Shoutout to the old timer who showed me the zip tie trick for a stubborn fuel line

Working on a 2012 Duramax with a fuel line that just would not seat right on the filter housing. I was about to order a special clamp tool. This guy in the next bay walks over, grabs a small zip tie, and cinches it around the line's collar before pushing it on. The extra grip let it click into place first try. Has anyone else found a simple fix like that for a job that seemed to need a special tool?

3 comments

3 Comments

skyler_jackson272d ago

Try a tiny bit of dish soap on the o-ring next time. Makes it slippery enough to slide right in without wrecking the rubber.

knight.felix3d ago

That zip tie trick is a perfect example of what you can learn in a shop. I've used a dab of grease on an o-ring for the same kind of push-fit line when it was being stubborn. Those special tools are often just for speed on a production line. A little cleverness in the field usually gets the same job done.

charles_mitchell3d ago

Felix said those special tools are just for speed on a line. I get it, but sometimes that speed is the whole point. If you're doing one truck in your driveway, a zip tie is fine. But if you're the guy doing six of those a day, your hands are gonna hate you. That special clamp tool isn't just about being fancy, it's about not wrecking your fingers by the time you're forty.