FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

[Al R.]

Any of the C1-C2 FI people tried using a thermal wrap like racers use on their headers to insulate the fuel spider lines and solenoid so the cars can be driven in warm weather on ethanol gas? I know the materials used in the wraps is far advanced from the 70s-80s-90s and are advertised to withstand up to 2000 degrees. I was just curious as to results, if any.

[Joe R.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Al,

Michael Garver did a study on this a year or two ago. He posted his results in a thread here. I would recommend contacting him if you can't find the thread.

Joe

[Bruce B.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

I like the one piece 1/8" thick intake gasket.
I believe John DeGregory still sells them.
It helps keep heat from the spider and anti siphon valve and the plenum.
Works great on my 57 4360 unit.

[Al R.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Hey Bruce, I have the 1 pc gasket installed, but have an idling issue when the car is shut off and re-started some 20-30 minutes later.

[Michael G.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

I can't really comment on C1's, but with C2 cars you can adequately cool the fuel by insulating the fuel lines from under the battery all the way to the fuel unit, including isolating the fuel filter from the manifold. By doing so, you can reduce fuel temperatures at the fuel unit by about 30 degrees F, enough that you can drive the car successfully in hot temperatures, even using 10% ethanol gas (which I don't recommend). The most important thing is to insulate the line that runs next to the exhaust manifold, to prevent the fuel from being heated to about 170 degrees F by the manifold. Additionally, there was an article in the restorer a couple months ago showing how to make a heat shield for preventing spider heating. That's also a good idea.

[Al R.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Thanks Mike, I found an earlier thread by you a little while ago on how you wrapped your lines and filter complete with a thread for the wrap manufacturer. I'm going to try to contact Heat Shield Products tomorrow on the way home from TN (about a 6=1/2 hr drive). I also noticed they have several heat shield materials listed that I'm going to inquire about for placing underneath the plenum between the intake & spider lines. Hopefully, it will be thin enough for this application! Al

[Jim L.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Mike,

At what points did you measure temperatures? And do you remember specific before/after temp readings?

Thanks,
Jim

[Michael G.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Hi Jim, what I did is described in several earlier posts here, particularly a July, 2012 Duke Williams thread. Not all of my data was there, but the most telling information was the difference in fuel pump inlet temps, which were 25-30 degrees lower with the supply line wrapped in insulating reflective tape. In essence, once the fuel is heated by the exhaust manifold, it never cools much before it enters the spider. You have a much better chance of getting fuel through the hot spider lines and hot fuel blocks (without boiling) if it starts off 25 degrees cooler.

This car had a freshly rebuilt fuel unit (Jerry Bramlett did it). It had all of the typical fuelie issues when hot, with idle cycling and slow starts before I did the insulation. Since I did the insulation, I've driven the car a lot and seen some variation with fuel type. I often drive it in 80-90 ambient from Traverse City, MI to Detroit (~250 miles). Occasionally, after two hours of non-stop freeway driving at 70-80 MPH, with 10% ethanol gas, I have seen slight idle cycling from 600-1000, but nothing remotely like before. With 110 racing gas or 90 octane non-ethanol gas (or mixtures of the two), it never has any problems, even above 90 degrees ambient.

[John D.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

You old timers will remember Dale Pearmans 62 black FI car with Zarooom on license plate. He was running a small block 400 with a '62 FI unit on it.
Dale insulated the crap out of everything. Was not a pretty site but he was able to run cheap fuel (as he called it) with no issues. Now that was before the on slaughter of crap fuel we have today.
Remember Al and others. The repro fuel lines from FI pump to FI unit aren't made correctly and hug the valve covers, etc. They need massaged. And then wrapped up.
Gary Chestnut has a favorite company for insulation material.
After you are done insulating then what are you going to do. That alone isn't the answer. Now you must be some cool air into the engine compartment.
Whatever it takes to do that.
Biggie is to use some better fuel. Racing fuel or 100LL. Don't cut it with ethanol or wasting your time. And if it's 90 plus degrees out stay home and grab the new car with AC.
I remember when I used to drive a a340 HP saddle saddle car with a fake fuel unit on it. Drove the car daily in old days. Practically died from sitting in a SWC in the hot weather. JD

I am sure you all know this but on the other hand some of you do not. Type in: Pure-gas.org
Click on your state and you will see all the service stations that have pure gas without ethanol in it. The octane rating and location.

[Paul Y.]

Re: FI fuel lines heat wrapping for driving C1-C2

Just took a road trip to Idaho with the 63 FI Coupe. 2000 miles and a search for pure gas was pretty easy with a smart phone app although some stations like Craig, Colorado wanted me to find their delivery truck to get a tankful. The temperature was mostly over 95 degrees most of the time and in Wyoming and Idaho the head wind was tremendous. Got high teens and low twenty MPG and I was somewhat disappointed but pushing 85 most of the time so my expectations might have been unrealistic. I experienced some hot restart reluctance at gas fill ups that was quickly remedied by punching the throttle and letting off until it got cooler fuel to it. I have my spider insulated with several layers of second skin ( which I used under the carpet to insulate the floors- butyl and heavy foil) and a couple of layers of tin foil for cosmetic attractiveness. I have always insulated my spider since the 80's and I used to have a piece of asbestos but it got away from me some time ago and I can't seem to be able to replace it. I would be open to insulating the fuel lines but I have a bit of a push back with the lack of cosmetic attractiveness of it all and until I have more problems I probably will wait on that. I am going to adjust my fuel lines to get them away from the heat of the exhaust and engine block and head the next time I have that apart. I can't really say that I have that much problem with the injection as I run pure gas as much as I can but I can sure tell when I put in some ethanol, both in gas mileage and heat effects. If I had to run 100LL or av gas I wouldn't drive the car as much because of the cost and I would be missing all the fun. People were always asking me, did you drive that all the way from Colorado? Yes, what good are they if you can't drive them? I also drive with my hood unlatched most of the time.