Just dodged a bullet

[Carrera Charlie]

While getting my '69 911E back on the road last year, I replaced all the gas lines in the engine compartment and around the fuel pump ... thought I got every gas line replaced on the car.

I was wrong.

I missed the rubber lines that connect the horizontal hard lines exiting the passenger compartment with the vertical hard lines entering the engine compartment.

Yesterday, driving to a local auto parts store (working on the wife's van) I could smell gasoline and noticed the engine speed fluttering at a stop light. Hit the gas to accelerate once the light turned green and spun out! I never have the rear tires break away unintentionally (I didn't know I was sitting in a puddle of gas of my own making)! Pull up the front door of the store and I see a trail of gas tracing my path of entry into the parking lot. I look underneath and gas was vaporizing in white clouds and dripping to the ground.

I was ready to buy a fire extinguisher from the store and minimize the damage I expected from the impending fire, but thank God there were no flames!!

Went back this morning, jacked up the car in the parking lot and crawled underneath. The rubber connector line had almost completely backed off the hard supply line and its clamp was loose. With a few tugs, the line was back in place and the clamp tightened enought to get it home.

I am letting it cool downright now and will drop the engine and tranmission this afternoon so I can get a clear shot at the lines and replace them with new hose.

Learn from my mistake and make sure you replace these two lines if you're changing out fuel lines!!

[Eric Hahl]

Yikes! Can you say whew?! You got real lucky. Glad nothing worse happened.

[Grady Clay]

I will add some thanks to the Porsche Gods looking over you!


We tend to forget that some of our cars are approaching 40
and that is VERY old age for some components. Fuel lines
and clamps are among the most important.



Early cars only had clamps on the pressurized fuel lines.
That needs to change! Every connection needs to be
clamped.



In my mind the ONLY acceptable clamp is the Norma
Schellen (NS) clamp. That Factory clamp not only
provides the best seal, it also doesn’t damage the
hose the way a screw-clamp does. Very important.




This wasn’t mine but my heart goes out to the owner.
Please don’t let any more Porsches burn!


Best,
Grady

[Clay Perrine]

Please be VERY careful about fuel leaks...


About a decade ago, Betty and I stood on the side of the highway and watched as her 914 burned. It was like watching a family member die. And it almost cost us our marriage.

It took 6 years and a lot of time and money to rebuild her car. The suspected cause was the plastic fuel lines becoming brittle and cracking under pressure. That set off the magnesium fan shroud and the rest was history.


We replaced the plastic lines on both of our 914s with steel lines and I am diligent about checking out ANY smell of gasoline immediately.

Use the correct hose clamps like Grady says, and inspect your fuel lines on a yearly basis for leaks.

Believe me, the memory of watching your Porsche burn is not something you will ever get over.