On to an important step! Time to finish up wiring the fuel module, and running the fuel lines up to the fuel rail prior to trying to start the engine!
To get started I dropped the fuel tank back down so that I could pad the top of the aluminum tank with some rubber pads. The tank fits up against the floor and spare tire well, the original tank had a fiber mat pad instead of rubber. While it made a nice vibration dampener, it also held water, especially sea water, against the steel gas tank which in time rusted out. With the aluminum tank I dont have the rust problem to worry about, but I thought that the rubber pad might be a bit more permanent.
Once the pads were glued down, I finished wiring up the fuel module and fuel level sender for the gas gauge. I left the wiring a bit long so that I could drop the tank in the future without having to disconnect anything, as it turns out it was a great idea…
Next up was trying to figure out how connect to the Chrysler quick connect couplers on the fuel module and the fuel rail line at the front of the engine. I had bought a roll of 3/8″ aluminum fuel line to use for the main runs and had bought a couple of -6 AN couplers to mate the line to the original Durango steel lines. Unfortunately while the fuel rail and fuel module fittings were 3/8″ the rest of the stock Durango fuel lines, with all of their special connectors were 5/16″ so the expensive Russel connectors I bought were useless… A quick run to the Local Handy Hardware Place to buy a bunch of brass 3/8 & 5/16 37° flare couplers with a few 1/8″ pipe adapters and I was back in business. The line from the fuel module quick connector is made from 5/16″ nylon tubing that the car companies seem to be using these days. Dorman makes a repair kit that comes with 18″ of tubing and a couple of push on (after you heat the tubing) barb connectors.
When I went to put the tank back in, I found that the rubber padding spaced the tank strap that attaches in the spare tire well down far enough to where it wouldn’t fit. Dodge used a special long shoulder bolt on the tank straps that were long enough to allow to make connection and then could be used to pull the tank strap tight. Well the original long shoulder nut had rusted to the threaded rod on the tank strap so when I originally installed the new tank, I cut the rusted piece off and welded on a new bolt that was cut to exactly the right length to use with a lock nut and washer which was now too short… so back over the Local Handy Hardware Place where I bought a threaded 3/8″ fine coupler, a couple of nuts and washers and headed back to the shop where I made my own long shoulder nuts…
With the fuel tank in place, I also connected up the tank fill and vent lines and finished up routing the fuel and electrical lines.
Fuel Lines and Tank Install
Okay, let see if this puppy will start!