Fuel return line question

O.K., here is the situation. My fuel-return line runs under the body along the driver's side frame rail. It then crosses outboard of the frame rail below the driver's seat and makes a 90 degree turn upward to pass through the floorboard about 3 inches from the edge of the body. From there it continues upward to connect into the top of the tank. The entire run of fuel line is solid steel except for a short segment located immediately under the floor board beneath the driver's seat, where it is joined by a 3 inch piece of rubber fuel hose. My questions are: 1) is this routing typical for a 1967 cj5? If so, I assume the short piece of rubber connecting the two hard lines is to allow for flexibility in the system and prevent the hard lines from becoming chafed or kinked during frame flex, etc.? Finally, has anyone re-routed this fuel-return line to a different location where it would not be so prone to damage, such as to the inside of the frame rail? This is of particular interest to me since I currently have a potential fire hazard because the rubber coupling is only about 3 inches from my exhaust system that runs along the outboard side of the frame rail.

 

Good question. My original return line is all missing so I don't know about the factory route.
I've got all rubber line that runs down the side of the trans and t-case. It goes through an opening in the vertical sheet metal just behind the under seat tank near the middle of the vehicle (between & just behind the seats). Then in runs over the top of the tank to connect. Never had any trouble with it but I would like to put in some hard line some day. Both the supply and return run this way.

 

I'd like to know that too. Can't make heads nor tails out of the pic in the FSM.

 

thats the way i think it was on my 70..... my 71 has a rear tank, so thats not gonna help here