What hard fuel line end treatment should I use?

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Fort Mohave, AZ & So Cal (Upland)
My Car
73 Grande will undergo three phase build process. Phase 1 is complete (driver). Phase 2 is interior/exterior restoration. Phase 3 is ++ performance.
Now that I have a great recommendation on the best hard fuel line to use, I was wondering what end treatment should I use to connect the hard line to the funky Ford fuel coupling, using a flexible line to connect the two? (Please note, all lines will be fuel rated, Enthenol rated, and attached with fuel line rated clamps).

I will have a 3/8” fuel line coming through the passenger fender well, just aft of the battery tray, above the frame rail, through a grommet. The flexible line will go from that point to the Ford fuel coupling, approximately in line with the bottom of the smog pump. So, the line will be a bit like a J trap shape. I would rather use a Ford fuel coupling with a 90 degree on it, but so far, I haven’t been able to figure out which ones I need for both the inlet and outlet. So that might be the actual fitting, but even with that, the inlet to the engine will still be a bit lower that the fender well, so maybe more like a sideways S bend.

I’m adding this to help, if necessary, with the Copper/Tin hard line end treatment. My first EFI line and I’d like to get it right. Thanks, Steve.

Couplings Attached to Engine (the plastic line is gone):

62240097-BBC4-48A2-9152-761F98244D44.jpeg

 
I used to live working on 5.0 mustangs back in the 80's and 90's, but all those memories are so fuzzy now, I have forgotten more than I can remember. I can recall that Russel made some fittings that you could use on the steel fuel rail lines that would convert your factory lines to an AN male fitting, from there you could do steel braided hose, aluminum hose, steel hose, or basically whatever you wanted as there are so many adapters for AN lines. I think these are the fittings that I recall, look where it says FORD EFI FITTINGS:

http://www.russellperformance.com/mc/adapter-fittings/specialty-fuel-injected.shtml

Then you need these fittings to adapt the fuel lines:

http://www.russellperformance.com/mc/fuel-management/fuel-lines-adapters.shtml

I am pretty sure that the fuel rail fittings on the Thuderbird 5.0 are the same. 

 
Here are photos of the fittings that connect to the stock fuel rails and convert them to AN. They make one for the pressure side and one for the return side:

640900.jpg

 
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For steel or aluminum lines you can only go from 6AN to 3/8" line and from 8AN to 1/2" line. If you use 1/2" feed and 3/8 return line or 3/8" on both you are golden. If you are using a 3/8" feed line and a 5/16" return line you may have to figure something out for the return,. Again these are AN fittings, so it should be quite simple to connect that to the 5/16" line. You can use a tube nut and flare for steel or aluminum lines:

37-degree-flare-on-an-fitting-for-hard-line-tubing.jpg

 
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For 5/16 return line you can use a hose barb adapter from 6AN female to 5/16" line and just use a short piece or rubber EFI fuel hose to connect to the hard line. You will need to either make a good fuel line flare on the hard line, which you need a specialty flaring tool, or just do another 6AN tube nut and sleeve and just do a regular 37 degree flare on the hard line so you use a 6AN male to 5/16" line fitting. Then you just connect the 2 barb fittings with some rubber EFI hose. Here are the fittings:

https://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performance+Products/555/100844/10002/-1?gclid=CjwKCAiA-9uNBhBTEiwAN3IlNNgmHuB-GRL78jYMtAo5pADQmWF1_mwYx08Dkngo9c3rnqo42Gb27hoCMbkQAvD_BwE

https://www.jegs.com/i/Aeromotive/027/15635/10002/-1

 
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Here are photos of the fittings that connect to the stock fuel rails and convert them to AN. They make one for the pressure side and one for the return side:

View attachment 57009
I’ve seen this fitting all over the supplier sites, but I’m looking for the female part that attaches to this bottom, two o-ring fitting. That’s the reason I attached the photo of what I’ve got to replace. I’m fine using an AN fitting from that still undiscovered fitting on the fuel inlet side, but I think that’s a bit of overkill for the return. If someone knows who sells the pressure and return female fittings to this Ford part, that has either barb or AN on the other end, please point me in the right direction. I can’t believe they don’t exist, but couldn’t find them on Jegs or Summit. Thanks as always for the help, Steve.

 
I found this photo of what I will do if I cannot find a 90 degree fitting. On the 73, the sway bar and the ground clearance make me a bit uneasy in making this routing. A 90 at the bottom would keep the hose above the sway bar and shorten both of the flex EFI lines to the hard line.

8A6159F5-5490-455E-BA64-BB3C5736D85A.jpeg

 
I found this photo of what I will do if I cannot find a 90 degree fitting. On the 73, the sway bar and the ground clearance make me a bit uneasy in making this routing. A 90 at the bottom would keep the hose above the sway bar and shorten both of the flex EFI lines to the hard line.

View attachment 57012
This is a good economical approach that I've used before.  If you do this method, though, be sure to use the fuel injection specific hose clamps.  They are more robust than the usual worm gear style hose clamps and won't cut into the hose.

 
Yea, I found those today now that I found out the darn name of these, but I really don’t want to go to AN fittings. I’m hoping to find one with a barb end and 90 degrees. So far, I haven’t found one, but I’m hoping someone else knows where one is. And why not AN fittings, cost.

 
Yea, I found quite a few of those AC sites, but it doesn’t seem like a good fit. While I know they hold much higher pressure than a fuel system, all of the OEM fuel fittings are steel, not aluminum. And there doesn’t seem to be the right size either. Those BBK fittings are still straight, need 90 degree ones.

 
I would say there is a reason that BBK used the straight springlock fittings, and that is because they couldn't find 90° ones, either, and that is why they used brass 90° fittings. The push on barbed brass fittings work very well with fuel injection hoses and don't require clamps, although when I've used them I backed them up with constant tension clamps. Automotive fuel injection systems are considered low pressure.

CONTINENTAL Push-On Hose Fitting, Fitting Material Brass x Brass, Fitting Size 3/8 in x 3/8 in - 3DVC3|PB-JCM-0606 - Grainger

spring hose clamp products - Grainger Industrial Supply

 
I think you’re right. I have a few more options on the engine. If you look at this very dirty engine 😬, you see the chrome fuel lines. The one at the top of the engine is the return line. Below that and forward, you see that square block, that’s the feed line. Right below that, and it’s hard to see through the dirt, is an additional spring lock fitting. So both lines have one on top of the engine. I could use those junctions and run a straight fitting and hose down behind the smog pump, and start that 90 degree bend in the hose to align with the fittings in the fender well. I didn’t want to do that because of the tight fit of two hoses in that space. I’ll likely try it anyway if the 90 degree fitting idea is a bust. 

8932B838-E63F-401D-A3E4-26DB901F0683.jpeg

 
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