Took out the gas tank, and there is a bar...more

chrisreale · 09-29-2002, 06:11 PM

Hi, I removed the gas tank because I want to replace some of the braided lines. There is a black bar going across, close to the front wall of the trunk that I could not see when the tank was in the car. Is this a sway bar, torsion bar? There are three bolts on each side bolting it down. Thanks, Chris

chrisreale · 09-29-2002, 06:13 PM

One more thing, what size of vacuum hose should I use to replace the two hoses on the bottom of the tank?

John Rogers · 09-29-2002, 06:33 PM

Sounds like the front anti-sway bar. Look behind either front wheel and you should see where it comes out, although on many cars the outside may be covered over with body sealer. For the fuel lines only use good German braided heavy duty hose and new hose clamps. This is also a good time to check the condition of the plastic fuel line that runs through the car and replace if necessary. Good luck.

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Use good high-pressure fuel hose. Vacuum hose often is not made to deal with long-term exposure to fuel (especially the oxygenated crap we get in CA), and is not always designed to hold against high pressure.

--DD

maf 914 · 09-30-2002, 09:29 AM

If you still have fuel-injection be sure to use hose with the proper pressure rating. If you have switched to carbs high pressure line is not required, just use a good quality fuel hose. Be sure to leave enough line length to allow you to maneuver the tank back into position. Now would be a good time to clean out the area between the cockpit fire wall and the front trunk bulkhead. Also if you are having any problems with your wipers or ventilation system you may want to sort them out while the tank is out. Also if you haven't had your tank cleaned and coated, now would be a good time to do so. I wish I had done this when I removed the tank. Well, next time...

Mike

gint · 09-30-2002, 06:29 PM

I may be wrong (if so DD will correct me I'm sure) but I thought I'd heard that the lines (supply/return) from the tank to the pump are not high pressure lines. The high pressure loop is on the engine side of the pump only? Dave?

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Tehcnically those lines aren't under much pressure. But as a practical matter, I always use high-pressure line on the 914. Period. I did even before I started getting the employee discount.

--DD

chrisreale · 10-01-2002, 11:07 AM

I measured the thickness of the bar, and it is only 16mm. Is this a stock size? Would it be recommended to upgrade to a 19 or 23mm sway bar at some point?

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

16mm is indeed stock.

19mm and 22mm are the popular aftermarket sizes, though larger can be found pretty easily. The 19mm works well if you upgrade the rear springs (say, 100-140#) and leave the front torsion bars alone, or if you upgrade the rear springs a lot and put on somewhat-larger front torsion bars.

The 22mm is generally used for cars with exceedingly stiff rear springs.

The key here is balance. The 914 is a pretty well-balanced car straight out of the box. If you stiffen up one end of the car significantly, the other end will usually grip better. So the idea is to keep a rough balance between the front and rear stiffness.

--DD