Where to get correct fuel line?

[Dr. Jay]

Hi All,

Towards the end of a nice 75 mile ride yesterday my 87 FJ died and had to be trucked home.  Investigation revealed that it was not getting gas because of a crimp near the petcock in the factory original fuel line.  Why it would be fine for 24k miles and then crimp without the tank having been removed or any other changes made in several thousand miles is beyond me, but that is not the problem. The issue is that the readily available 3/8 ID fuel line has an OD that causes it to be squashed significantly by some of the carburetor hardware when it is properly routed.  The original factory line is thinner walled than anything I have been able to find at any of the auto parts stores in town and I have not even been able to find any 13MM OD fuel lines on the net with a 3/8" ( 9.6MM) ID.  I will call theYamaha dealer tomorrow, but I'm not optimistic.  Also, if they do have the line it will probably be pretty high dollar compared to what I could get at an auto parts store. Does anyone know of something that is OE equivalent and fairly readily available?

Thanks!

Jay

[weymouth399]

Hi Jay

I used fuel injector hose on my 86 with no problem. A little thicker than stock but there's room.
Much less likely to kink or colapse with heat. It might not be that bad from yamaha for the perfect fit.
Call Woody's 207-729-1177 ask for Chris or James tell them your with the FJ owners they will take care of you.
Bob

[oldktmdude]

   The original hose is available at boats.net  Part# 36y-24312-00-00 Price is listed at $32.16. I'd stay with the genuine hose as these are purpose built for the tricky fuel line routing of the early FJ's. Proper routing seems to be critical on these models, as I have unsuccessfully tried a variety of other hose types and routing methods. In the end I've stuck with the original hose.  Regards, Pete.

[Flying Scotsman]

I run regular clear 3/8 braided hose from the hardware store,I was concerned the gas might brake it down but its been on there a few months (4000 miles) and no problem.
Had it off today and the only diference I see is it has shrunk a little so it fits tighter.When i bought it the hose on it had colapsed where it had kinked by the petcock.Took me a few tries to get the hose the right length and routed where it would work right.
No way im spending $30 on a few " of hose when I had hose in the garage already.Hose works great I can plug in the gas tank and fire right up with no priming needed.

[Yamifj1200]

Jay, it looks like the molded pipe is still available from Yamaha part number 36Y-24312-00-00 zanotti has it priced at 27.66 plus shipping..
Just trying to help....

Eric M

[SkyFive]

Dr Jay,
I had the fuel line dilemma a couple of weeks ago. I didn't want to pay $30.00 for a Yamaha fuel hose and I was thinking boat fuel line. I just happened to stop at Advance Auto Parts on the way home one day and wihile browsing around I found a hose that is almost the same as Yamaha factory hose, unmolded of course. It was on a rounder and it's called "Thermomold" 3/8" fuel line, 2' for $5.00. It's not real thick like regular fuel hose so it's not very ridgid and it makes the 270°+ bend around the carburetor without kinking. I went to Ace Hardware and bought some spring clamps and it all is well.

[SILVERGOAT]

Jay,
      I just installed a set of rebuilt carbs on my '89. While I was at it, I replaced the clear tubing and generic fuel filter, complete with zip tie clamps, someone else installed with factory parts.  For the amount I paid, roughly 60.00, the peace of mind is priceless. It is something you should only need to do once in the bikes life with you. By the way, all the factory parts fit perfectly!

[Dr. Jay]

Thanks for all the input guys,

I've learned a bit based on following up on the ideas in the posts above.  The most interesting is that there just doesn't seem to be a fuel line available which is truly equivalent to the factory version.  I was pretty excited to check out the fuel injection line suggested and also the Thermoid line but it turns out that both are identical in OD to the generic Auto Zone stuff.  I did some additional comparisons and found out that the lines made by different manufacturers ( Gates, Goodyear, etc. ) don't have any significant variation in size.  ( I was hoping with the constant cost cutting in practically every product today that some company might have tried to improve their bottom line by slightly reducing the OD to save on materials. )  The clear plastic lines available are not recommended for fuel-high heat applications and tend to harden rather quickly.
So...  I decided that peace of mind that I wouldn't "fire up" the bike in the worst possible way some day made me whip out the Visa card and order the factory item.  While I am at it I will also put a zip tie around the petcock outlet tube which seems prone to escaping its press fit with disastrous results.
Once again, thanks for your involvement and ideas!

Jay

[mikeames]

Out of curiosity does that factory fuel line come with enough to re-line the whole bike? I couldn't find a length anywhere....

[the fan]

I use MOTION PRO LP (LOW PERMEATION) PREMIUM FUEL LINE http://www.motionpro.com/motorcycle/partno/12-0069/ but don't have any left for measurements. In the past I used Motion Pro premium grey line but have seen a few cases where it has gotten hard presumably from modern fuel additives. So far no leaks, but why take chances.