HELP. . .Stripped fuel line flare nut!

[Mr. Bone]

I replaced the lift pump on an '86 G30 6.2L van. Everything went smoothly until i went to reconnect the flare nut on the steel fuel line. I know I am supposed to loosen brackets farther up the line to allow it to move a little. . .except to do that i have to remove the water pump!! So, I went for it and unfortunately I stripped the flare nut. The components are so tight in this part of the engine i can't even tell where this line goes. I assume it goes directly into the IP although i can't find any literature on the fuel sys. Without taking off the alt., water pump, and coolant crossover I can't even see the IP and the line routing.

Are there any recommendations, suggestions, or references here?? Thanks for your input!

[john8662]

That hard line goes to the fuel filter housing on the back of the engine.

You don't have to remove the waterpump to get the line looser. It's an angle thing on getting that line back on the fuel pump. This is NOT one of my favorite jobs, cheap part, big pain in the, well, you know what.

You can loosen the bracket, it's almost behind the alternator, a short 15mm head bolt.

That may help, otherwise it's attached to the intake manifold, well a strap bolts over the intake that supports the line, so it doesn't move much. I'm only imagining how easy that is to get on the van.

So how badly stripped?

May have to replace the whole line, or get a new fitting. To replace the line could be very tricky, would require removing the alternator (so you can see) the intake (cause you'll have to to fish it underneath otherwise)...

I find that If I jiggle the line and leave the pump loose while aligning the lines to "thread" into the pump that it will work.

I feel for ya man!

I don't think I've ever replaced one on an engine w/o practicing a few of the worse you used to get your mouth washed out with soap for sayin

J

[Mr. Bone]

Hey J,

Thanks for the input - very helpful. How do i replace just the fitting? The line is flared at the end. . . should i cut the line and make a compression fitting? Thanks again.

[john8662]

This is probably your best bet now. Cut the line, remove the fitting and replace it and then slice the line back together further up with a compression fitting (brass probably).

I do not have a source for the fitting by itself though. A hydraulic shop or hose/farm shop may be your best bet to match the thread. I'll bet it's common, just don't know a source. I do believe that the same fitting would work on SBC fuel pumps too, so that makes it more common. Perhaps a trip to a salvage yard would help as well, could get one off a junk core engine, etc. (maybe not a 6.2, perhaps a 305 or 350 gasser).

J