zone, O'Reilly. At Lowes or Home Depot you can go to the Lawn & Garden department or to the tubing aisle where they sell line by the foot. You can use anything suitable for fuels. I have never had trouble finding fuel line. Where do you live?......the Congo?