Need Help with Fuel/Brake Line clamping

I am trying to make sure I clamp the drivers side main/return fuel lines and brake lines correctly on my 71 GS convertible. The car was in a box when I got it and my other vert doesnt have the return line. I have both the manuals but it isn't very clear to me how they are clamped and routed. A picture of Jim's triple black car shows the return line not routed through the double clamp but along it with some sort of tie strap or something. If anyone has some high quality pictures or can explain it to me that would be great. My email address is:
jason.j.chamberlain@pw.utc.com

Thanks,

J

 

If you have the factory shop manual...there is 1 or 2 drawings showing the clamps. If you want, I can take some pics of the car I am doing now....I will be installing the brake lines this weekend.

 

Jason, I know the way it goes. You MUST have the original yellow clamps that attach to the frame. The reproductions are too small Maybe why Jims was outside. The main fuel and return goes in the upper part of the clamp which is bigger. The brake line goes alone in the lower part of the clamp below the screw. Make sense?

 

George,

I have the factory shop manual and just can't work it out. It has the fuel and brake lines in two seperate spots which makes it difficult. I'll look again tonight because I also have one for my 72 which may be better. If you could get me some pictures, that would be great. I'm trying to get the clamps on this weekend myself.

Dave,

Do you think there are two different clamp types between 350 and 455 cars? The original brake line was stuffed in a box with the original yellow clamps on it and both fuel lines would not fit on the other side of it. My car was most likely a 350 car to start life out as so it wouldnt have had the return line. I read your note about how these should be routed in another post and with my clamps, there just isn't enough room for two lines in one side????

J

 

Jason

PM me your e-mail address and I can send you photo of before and after for the installation of fuel and brake line. I am also in the middle of a frame off restoration of my 71 GS 350 4 speed car.

FYI - on the driver side frame rail the large fuel line goes on the top and the brake line goes on the bottom of the yellow brackets/clips. The smal fuel return line is attached with an S clip on the larger fuel line. On the passenger side is the fuel vapor line that travels from the drives side front frame to the passenger side rear to the gas tank lines above the rear axle.

Hope this helped and also my GS did not have a fuel return line due to not having A/C, power brake or auto trans. When I did install the new lines I added a fuel return line which was available for either a loaded 350 or 455.

George

 

George,

I sent you a pm. I was just getting on here to ask about those S-clips. Inline tube sells them but I don't know how many you need and in what locations they go. This is what I think was on Jims car that I couldnt make out.

J

 

You need an assembly manual. Much more detailed. The clips are the same for 455 and 350. You need 3 S clips. 1 S clip goes right next to each big yellow clip. If they are held close together with these clips they may fit in easier. I know they do fit as this is the way mine were. Maybe new fuel lines are a bit bigger?

 

I just did a mock-up. The lines do fit together in the upper loop of the clip. You do need the S clip on the lines to keep them close. The fit is very tight. You can push down on the center with your thumb and close it. Making the screw tight would do the same thing. If your old clips are brittle hold your breath since no one has stepped up and reproduced these clips. I will try and post a picture. Jason if it does not come out let me know your email and I will send to you.

 

I think the tightness of this deters many from doing it this way but this is how it was done I have found on untouched cars.

 

Dave

I thought the fuel return line was not connected to the frame rail clips but with just the S clips on the main fuel line as shown on the fully restored photo.

George

 

Here are a couple of pics of my 71 GS 455 before and after. The main fuel line on top, brake line on bottom of clip, fuel return line outside of the clips connected to main with "S" clips.

 

Glen

Thanks for the photos! That is exactly how my new fuel return lines are mounted.

George

 

very strange. Pretty sure mu crusty originals were both inside. Assembly manual does not give clear view. Will have to go back to junkyard and give it the old feel test unless I want to get down in the mud. Maybe it was just the assembly line workers whim?

 

Thanks for all the help on this everyone. I have everything routed pretty good but could someone post a picture of the rear area, near the drivers side spring pocket? After that, I'll be good.

 

Here are some photos, hope they help!

George

 

The camel back looking clip goes just in front of the spring pocket and the loop clip that fits both lines on top of each other goes just inside the spring pocket. There should be another S clip just above where the lines end above the gas tank according to assembly manual

 

Dave

I know that when I installed the S clips to main and return fuel line I just added them where they were needed not what the manual says. I believe the person on the assembly line could of cared less how many he added or didn't add. I know that my restoration of my car will be better than how it was built on the assembly line because it's being done all by hand like the super high end hand built cars of today!

George

 

Thanks for all the help. Are the clips all blue except the three yellow ones?

J

 

Only clip that was blue was the single brake clip on the rear cross member in front of the rear end. S clips were black. Two clips on the rear spring clip were zinc. Big heavy clip is gray phosphate. Two clips under oil pain on front crossmember in 71 were gray phosphate. They hold the brake line and vapor return line. The other vapor return lines on the passenger frame rail on mine were pretty rusty but I found a hint of black on them. Olds used the same part number and in Olds assembly manual they color code those as black so maybe correct. On 71 there is also one metalic green clip that holds the small brake line on top of the frame on the passenger side just behind the front right upper contol arm. Did I miss any?

 

Well as seen above a picture is worth a thousand words so here are my original clips copied as close to correct colors as I could get the yellow and a few others are not restored yet. I prefer originals to repros when I can.