Source for CIS fuel line "separators"?

I'm in the middle of doing a CIS injection fuel line replacement (using Verell's kit, which is spot-on and invaluable for this work) and I see that I will need to replace all of the plastic fuel line "separators" (for lack of a better term).

It's those little plastic 'thingies' that holds a bundle of the individual fuel lines together neatly. They are clipped onto the steel portions of the individual fuel lines which lead to the injectors, and are located at either end as well as various places in between the fuel distributor and the injectors. I have several which hold four (4) lines, and others which hold two (2) lines.

Years of heat have rendered the plastic material brittle, and when I remove the old fuel lines from the "separators", they simply break.

Armed with the correct Ferrari part numbers, I have checked the various well known suppliers, only to find that they are apparently NLA. Several vendors do have a version of the 'separators' which hold three (3) fuel lines, which is odd since I have not yet discovered any of this flavor on my car. (I suppose that I could always get some of these and cut off one of the 'holders' so to satisfy the requirement for the two (2) line version, but that still leaves the four (4) line version to be located).

Anyone know where these can be found? Seems that these could perhaps be items that another CIS car might also use, and not be Ferrari-specific?

I'd rather not have to resort to tying the lines together using a zip-tie.

Thanks and Cheers - DM

 

Ricambi

 

If you review the original post, you will see that I already checked with the usual suspects, which included Ricambi (plus others that you would recognize) thru their website.

For the record, here’s the gory details:

TAV shows three (3) part numbers for these items:

a) 115595 – 4 tube version
b) 113896 – 3 tube version
c) 115418 – 4 tube version (apparently a different version than a) above)

TAV does not show a 2 tube version, but I have several of these which require replacement.

Ricambi website when searched on the above numbers:

a) Ricambi shows an incorrect 3 tube version for this number
b) Ricambi apparently has this (same as a) above) but I don’t see any need for a 3 tube part on my car. I could perhaps cut this to make a 2 tube version if I had to do so.
c) Ricambi shows NLA

And I appear not to be able to contact Ferrari U.K. parts any longer thru the factory website.

Thus the reason for the original posting!

Cheers - DM

 

Ferrari of San Francisco probably has them on the shelf. I went through this recently. 415 380 9700

 

The 3-in-a-line style are used a few places on TR, and the "4 tube" does exist in two styles -- 4-in-a-square for the 308 and 4-in-a-line for TR.

My experience for getting replacements a few years ago is like yours -- only the 3-in-a-line was available (so I cut off one to make a 2-in-a-line and adjacently overlapped a couple of 3-in-a-line to make a quasi-4-in-a-line).

If they aren't available from F, maybe Verell could add to his stuff -- it's definitely a part that people are going to need because, like you, I found that, with heat+age, it is just not possible to remove them without breaking them (and you could really tell how much more flexible/tough the new ones were compared to the old ones).

 

I'm interested in a set, too. Verell, are you listening ?
I had the same problem, only one of them didn't break ...

 

Absolutely, good idea!

This is a need for any one who is using Verell's CIS tubing kit, so there's a complimentary built-in market for them!

Me, I need several in the 4-in-a-square style, as well as the 2-in-a-line style.

Steve's comments about the 3-in-a-line style being TR specific makes perfect sense, as I couldn't see how this odd number could work with a V-8.

Do any German CIS cars of the same era have something like this which could be used as an alternative? Hard to believe that it's a Ferrari specific item!

Cheers - DM

 

They were used extensively on Mercedes Benz in the CIS years and I believe that is where all the 3 line clips are coming from. To the best of my knowledge that is all that is available from them either. The only solution I have found for the 4 square clip which I have never seen in any other application is to shorten two of the to 3 line clips and glue back to back.

Considering that they are common to Bosch CIS systems and Ferrari and Mercedes used exactly the same part it might be worthwhile to check if they are Bosch in origin.

 

Since I’m the fellow who originally brought this subject up, thought I’d report back on my findings.

After my own thorough (i.e., world wide) vendor search, I have confirmed to my own satisfaction what the other posters above had already indicated. For reasons which are not obvious to me, the only separators which appear to be available today seem to be the 3-in-a-row style per the pictures below. Odd, this.

And, indeed as noted, you therefore have to use these 3-in-a-row ones as a DIY starting point, taking a pair of them, cutting off the end tube holder on each, and gluing them back-to-back to yield the desired 4-in-a-square style (as one example).

