Kinked fuel lines

[DJinNH]

OK, is there a trick to this? It doesn't seem to matter which way I try to adjust my fuel lines, when I put the tank on, some will kink.

Will the aircraft stainless lines do away with this problem?

Any suggestings or just keep trying to adjust them to fit correctly?

Don

[Pat Kelly]

Longer loops of line. It's trial and error.
That's why OEM they have springs around the fuel line.

[olebiker]

If you use the black line it does not kink as easy as the clear stuff. Course you can't see through it so it is a trade off.

[egleaves]

I've had an idea bouncing around in my head lately about fuel lines. I have some rolls of copper tubing and the tools to bend it. I'm thinking of coming up with some custom bent fuel lines made of copper, then they would connect to the carbs and fuel tank with small lengths of rubber hose to absorb any flex or vibration. Anyone ever try this?

[DJinNH]

Originally posted by olebiker
If you use the black line it does not kink as easy as the clear stuff. Course you can't see through it so it is a trade off.

Hmmm...mine are black.

Don

[zookey]

kinking fuel lines

My husband's bike had black lines on it when we got it. The black lines were so stiff they couldn't kink. They were also rotten and cracked. We tryed to replace them with new black line but that too kinked, so we replaced them with the clear blue and yellow fuel line. He ran blue line for the lines going to the front port of the petcock and yellow line to the back port. Made them all a bit longer so he could loop them down more so they wouldn't kink. I like the idea of either copper lines attached with rubber or maybe someone could do stainless lines.

All in all, Yamaha didn't leave much room for play in this design. Given time and expiramenting you will find a route for the lines so they don't kink.

[olebiker]

Oops I guess longer is the only thing left then.

[Ken Talbot]

Re: Kinked fuel lines

Originally posted by DJinNH
It doesn't seem to matter which way I try to adjust my fuel lines, when I put the tank on, some will kink.

Don, are you running with 'crossovers' i.e. left petcock feeding right side carbs, right petcock feeding left side carbs? That was the secret for me, as it allowed a longer path with less potential for having to make a sharp bend.

[NemisusDM]

Hello,
I actually had to shorten my lines to prevent kinking but, it truely is trial and error. I also used a bit of Split Loom Tubing around my Tygon lines....

[psycoreefer]

copper....

most folks will tell you that copper is not good for auto/bike applications because it will fatigue and break from the constant vibrations. I think this is probably true given enough time.

That said I've got a remote mount oil filter on my blazer that is plumbed through a particularly tight spot with 1/2" copper tubing with sweat fittings on the ends. I've been driving it that way for just under 100,000 miles and I haven't had a problem yet, but I do check them at every oil change.

I like the idea of stainless = polishes up nice and shiny.

[DJinNH]

Re: Re: Kinked fuel lines

Originally posted by Ken Talbot


Don, are you running with 'crossovers' i.e. left petcock feeding right side carbs, right petcock feeding left side carbs? That was the secret for me, as it allowed a longer path with less potential for having to make a sharp bend.

Ken, that may be the answer to my problem. I'll look into that.

Thanks,

Don

[79XS11F]

My experience with fuel and other rubber supply lines is that the factory stuff is THIN WALLED and therefore more pliable and far less likely to kink. The stuff the bike shops and auto supply stores sell is usually not THIN WALLED and will kink pretty quick. The thicker walls just aren't as flexible.
Rob

[tarzan]

I had that problem too when I replaced all the lines.I even used the old lines as templates,but I had to ditch those and make longer ones.
I ended up as has been said looping them,I actually ran two of them down between the boots and looped them there and routed them back up where I wanted them.No more kinks and I can just unbolt and lift my tank up to sync and adjust the pilot screws.I just lift the tank up and put a block of wood under it.

[ross]

fuel line solution...

hey there DJinNH....i hope this helps....this is a picture of the left side of my bike....



the fuel comes outta the right side petcock...comes across the top of the air box boots....(with a fuel filter)....then dips down between carbs #1 and #2.....in this picture, the fuel flows upwards over the boot of carb #1 and into the "t" between carbs #1 and #2.....ya might have to separate the carbs and turn the "t" that supplies the fuel upwards to do this, but makes the fuel line routing very easy....better than doing that down and back up to get fuel to the carbs.....hope this helps...ross

[oldyam80sg]

I got fuel line from Dennis Kirk- Moose Racing fuel line to be exact.That line is thick and does not flex well at all.I cut the lines one at a time to match my old fuel lines.No good.It kinked so i am going to go with Pingel fuel line.That stuff is very flexible even if i cant see through it!.And it doesn't kink easy.