Fuel Pressure - Schrader valves for checking and pressure relief

[Zed Head]

I was in the salvage yard the other day and found an in-line Schrader valve on the fuel lines of an Isuzu Rodeo. I've looked around on the internet for something similar but could never find anything. The Schrader valve is common on today's fuel injected cars, as a port for a fuel pressure gauge connection, but the old Z cars don't come with them. All of the newer cars I looked at have them installed on the fuel rail so not easy to transplant.

I haven't installed it yet but it fits 5/16" hose like the stock 280Z lines so should be easy to splice in. It will be convenient for fuel pressure checks or adjusting, and for relieving pressure if I need to remove any fuel system components.

I've attached a picture of what I ended up with. On the Rodeo there is more hard line after the cut but also several fixtures and bends that I didn't want. If someone knows of a similar in-line valve on a different model car, I'd be interested to know of it.

Putting this out there for those that might want to add something convenient to their car for no significant reason.

[FastWoman]

Cool! I had looked for a Schrader valve at various auto parts stores, and the folks all stared at me like I was dressed like a Viking and speaking Portugese.

All I wanted was an easy means of checking fuel pressure, so I simply installed an inline fuel pressure gauge. I've described it elsewhere, but I'll also describe it here in this thread as an alternative that someone might like.

The gauge ran me $5 at my local True Value hardware store. It's made in China -- 100 psi max, about 1.5" in diameter, with a 1/8" NPT thread on it. I screwed that into a "T" fitting with 3 1/8" NPT threaded holes. I screwed 5/16" nipples into the other two holes. The entire assembly was under $10.

The "T" is oriented with its "bottom" (the stem at the bottom of the letter "T") pointed downwards and connected to the top of my fuel filter via a very short length of hose. One of the "arms" of the "T" has a 5/16" nipple that points directly towards the fuel rail and is connected to it via a short length of hose. The other "arm" of the "T" holds the gauge, whose face points straight upwards for easy viewing.

No brackets are necessary, as the gauge is held quite steadily on the ends of the short hoses. The installation looks very neat, and the gauge has held up fine in the summer heat. (I was worried about the possibility of softening solder joints.) Also my car is a daily driver, and I've noted no corrosion or deterioration in the gauge so far. Finally, the gauge is surprisingly accurate for a $5 item out of China.

[sblake01]

AC supply places like Johnstone Supply carry schrader valves/service ports etc.

[Zed Head]

I have found the AC valves on-line but could never determine if the seals inside were fuel rated or not. And I still have a spare spot on my fuel system for a gauge (the old CSV spot), which would be convenient. The reason I started looking again was because I just did some fuel system work, swapping injectors, and realized what a pain it was to depressurize (note - even with a leaking FPR some pressure remains) and drain the fuel lines. Now I can (or will be able to once installed) just connect the pressure gauge, and use the pressure relief button on the gauge to dump the fuel. It's just a convenience.

[ZCurves]

I did this to my 78, I took a section from a Ford similar to what Zed Head posted. I braised it into the fuel rail when I was rebuilding the engine. I have the 3M EFI kit that attaches directly to the port for future cleaning. I can post a pic if anyone would like.