Fuel Lines

[dc914guy]

Okay, I might be treading on dangerous ground here, but here goes... My car still has the old plastic fuel lines from 1975 running from the tank to the engine. Would it be possible and safe to replace these with the same style rubber hose that I use in the engine compartment? Or are there other and safer options like stainless steel or more plastic?

Thanks,
~Eric

[RustyWa]

I am still running plastic lines in my '75. They are black in color...I think the early ones where white/clear? I am not sure if the black ones are the recall replacements or the later cars just came with updates.

Anywho, mine are still extremely flexible and in good shape. So I am leaving them. Call me wreckless I guess.

I did trim off a bit at the battery location because of some chemical damage. I pushed 7mm FI tubing over the plastic about 2 inches worth and clamped it with a FI hose clamp (not to tight, don't want to crimp the plastic).

10 minutes after the install, I noticed the hose I used had a nick in the side. For the life of me I could not remove the two pieces. Ended up cutting the hose to get it off.

[mike95125]

check the tech articles under miscellaneous, fuel line replacement I think. I just did this change over to the stainless steel hard brake line. I dont know if it has worked yet though as I havent put my tank in yet. The biggest PITA was finding the fittings to make the 90 degree bends. I checked a few places, and had no luck, and one offer for a $65 set of attachments to do it. I ended up buying $10 instead for the right parts at the last store I checked.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

As long as the plastic is still pliable and has no cracks, it is fine. Heat and chemicals are the main enemies of this stuff, so most of what goes bad are the bits in the engine bay. The center tunnel parts seem to last about for ever.

The original early-style hard lines were clear and most have yellowed with age. The original 75-76 ones were black, I believe.

I recommend against using rubber fuel line inside the center tunnel. The rubber line should be replaced every other year, and that's too much of a pain with the center tunnel lines. I wouldn't trust rubber lines in an area that I couldn't see, either.

SS-braid-covered hose is a bad idea for this as well. There are too many things in the center tunnel that the braid can damage...

Stock plastic or the SS "hard" brake lines, as mentioned above, are what I would use.

--DD

[cshogen]

Who sells the black plastic (teclamyte I think) hoses any more Dave? Can you still get them anywhere? $$$PORSCHE DEALER$$$ only?

I'm getting an Optima and I never drive my car in the rain, so I don't think I could possibly have issues with corrosion.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

888/280-7799. If the dealer can get it, so can we.

--DD

[iamchappy]

I would ditch the plastic lines, i have seen what happens when they give way.
my brothers mint 1976 with 22,000 miles on it had one of the black plastic lines split on him flooding the interior carpet with gas and melting all the sound deadening material on the floor boards. i have never seen the clear ones split but i bet they crack or break. i just replaced mine in my 6 conversion with aeroquip blue socketless hose with bulkhead fittings and braze on fittings on the fuel tank lines. i considered using steel lines which
would be the safest, but i have no worries with the blue line using higher pressures with the cis 3.0 six. and the ability to replace them easily.

chappy

[tod914]

I found a local guy that had the same black plastic lines in 5' sections(factory lines maybe 7') for like $5.00. The problem is, on the originals they are heated so that they conform to the brass tubes that go from the area by your foot pedal to the inner front trunk area. Looked like too much of a pain to deal with. Porsche still has the original lines avail.
I thought they were like $70 a piece or something outragous.
I went with flexable steel brake line (not braided) in 2 5' lenths.
I cut a 3rd one in 1/2 and bent that to enter the engine bay. Worked out real nice.

[Jim Smolka]

I used alum lines in tunnel. Then AN fittings and SS lines on the ends.
The ALUM. lines have been working well for over 2 years. Pelican did not carry the stuff, so I went to racerpartswholesale.com

[Zeke]

I used truck brake lines with flared fittings. You're gonna end up using a hose clamp in there somewhere no matter what. I like the blue push on specs, but I used a clamp there too. Just in case.

[Special K]

I highly recommend that the folks on this board check out this website:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catmain.php

They have a huge free catalog (get the aircraft version, not the automotive- way more good stuff!), and are an excellent source for quality (FAA approved) hardware, hoses, fittings, sound insulation, and so on.......They even have a free book in the catalog on how-to soundproof your aircraft, which might be handy to have with a 914 (hey, 914's fly... Just real close to the ground )