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Range Rover fuel pipe renewal help

When the rigid steel lines on my '87 RR fell apart I went to B&Q and bought a roll of central heating 'microbore'? copper pipe. It's the same OD as the steel lines. After removing the rotten steel lines, I fed the copper in from the front - 'cos it's quite bendy, I was able to bend it around the various contortions without problem. At the rear, I just connected the feed line to the outlet of the fuel filter with a length of rubbery fuel tube and two jubilee clips. The return line was connected to the tank in a similar manner. At the front, I did the same to the pipes that run up the bulkhead (These bits of the steel pipes were in good nick (Presumably due to the engine heat preventing rot). IIRC the whole thing cost less than £20 and took an afternoon to do.

I've heard (can't remember where) that you shouldn't use copper for fuel lines, 'cos petrol can leach things that become deposits in the fuel system. All I can say is that It's been on for over three years and I've not had a problem...

I reused some of the original fuel line clips, and for those that broke, I used cable ties to secure the pipes.

It's also passed 3 MOT's without comment. (From a garage that knows LR vehicles well).

If you were to try to replace the lines with the formed steel ones - good luck! I think they were attached to the chassis *before* the body was fitted.

For me, it's bendy copper, all the way!

Regards,

Horse

Reply to
horse
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Has anybody replaced the long rigid fuel pipes along the chassis (1988 lucas 4cu efi flapper type) if so What do you need to know, LR repair manual has diagram of fuel lines running along top of right hand chassis rails and sod all else, they look pretty hard to get at and no mention of any bits of body etc which might need removing first to gain access. Some other part of the manual says to drop fuel tank to get pipes off from fuel pump, but I have heard it suggested it is easier to cut a hole in the load bay floor, but again the manual fails to even notice the existance of a load bay floor, and what a surprise Haynes follows suit.

I was thinking of getting one of the aftermarket copper pipe kits, did this for the brakes and it was pretty damn good, so with main fuel pipes leaking, only a bit of a wet patch so far, I need to replace, I have noticed that dealer/garage repairs generally use stiff but flexible plastic pipe as a replacement tie wrapped to chassis, is that because replacing with an OEM rigid metal one is too damn difficult?

thanks for any help or info

Reply to
Warwick Barnes

Dunno if it will help but a 1990 Diesel Rangie has a access pannel to get to the pipes at the top of the tank. Just lift the carpet by remobing the tabs on the tailgate. The remove the carpet and then roll away the rubber undermat. It it's there then bobs your uncle.. May be simpler to buy some P clips and relocate the new pipe work.

Lee D

Reply to
Lee_D

The rigid fuel lines on my 1988 RRC are looking a little flakey too. I was wondering about stainless steel braid protected flexible fuel lines as an easy replacement.

Fuel tank is (relatively) easy to remove:

(In no particular order)

Drain as much fuel as poss via the drain plug - towards the front IIRC.

Disconnect a rats nest of pipes - rigid to flexible joined by rusted solid Jubilee clips. And the fuel filter.

Disconect fuel filler pipe.

Lower ARB if fitted.

Disconnect (or break) fuel sender plug and split fuel pump loom connector.

The tank is held in by 2 nuts on a pair of captive bolts by the bumper and two larger rubber buffer nuts/bolts at the front edge.

I persuaded my brother to lie under the tank and support it with his hands and chest. It's not too heavy!

Undo the 4 nuts and bolts and drop, sorry lower, tank onto brother.

Do your worst and reverse everything you did to get it out. Replace all the pipe connectors with proper fuel line clamps of teh right size and consider, unlike me, replacing any rigid pipework to the fuel pump. I've no idea why it is not all flexible pipe.

BOL Richard

Reply to
Richard Savage

The message from horse contains these words:

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Thanks for info.

We just got the kit from Automec on an overnight, 3 copper pipes 3 metres of rubber pipe and 20 stainless jubelee clips, so I guess copper is O.K. We reckoned the same as you, removing the body is likely to be the only way to fit OEM. Usefull tip on microbore anyway, and a hell of a lot cheaper, but we had good results with their brake pipe kit so heres hoping.

Reply to
Warwick Barnes

In news: snipped-for-privacy@zetnet.co.uk, Warwick Barnes blithered:

You are totally sure it is copper pipe and not copper plated steel pipe?

Reply to
GbH

On or around Thu, 16 Sep 2004 18:39:19 +0100, Warwick Barnes enlightened us thusly:

local Citroen bloke supplies replacement suspension pipes using cunifer rather than steel as the steel ones are next-to-impossible to fit.

beware of vibration in copper work-hardening it, also try not to bend it too much for the same reason. I susepct this is why most places don't use plain copper for brake pipes any more.

Reply to
Austin Shackles

The message from "GbH" contains these words:

well it certainly looks like copper, and we could bend it by hand with a bit of effort. It came fitted with nicely made ends for the rubber hose but all the pipes were too long. the ones from the engine along the chassis to the tank were about 6 to 10 inches too long and losing this excess was a real pain, turned a relatively easy job into a bit of a nightmare. Over the phone, when ordering, we were assured of only one size for late eighties RRs, but the manual shows clearly different routing for efi and carburettor models, efi run along the drivers side chassis (UK RHD) whilst carburettor models run along the near side (left side of the vehicle). We are now wondering if this is where the extra pipe is needed. The alternative was to cut a lump off but having paid quite a lot for pipes with formed ends we were reluctant to do this especially as you then wonder how well the rubber connnecting pipe will hang on there.

Anyway we got them in, and the engine sounds really good so we reckon there has been pressure loss for some time. There were 3 leaks in the send pipe and 2 in the return when we got them out although all we tiny no spray of fuel just a gentle ooze!

Final points we took the rear floor pan out in the end, as we had noticed some rot, 38 pop rivets to drill out after lifting the carpets and removing the sealer strips -more pop rivets. The cross struts (like series top hat sections under buck) needed attention so we cleaned and cure rusted these, have temporarilly bolted floor pan back in with 4 SS bolts so we can get it out to paint it. We do not even want to contemplate doing the job without removing the floor pan and losing the extra pipe by means of a few pig tail bends would have been nigh on impossible from underneath.

BUT the engine positively purrs!

Reply to
Warwick Barnes

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