Choosing the Right Hose for your Vintage Gas Pump

Not sure which gas pump hose to choose? We are asked often by new and seasoned collectors for advice on choosing the right hose.  

You have three issues to consider: Fittings, length, and style.

Hose Fittings

First, determine the fitting size your pump needs. Our hoses come in two types:  ¾ inch NPT and 1 inch NPT.  

All our hoses have MALE thread ends, which means your hose outlet and gas nozzle need to have FEMALE threads. If your hose outlet has male threads, you might have a fitting that was added at some point and needs to be removed. If that isn’t possible, we have various bushings and adaptors.

Mismatched nozzle thread size and hose outlet thread size can also be a problem. For example, if your nozzle thread is ¾ inch but your hose outlet thread is 1”, you may want to buy a new nozzle to match the thread of the hose outlet, or a new hose to match the nozzle. Alternatively, you might prefer using an adaptor or bushing to make a mismatched pair work.

Length of Hose

Not sure how long of a hose to buy? Here is a trick I use to help me decide:

• With your nozzle in place on your gas pump, start the tape measure on the end of the nozzle where the hose will attach. 
• Then, imagine your tape is the hose: loop enough tape to go down, then back up to the hose outlet on your pump. 
• Adjust the tape loop accordingly until you have a loop that hangs like you want your hose to look. 
• Check what the measurement shows near the hose outlet, and now you have the length to order. Our lengths come in even-foot lengths, so you may have to pick a size slightly longer or shorter than your measurement.

Style of Hose

Finally, choose a style. We offer black rubber with brass ends, black rubber with chrome ends, and white cloth-covered hoses with brass ends.

You may also want to consider the era of pump you have.  There were many hose variations used, so keep in mind these observations are just a general rule of thumb, not an exact standard.

White cloth hoses: Appropriate for mid-1930’s and older gas pumps. These include clock face pumps, visible pumps, and early open gear pumps.

Black rubber hoses: Appropriate for all gas pumps. Brass ends or chrome ends are fine. Black rubber hoses were used in the early days along with white cloth hoses. Black rubber hoses were almost exclusively used from the mid- 1930’s on up to the modern day. 

Last note: Our hoses are for display ONLY.  They are not designed to be used for dispensing fuel!  

Have fun with your restoration! We’d love to see photos when you’re done: send them to help@oldgaspump.com.