Dave643 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 Greetings, Replacing the fuel filter in my '92 Legacy. I also want to replace the rubber fuel lines. What size hose is it? My local parts store said 3/8" but it seems a little to big? I certainly don't want any leaks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subaru360 Posted March 29, 2009 Share Posted March 29, 2009 I use 5/16, be sure to get the high presure fuel injection hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 3/8" will be a little bit too big. 1/4" will be a little bit too small. 5/16" will work just about right without having to get some metric diameter hose. Right on, it must be bonafide fuel injection hose. Ordinary 'fuel hose' is not acceptable. We want to avoid this scenario: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave643 Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Yep, I went back to the parts store and got 5/16. And I did use fuel injection hoses....That stuff is expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 I'm going to replace all the rubber fuel lines on my 1991 Legacy SS. The only fuel injection hose I've found so far is 5/16", which is 7.9375 mm. Now, I can get metric fuel injection hose at Discount Import Parts, but they only stock 7mm and 9mm, no 8mm. Three questions: 1. Is the stock hose 8mm? 2. If so, where do I find some? 3. Should I just get the 5/16" hose, and not waste my time hunting down 8mm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted April 29, 2010 Share Posted April 29, 2010 (edited) The only fuel injection hose I've found so far is 5/16", which is 7.9375 mm. 3. Should I just get the 5/16" hose, and not waste my time hunting down 8mm? how big is .0625 mm? will 5/16 hose stretch that much?? my guess is that you can try it and see faster than you can do the math. edit: it's about 1/400 of an inch, or 0.7 % of the 5/16 (hose less than 1%). Edited April 30, 2010 by johnceggleston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Still two questions left... 1. Is the stock hose 8mm? 2. If so, where do I find some? I'd go and buy a couple feet of 5/16" F.I hose, and try it, but most auto parts stores don't like taking returns on hoses that have been cut to length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 5/16" inch is the way to go imho. It will stretch that much no problem, at least for me. I have used 5/16" fuel injection hose on several soobs. 3/8" will work, but it is a little bit too big and requires clamping the heck out of it to make it not drip. I've been buying the FI hose in 25 foot spools on eBay. It was a name brand, I forget now, a brand I have seen in parts stores. But at much less than the parts store price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) Go to A1-Coupling over in Tualitin. You want 5/16" high pressure fuel rated hose. It's like $2 a foot or less from them vs. $8 to $10 a foot from auto parts stores. You can't buy metric hose in the US that I know of except for some select sizes through places like Discount Import Parts, etc. They have some german hose in bulk that is used on the VW's for breather lines and vacuum lines, etc. I wouldn't use it for the FI line though - I always use 5/16" hose from A1 - it's close enough for the 8mm stuff and their hose is rated to something rediculous like 1800 psi. And yes - when you are talking about rubber hose - 5/16" and 8mm are the same thing. They are even the same when talking about tubing and tubing fittings really. So close that it's not even worth worring about..... maybe if you were working for NASA. 1/4" and 6mm are NOT interchangeable when talking about tubing but generally ARE when talking about hose..... just to give you an idea..... .25" = 6.35mm. GD Edited April 30, 2010 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 5/16" inch is the way to go imho. It will stretch that much no problem, at least for me. I have used 5/16" fuel injection hose on several soobs. 3/8" will work, but it is a little bit too big and requires clamping the heck out of it to make it not drip. I've been buying the FI hose in 25 foot spools on eBay. It was a name brand, I forget now, a brand I have seen in parts stores. But at much less than the parts store price. Thanks. I'm guessing the brand on eBay is Gates, which is what I'm finding at most part stores. Go to A1-Coupling over in Tualitin. You want 5/16" high pressure fuel rated hose. It's like $2 a foot or less from them vs. $8 to $10 a foot from auto parts stores. Excellent, thank you. The $8 -$10 a foot cost is why I was asking. $2 a foot sounds worth the drive there. You can't buy metric hose in the US that I know of except for some select sizes through places like Discount Import Parts, etc. They have some german hose in bulk that is used on the VW's for breather lines and vacuum lines, etc. I wouldn't use it for the FI line though - I always use 5/16" hose from A1 - it's close enough for the 8mm stuff and their hose is rated to something rediculous like 1800 psi. All my searches for 8mm hose pulled up Australian and British racing supply sites. 