any suggestions on using clips to hang fuel and brake lines under the floor?

[eriknetherlands]

I am redoing the floors of my 3.0 CS and want to consider an upgrade.

The factory condition is that fuel and brake lines are attached to the under body by folding sheet metal tabs over and around the steel fuel and brake lines. On the drivers side of my 3.0 CS (i believe) is the fuel line, and under the tunnel is the brake line.

These folded over steel tabs are rusted in my car, spreading rust onto the fuel and brake lines, and also on the body itself. It's not that suprising, as the whole underside was sprayed / coated in the factory, then the lines are installed, and then tabs folded over. The coating usually has a tough time with the required elongation due to the bending. Even all the layers of underbody coating of previous owners did not prevent them rusting through.

I am looking for something that allows for easy removal for cleaning and touch-ups. So i'm hoping to weld a bolt to the underfloor, and attach a clip of some kind to it with a nut. I'm wondering if plastics clips would be durable & tough enough. Stainless steel would have my preference.

Now there are some clips and things on the market, I attached some pictures as reference.
Ideally i'd like to stick to BMW sourced parts.

Who has some suggestions, hopefully with partnumbers?

Erik

 

[Layne]

The rubber lined steel clamps (your second pic) are pretty common both as BMW OEM part and just in general use. They are available in stainless steel from McMaster.com. They work good for a single line where space is not too restricted. May or may not work for the fuel line since it's in such a narrow cavity. I would not put self tapping screws into the car like some people do, but if you could find a threaded stud welder that would be ideal.

 

[Ohmess]

I was able to reuse mine, but if I had to replace them, I too would go with something like the rubber lined clamp, modified to use a threaded stud welded to the body. Those clamps can be bent to tuck into cavities.

 

[Rek]

I am just laying the fuel line now and mine was missing when the car arrived. Does anyone have a routing diagram or photoi's so I can see where it goes.

Thanks

 

[Layne]

I am just laying the fuel line now and mine was missing when the car arrived. Does anyone have a routing diagram or photoi's so I can see where it goes.

Thanks

I'll try to take some for you, but basically it runs down a groove at the far left side of the car. Bend down and grab the rocker panel, and your fingers will be where it goes. The forward end of it pokes up through the 'crack' where the frame rail, fender, and firewall all converge.

 

[Gransin]

Rek, this is how we did on mine, not sure that is how they go originally, but they will be more protected from flying projectiles coming from the front wheel.





As Layne said, they enter the engine compartment through the small crack down behind the brakebooster. (the two black hoses in the picture below)

 

[aearch]

i reset all mine with a small drill hole and the riveted new brackets in also did that with my power line to the trunk
i used the 1.30CENTS metal with rubber insert wire clamps

 

[Rek]

Thanks for this.

Excellent looking car you have there.