I continue to suspect that, at least initially back in the day, the other configurations which were used on our cars, such as 2-in-a-row, 4-in-a-row, and 4-in-a-square (might be some others, too) were not Ferrari specific items. Someone who is familiar with other CIS cars of this era could perhaps locate a current supplier for these other styles by doing a similar search on other makes of the era?

If any one else reading this is familiar with other CIS equipped cars and knows of a cross-over for the other tubing configurations, please let us all know!

Thanks and Cheers - DM
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When I get home this weekend and as Brian suggests, I have a Bosch service center near my home and I'll give it a shot.

BUT I think Verell's delrin would be a much superior solution.

BTW, The four in a row is also used in one place on the 308 GTSi NA versions and I suspect all of the early FI cars as well to keep the front bank (5-8) FI lines neat as they route counter clock-wise around the plenum (hope I got those terms right).

 

They're on my list, Carmen contacted me a couple of years ago about them. My 1st try was a mold for my polyurethane. It sets up too hard, so it breaks when you snap it around the ring. I need to make them from either Nylon or Delrin both of which require an injection mold.

I'm just having trouble getting to machining the mold. It is next after I finsh machining the disc knob mold.

 

We'll all be waiting.

 

Hmmm - why not buy a piece of Delrin from McMaster-Carr and use common shop tools to shape as needed?

You could route the grooves in a long piece and then cut off as many 4-row spacers as you wanted.

 

Hummm indeed. Could work. Wouldn't be "Concours", but would be fairly close, and better than tie straps. Not sure all the shop tools would be "common" though (depends on the shop and how close to the original you wanted the part to be). Of course, this would be a great reason to buy MORE tools.
Verell, would Delrin be subject to stress risors from the machining?
I'm looking at a whole lot of cold winter nights to use up. Might be fun to try. Damn tedious though. Still.....

 

Agreed! Please keep us all posted on this one.

In the mean time, I tried to glue a pair of 2-in-a-row clips back to back to end up with a 4-in-a-square one, but the adhesive that I used (generic Super Glue) does not bond to the material (nylon?) of the clamps. Anyone have any ideas of a way to make this idea work?

Cheers - DM

P.S. - Is anyone familiar enough with any old German CIS cars - Mercedes, Audi, whoever - that might also be using this part? Far better to buy if available thru those folks than to re-invent the wheel!

 

So, here's about 3000 word's worth of pictures of the single used 4-in-a-square separator which I was finally able to locate, after much more effort than this lil' detail part should be worth!

I need at least two (2) more of these 4-in-a-square separators, but am interested in purchasing several additional ones for spares.

As noted above, my efforts to make up a DIY version of these using a pair of two-in-a-row separators (made by cutting off the end piece of the readily available 3-in-a-row version) glued back-to-back has failed due to an inability to make the adhesive work. So, we're all sort of back to Square One.

Does -anyone- ever recall having seen these being used on any other car?

Cheers - DM
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Can any of our "adhesive guys" recommend a glue which could be used to adhere a pair of 2-in-a-row nylon separators back-to-back?

Cheers - DM

 

I've had some decent results on plastic (which is always difficult) with Devcon's Plastic Welder (which is a 2-part methyl acrylate), but it's always a cr*pshoot. I think the only way to make this work would to be to drill a few small blind holes into the backs of each 2-in-a-line pieces (that line up across the joint) so some of the adhesive forms a "pin" the goes into the parts rather than just being a surface bond -- and the rougher the surface finish on the hole the better. In fact, if you can put a little reverse taper on the holes (so the diameter is larger at the blind bottom than at the surface) -- even better.

 

I know I have one set that is damaged..don't know right now if its 2 or 3 hole but count me in....

 

Could they be "sonic welded". Somebody out there in a business that does that, could get a bunch, weld 'em and sell them to us????

 

Verell - Any news / updates?

Seems that these would be a natural complimentary item to offer along with your CIS tubing re-do kits!

Thanks and Cheers - DM

 

Sorry,

Forgot aboout this thread. Bosch and MB claim negative knowledge of these things. Any other ideas?

 

Anyone been lucky enough to come up with a solution to this unobtainable part? I snapped off one of the connectors while detailing the engine, they are very brittle after so many years.

 

BLUF: I think it is Verell or someone like him or Zip-Ties.................


Have tried BMW, VW and Audi as well as some of the German versions of NAPA. SO far NO JOY. Opel is next.

 

Has anyone tried Wurth? I don't have a depot near me, but they usually come up with solutions rather than more questions.