Bronco II Fuel Lines

[Wild Willy]

New member here...have an 89 Bronco II that I bought at an impound auction. Wasn't getting gas to the engine so dropped the tank and it was really nasty inside so I cleaned it out and replaced the fuel pump and fuel filter. While doing so, the connector tieing the fuel supply line to the fuel pump broke. I ordered a replacement from Jeff's Bronco Graveyard but the inside diameter of the line on my truck is smaller than the one provided. The union will not begin to fit, even with soaking the line in very hot water for a while. Inspecting closely, it looks like the line is double walled. I know there is a smaller size kit out there. Wondering if a smaller union in the smaller line will inpede fuel flow or should it be all right? Alternatively, if there's a kit to replace the line from the fuel pump to the fuel filter I would try that. Thanks for any help...
WW

 

[dirtcowboy]

I feel your pain. Dorman sells the fittings and bulk line thru almost any vendor you can name. They also sell a tool made expressly to join the plastic, (nylon), fittings and hose together. The tool is expensive. Perhaps a Ford service dept. could join your fittings and line together for a nominal fee. Dorman also sell brass fittings with white plastic bushings inside. After a few attempts using the plastic fittings with the plastic line I used the brass fittings between the plastic line and the plastic fuel tank fittings. No leaks but the assembly is heavier than the stock stuff so tie it up with zip ties and plastic wire loom. Google "Dormans Ford fuel line and fittings", they have an on line catalog to browse thru.

 

[Wild Willy]

Thanks for the scoop...I'll check it out. Something that should have been sooo easy...

 

[Wild Willy]

Finally fixed it...could never get the barbed unions into the nylon line, even in boiling water. Could not get the nylon to soften up enough. Also, turns out the double walled factory line was nylon inside of protective rubber, so I cut the rubber back a couple of inches. The factory line is 5/16"...JBG had sent me 3/8 which wouldn't have worked anyway. So I bought a connector with a 5/16" line and cut it back and joined it to the factory line with a Dorman brass compression union I found at Advance Auto (made for fuel lines). Getting the fuel tank back in wasn't fun, but much easier when balanced on my floor jack...could jack it little by little as I connected the lines, then it was held in place so I could bolt up the straps.

She started for the first time since I bought it. Seemed to run pretty well. Now I can go ahead and fix the brakes and get her on the road. Amazingly immaculate red interior, and red exterior with no rust. Have my son buffing and polishing the paint and it's coming back nicely.

 

[4x4junkie]

Glad to hear you got it together.

I did battle with these connectors myself a couple years ago... Seems Dorman either doesn't have their part numbers correct for this application or maybe they don't even make the right replacement connector at all (not one of the parts I bought would fit properly either).
(I sent Dorman an email about it too, never got a response )

I ended up with a connector said to fit Chrysler which fits onto the Ford fuel pump outlet perfect, but it's barb was too big to push onto the Ford fuel line. I ground the metal union piece it came with down a little so it would then fit into the Ford line far enough to where I could put a small hose clamp around it (still leaving a bit of a barb on the end so it can't pull out), then attached the connector to that using a short piece of the hose the connector came with. What a PITA.

 

[dirtcowboy]

Yessir yessir three bags full! The Dorman brass compression fittings with the white plastic bushings are life savers!