Fuel Filter Quick Disconnect Fell Apart

I was replacing my fuel filter this weekend and a plastic bushing and o-ring fell out of the quick-disconnect connector. When I tried to put it back together I managed to destroy the o-ring. I picked up a quick-disconnect kit from NAPA which is the connector and about a foot of not very flexible nylon tubing. Has anyone ever worked with one of these kits or replaced this connector? Here are a few specific questions:

1. How can the nylon tubing be bent? Can it be heated with boiling water or a hair dryer? It needs a service loop and will kink if I just bend it.

2. Has anyone ever just replaced the quick-disconnect with tube and hose clamps? I'd be concerned about it leaking but it doesn't seem like it would be hard to do.

3. The kit has a metal splice to interface between the existing tubing and the new nylon tubing. Should I use this or just eliminate the old tubing altogether? There's enough nylon tubing as long as I can figure out how to bend it into the proper shape.

Thanks for any help.

Barney

Yeah, it's normally an easy job but this time, the connector that fits onto the filter broke on the inside. I took the replacement connector that I got from NAPA and cut off the nylon hose and used rubber fuel line and hose clamps. The only problem is that the connector from NAPA is straight and the one that broke had a 90 degree angle to keep the line away from the exhaust. I ordered the 90 degree part from Ford so that should work better.