Be careful - fuel hose

[TT Tim]

I've just had a scary experience.

Whist rebuilding my engine 18 months ago I 'upgraded' all the fuel hoses from the hardpipes forward to overbraided fuel lines, I used a local hose supplier to make them up as I used some of the ends from the old pipework I was assured he was using the correct nitrile hoses.

Well, I just started the car, having had it sit for the last 6 months only for it to spurt hi pressure fuel all over the place, on closer inspection the hoses had collapsed internally! You obviously can't tell this from a visual inspection as the overbraid hides the hose.

So, a lesson learnt by me, I can only thank my lucky stars that it didn't happen at full pelt on a sprint or trackday, and I'm now off to get some decent PTFE hose, unless someone can tell me something even better to use.

So, boys and girls, check those hoses and make sure you buy decent replacements from someone who knows what they're talking about.

Tim

Edited by TT Tim on Friday 10th April 11:23

[350Matt]

I would use silicon hose with the fuel proof liner - you can tell as its red on the inside and blue / black on the outside.

[BCA]

braided hoses aren't good.

Have said this sooo many times, I can appreciate it protects the actual pipe from possible damage from the outside, but the ability to visually inspect them is a much more important thing IMHO.

[Erich Stahler]

Out of interest do your hoses run down inside the transmission tunnel and under the car or do you have solid stainless pipes inside the car? I need to replace mine, see here
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Edited by Erich Stahler on Friday 10th April 20:02

[caduceus]

BCA said:

braided hoses aren't good.

Have said this sooo many times, I can appreciate it protects the actual pipe from possible damage from the outside, but the ability to visually inspect them is a much more important thing IMHO.

I agree. Thats why I replaced my hoses with fuel hose, but renewed the heat shield with better thermoflex sheath during the refurb.