1800 psi should do it, I like overkill! And yes - when you are talking about rubber hose - 5/16" and 8mm are the same thing. They are even the same when talking about tubing and tubing fittings really. So close that it's not even worth worring about..... maybe if you were working for NASA. 1/4" and 6mm are NOT interchangeable when talking about tubing but generally ARE when talking about hose..... just to give you an idea..... .25" = 6.35mm. GD Good to know. I tend to get hung up on details like this. I like to think I am being thorough, when in reality I am just thoroughly wasting time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Why not go to the dealership and just get oem. Either way does the fuel hose really deteriorate? Is it really necessary to replace? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Why not go to the dealership and just get oem. Either way does the fuel hose really deteriorate? Is it really necessary to replace? The dealer does not carry bulk fuel line. You would have to order the exact part number for the specific hose. I recently asked my local dealer about this in fact. Other dealers may be different but the same scenario applies with dealerships as with auto-parts stores. The price is going to be rediculous when down the street at the hose and coupleing industrial supply you can get hose that is impervious to just about everything, has a working temp of 250*F, and a pressure rating of 1800 psi for a little over a buck a foot. Why would I bother with the dealer? As to why you would need some - engine swaps mostly for me. Sometimes the lines are damaged when replacing fuel filters, etc as well. Though I've developed a technique that rarely results in damage on these lines - I've done a lot of them though and trial and error has resulted in damage in the past. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Why not go to the dealership and just get oem. Either way does the fuel hose really deteriorate? Is it really necessary to replace? My fuel hoses have checking/cracking at the ends, and I'm replacing the fuel filter, so why not just replace the fuel lines just to be safe? They are 20 years old. The dealer does not carry bulk fuel line. You would have to order the exact part number for the specific hose. I recently asked my local dealer about this in fact. Other dealers may be different but the same scenario applies with dealerships as with auto-parts stores. The price is going to be rediculous when down the street at the hose and coupleing industrial supply you can get hose that is impervious to just about everything, has a working temp of 250*F, and a pressure rating of 1800 psi for a little over a buck a foot. Why would I bother with the dealer? As to why you would need some - engine swaps mostly for me. Sometimes the lines are damaged when replacing fuel filters, etc as well. Though I've developed a technique that rarely results in damage on these lines - I've done a lot of them though and trial and error has resulted in damage in the past. GD I went to Oil Filter Service Co. in SE Portland this morning, and asked for some 5/16" hose suitable for fuel injection. They sold me some Gates LOL Plus. After getting home, I checked the Gates website and found that this hose is not recommended by Gates for use with gasoline. I love driving around in circles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Never heard of that place, but sounds like they have no clue about their products. A1 is an industrial supply house - they know their products and they make custom hoses all the time for all kinds of things - you can have custom brake lines made in any style and length - and they can do it while you wait. When I worked for a local machinery manufacturer the A1 rep would come by and pickup the hoses we needed replaced and have new one's to us the same day. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 Never heard of that place, but sounds like they have no clue about their products. A1 is an industrial supply house - they know their products and they make custom hoses all the time for all kinds of things - you can have custom brake lines made in any style and length - and they can do it while you wait. When I worked for a local machinery manufacturer the A1 rep would come by and pickup the hoses we needed replaced and have new one's to us the same day. GD It looks like I will be making the trip to A1. I had heard good things about Oil Filter Service Co., and they are close by, so I decided I would give them a shot. When I went to return the hose, I explained to guy that Gates does not recommend the LOL Plus for gas or diesel. His response was, "Well, we sell a ton of this stuff for fuel. Do you need it to say fuel injection on the hose?" I responded "No, I just need something that is actually approved for use with gasoline by the manufacturer." He got pissed off, and said "I'll just make this easy, and give you your money back." While he was in the back, another employee looked up the hose in question, and told me that although the Gates LOL Plus meets the same PSI, abrasion, and heat requirements, it is not recommended to use as fuel line, but he couldn't find a reason why. The other guy came out from the back, and couldn't even look me in the eye as he handed my money back. What a way to do business. