fuel line size matter?

[dyoungen]

I have a 1985 Jetta DLX Diesel with a/c. I noticed fuel leaking from the fuel line a couple of days ago and found the line leaking at the fuel line clamp right under the passenger seat. I cut the line and put a brass fitting into the line but am wondering if the smaller size will matter. The fitting is a 1/8" barb fitting and compared to the original line is smaller. All of my experiance has been with an Isuzu 2.2 liter Diesel and a Ford 6.9 liter Diesel and  those have been 3/8" line or 5/16 line. I just don't want to make the IP work harder and die on me as it's running great right now including the a/c. I'm not sure if the broken line was the feed or return line.

[Smokey Eddy]

The VE pump won't "die" it just might not be able to support the draw you want it to if you crank the fueling up with that added restriction.

it's a mechanical hydraulic... pump it can suck through a pretty long & narrow straw - no homo.

[dyoungen]

Thanks!! It makes me feel better. I do have a question. How do you fix one of these fuel lines that are so small? Replace the whole thing?

[Smokey Eddy]

i deleted the "water seperator" which is a strange box thing that is supposed to take the water out of diesel (which isn't an issue anymore with today's pump diesel) and i just made up for the slack with a piece of pipe and two good hose clamps. I just jammed the pipe into either end (they were different ID lines for some reason).
I'd get two double sided barbed fittings with ID's the same as the fuel line and just force them into the line. worse comes to worst you tear part of the fuel line and have to cut off half an inch and go a size smaller on the fittings.

and of course connect said 2 fittings with the necessary length of fuel line rated for diesel of course.

[GEE-BEE]

The flexable is 7mm, I have some if you need it

from hardline to filter, pump return to hardline..

GB

[dyoungen]

Where is the water seperator or is that the box under the back seat with the cap on the bottom? The fuel filter has the drain at the bottom which I figured was to drain the water.

[Smokey Eddy]

The water seperator is under the back seat yes. It is unessisary.
the drain on the fuel filter is to flush the filter i think?
i've drained it before and normal looking diesel just comes out of it.
Same with the water seperator.
the main reason for removing it is because it has a sensor in it that till set off the glow plug light in the dash. so when you remove it you want to join those two wires together so you don't get any annoying flickering or flashing of the glow plug light while you're driving.