Fuel pump replacement

[Mike6]

Decided to ignore the snow today and set to on replacing the fuel pump, filter and associated fuel pipes which have hardened with age and appeared brittle.

 

Removed pipe between filter and pump, expecting petrol to  run out of the pump but nothing appeared other than small flow coming from the filter. I had thought the pump was failing so no fuel flow must indicate it is well and truly knackered.

 

Then removed short pipe between the filter and metal fuel rail that runs alongside chassis and up into engine compartment and tried to fit new nitrile pipe but just couldnt get it to slide over the metal piping. I tried everything including running boiling water over the nitrile pipe to help with expansion but it just will not fit even though the other end fits snugly over the filter, suggesting the size is correct. 

 

Is there a trick to fitting this section of pipe. I can only imagine the original must have been fitted under some kind of pressure