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 (edited) They might carry the same stuff at A1 - I'm not entirely sure. I was told it is perfectly safe for gasoline and I've used it for that and never had a problem. Looking at the gates web site it does say "do not use unless approved by their H/C division". Which, if you read between the lines, means that some applications involveing gasoling and diesel are, or have been, approved for use with that hose. Ultimately the stuff is capable of 300 psi and ought to handle the ~50 psi of the EJ22T's pump without any trouble at all. It's a nitrile based hose - so it's basically completely impervious to gasoline if that's the case. I would run it - all day and twice on Sunday's. But I've done it before (apparently without knowing this Gates reccomendation business ), and I also know a bit about rubber and seal technology and what is acceptable with regards to nitrile (buna-n), and viton, silicone, polyurethane, neoprene, teflon, etc and the fluids they can withstand. When I worked for RMC I had occasion to buy a lot of this stuff from A1 and used it for diesel and gasoline applications for generators, etc. Never had a single problem with it. Experience would sugest that it will do the job. I probably have some that I've used on FI conversions and such as well. GD Edited April 30, 2010 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2.5_IMP Posted April 30, 2010 Share Posted April 30, 2010 From your experience, it sounds like the Gates LOL Plus would be perfect for fuel line. According to this http://www.gates.com/downloads/files/catalogs/Hose_chemical_04.pdf , NBR has excellent resistance to gasoline. So, why doesn't Gates market it as fuel line? My guess is that it isn't DOT approved, and the process to get it approved is costly. I know less than nothing about almost everything, so when I returned the hose to Oil Filter Service Co., I was hoping they could offer me an explanation as to why they sell it as fuel line. If they had given me the informed, logical explanation you had, I would have walked out of there with the line, and installed it on my car without a second thought. "Not recommended for gasoline or diesel fuels." http://www.jgbhose.com/Data_Returns/detail_company.asp?prod_id=600270 I am tempted to call and ask why, but I think I've wasted enough time today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1997reduxe Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Can I resurrect this post since it was a pretty extensive one on fuel lines etc... I am preparing to replace my gas filter and the hoses on my 95 Legacy. I see the three 5/16 hoses there the two attaching to the filter then the longer one ruiing the whole way from firewall to engine, but there is a fourth hose, smaller, underneath these three that looks old and has it seems original clamps on. Can I ask what that is and what size?Thanks for any help. '97 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 That is the breather line for the fuel tank. It's basically just vacuum line that's fuel vapor rated. Not high pressure. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1997reduxe Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1997reduxe Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 Just as an update to this thread I went all over to parts places looking for hose lastly went too Reilly across the street they had what seems to be a very suitable hose it is their 5/16” 4219BF barricade hose it says fuel injection and 225 PSI right on it for 5 dollars a foot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted April 7, 2018 Share Posted April 7, 2018 The barricade hose is newer stuff made for ethanol fuel. Seems to hold up fine the times I've used it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1997reduxe Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Yeah but you have to be careful as in the much earlier posts in this thread, I guess the Greenshield is their latest tech it in some ways made to satisfy California leakage standards etc, but from what I see on this page only one says actual high pressure hose, one says specifically NOT. Haha I actually ended up being taken by the oreilly guy way way in the back to their hose selection, he couldn’t find it and left me to look, it was in a spool on the floor I was lucky I found the one that said fuel injection on the spool, then I noticed the 225 PSI and other writing on it after I got it home. https://ww2.gates.com/europe/brochure.cfm?brochure=12872&location_id=19543 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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