A fuel line is a hose or

pipe Pipe(s), PIPE(S) or piping may refer to: Objects * Pipe (fluid conveyance), a hollow cylinder following certain dimension rules ** Piping, the use of pipes in industry * Smoking pipe ** Tobacco pipe * Half-pipe and quarter pipe, semi-circular ...

used to transfer

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

from one point in a

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), wa ...

to another. The United States

Environmental Protection Agency A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...

defines a fuel line as "all hoses or tubing designed to contain liquid fuel or fuel vapor. This includes all hoses or tubing for the filler neck, for connections between dual fuel tanks, and for connecting a carbon canister to the

fuel tank A fuel tank (also called a petrol tank or gas tank) is a safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propel ...

. This does not include hoses or tubing for routing

crankcase In a piston engine, the crankcase is the housing that surrounds the crankshaft. In most modern engines, the crankcase is integrated into the engine block. Two-stroke engines typically use a crankcase-compression design, resulting in the fuel/a ...

vapors to the engine's intake or any other hoses or tubing that are open to the atmosphere."

Materials

Rubber

Most vehicles have

rubber Rubber, also called India rubber, latex, Amazonian rubber, ''caucho'', or ''caoutchouc'', as initially produced, consists of polymers of the organic compound isoprene, with minor impurities of other organic compounds. Thailand, Malaysia, and ...

fuel hoses connecting the fuel pipes on the

chassis A chassis (, ; plural ''chassis'' from French châssis ) is the load-bearing framework of an artificial object, which structurally supports the object in its construction and function. An example of a chassis is a vehicle frame, the underpart ...

to the

fuel pump A fuel pump is a component in motor vehicles that transfers liquid from the fuel tank to the carburetor or fuel injector of the internal combustion engine. Carbureted engines often use low pressure mechanical pumps that are mounted outside the f ...

carburetor A carburetor (also spelled carburettor) is a device used by an internal combustion engine to control and mix air and fuel entering the engine. The primary method of adding fuel to the intake air is through the venturi tube in the main meteri ...

on the

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power gen ...

. Rubber hoses are flexible and can be cut to length as required, but they have a tendency to perish over time and can rub through if not properly secured.

Plastic

More modern vehicles may be fitted with fuel lines made of

plastic Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptab ...

, typically

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

. Plastic fuel lines do not perish and are lighter than metal tubing, but they melt at lower temperatures and cannot be repaired as easily.

Steel

Many FF or FR vehicles with fuel tanks at the rear are fitted with rigid steel fuel pipes that run the length of the chassis from the tank to the engine bay. Steel pipes are cheap and strong, but can corrode causing fuel leaks.

Copper

Older vehicles may be fitted with copper fuel pipes. These are easy to fit and repair, but copper is heavy and expensive when compared with the other options.

Fittings

Traditionally fuel lines had flared or compression fittings on the rigid pipe sections, and hose clamps where rubber hoses attached to metal components. In modern cars with plastic fuel lines, ''quick release'' fittings are becoming more common – this allows the fuel system components to simply clip together.

Priming

The primer bulb can be found on the fuel line between the gas tank and the carburetor. When you prime the carburetor, you are pushing fuel from the carb bowl to the barrel using the rubber primer bulb.

References

{{Reflist Vehicle parts Hoses