Recommendation: Check your fuel pump hoses!

[paul951]

I have had friends who had problems with this in the past, but its been quite a while since I heard about someone having a failure with the fuel lines draining the tank into the pump.

I happened to be swapping a transmission in today and thought to inspect the fuel pump while I was right down there. As I was dropping the cover, a drip started, which I chalked up to some fluid having been captured by the pan which the pump mounts to. I moved the pan a little further out of the way and the drip became a pour! Fortunately, I had a bucket right there.

Anyway, this is what I discovered:



It appears as though the inner braiding failed and over time corroded the rubber coating, turning it into a viscous, corrosive goop. This part isn't under pressure so it might have stayed like this for some time without a terminal failure, but I don't relish the thought of this having happened while out on the road!

So my recommendation, get under there and inspect this part! Bear in mind this car has 61k documented miles and I have good records indicating this was the first time this cover has come off. This was purely age and not miles!

You've been warned!

[John_AZ]

Maybe a picture will catch more attention ...



Link:
SharkSkin - Shark Attack Round Thirty Four - Fuel Lines

J_AZ

[paul951]

Originally Posted by John_AZ

Maybe a picture will catch more attention ...



Link:
SharkSkin - Shark Attack Round Thirty Four - Fuel Lines

J_AZ

Wow, that is heartbreaking to see.

Please check these hoses guys!

[FLYGEEZER]

Everything about these wonderful cars...... is getting frail and/or "crunchy" ....EVERYTHING is worth looking at. All the time.

[JoshB]

I just had a very similar experience with that hose. I wonder if it doesn't do well with the higher ethanol content fuel?

[Rasta Monsta]

Unlikely that is a factory piece. The problem? That feed line is readily replaceable with. . .wait for it. . .heater hose.

Seen it more than once.

[mikepellegrini]

+1 Heater hose

That would be my guess too. Or at least some hose that wasn't fuel resistant. Garden hose?

I've never ever seen a fuel hose melt. It's gotta be something else. The PO was just being cheap. "This is the right size. It'll work!"

Famous last words...

[sausagehacker]

Kind of beating a dead horse, but the under-hood fuel lines as well... so cheap to replace... gah.

[veleno]

I replaced the pump on my '88 and went to napa to get a new fuel line/hose and all they had were the ones rolled up on the blue reel. So I got a foot and off I went to replace.

I could never get the hose to sit right, angle right, bend right, or look right in that tight confined space with the cover on. Without the cover it fit fine, but I was too scared to drive around like that so that was not an option. I left it on without the cover and never drove it (actually I was diagnosing a no start issue so it worked out) but I would replace that hose with the oem piece before it goes on the road.

[paul951]

Guys, I have meticulous records from the previous owner who was not the type to DIY or cheap out. This is a factory part that was never touched. It is definitely not heater hose.

And, lets just say it was replaced. I bought this car when it had 30k miles. So what that implies is that the factory part failed within the first 30k miles. I don't think thats the case.

[88Silver924S]

That looks like a chemical melting & gasoline alone shouldn't do that. I Googled "melted fuel hose" and most people blame the ethanol that, at least in my state, is mandated at 10%. Did the Porsche engineers not get that memo? I have read that the older fuel hose is intolerant of too much alcohol and will soften and turn to goo. That hose from the tank to the pump (on my 924S) is a special molded hose that has one end larger than the other so when I replaced mine I ordered it from Pelican, hope it is ethanol-proof. Does anyone know if European gasoline is 10% ethanol like gas here?

Has anyone put high ethanol (E15, E20, E85) gas in the car? Fuel additives? Acetone or toluene, etc? Fuel stabilizer?

Good luck.

[emoore924]

One word: Ethanol.

Ruining fuel lines, carbies, fuel injectors and anything else fuel-related in a boat, RV or collector car near you.

[Bukowski]

I observe shiny / sparkly / granular type luster on the good part of the hose. I point out that "NeverKink" garden hoses have such a luster. NeverKink is also a little soft, and I see a fold on the top at the fuel tank strainer. I do not see a yellow stripe along the side though, which NeverKinks have.

[paul951]

Yeah, you're right guys. This car, which I've owned for nearly 15 years and bought from the original owner, had this part replaced sometime in the first 30K miles, and the owner, an older gentleman who spent thousands of dollars doing required maintenance at the dealership, decided to take it upon himself to replace this critical part with a garden hose.

ITS THE FACTORY PART

[paul951]

Originally Posted by 88Silver924S

That looks like a chemical melting & gasoline alone shouldn't do that. I Googled "melted fuel hose" and most people blame the ethanol that, at least in my state, is mandated at 10%. Did the Porsche engineers not get that memo? I have read that the older fuel hose is intolerant of too much alcohol and will soften and turn to goo. That hose from the tank to the pump (on my 924S) is a special molded hose that has one end larger than the other so when I replaced mine I ordered it from Pelican, hope it is ethanol-proof. Does anyone know if European gasoline is 10% ethanol like gas here?

Has anyone put high ethanol (E15, E20, E85) gas in the car? Fuel additives? Acetone or toluene, etc? Fuel stabilizer?

Good luck.

I just bought that same replacement part, but I will definitely be inspecting it annually from now on.

I do have to think that ethanol is the cause of this. But, that said, I've owned 8 944/51/68's and haven't seen this happen to any of them. I didn't use any kind of crazy fuel additives, but perhaps the original owner did.