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Fuel feed / return line leaking

james944

james944

New member
Hi,

So my 1984 LUX just failed it MOT due to a leaking fuel line that I wasn't aware of.

I've looked into replacing the entire metal fuel line but it seems it requires removing the whole of the transmission. What a job, eh.

So the garage where I failed my MOT suggested replacing the rusted metal part of the fuel line with a rubber section which would get it through the MOT. This obviously wouldn't be ideal and is a quick fix until I have the funds or time to drop the transmission.

So my question is; what is the diameter of the metal fuel line under the car? It looks like the feed and return lines are the same because at the moment I do not know which one it is yet.

Thanks
James
 
James,

More than 10 years ago the steel pipes under my 944 were replaced with nylon. by my local indy. They've been fine since. Job cost was about £120. Nylon is the materiel that modern fuel tanks are made from.
 
hi James.. don't you just love Porsche's...:) In regards to the fuel lines... I did mine some years ago now and used Porsche parts for peace of mind. I don't recall having to drop the transmission but did have to drop the torsion bar a few inches to be able to man handle the long pipe over it... if using genuine parts I wouldn't attempt this without the use of a 4 or 2 poster ramp. I'm assuming that the pipe has failed over the torsion bar.. this is were they normally go, a word of warning it's highly likely that the brake lines in this area are also about to fail so I'd do both in one hit while you can.
I don't like the suggestion from your garage in replacing with rubber, even temporary, others have used nylon successfully as Paul has stated above, my personal preference is of course genuine parts.

Pete
 
Thanks for you feedback.

I imagine nylon was what the guy meant, hopefully. It's just finding the time to do that Pete. In the summer this car is having a serious bit of TLC!

I can find a adequate hose but I am struggling to decide what size (without cutting the original hose). Any ideas? Where did you get your linesfrom?

James
 

ORIGINAL: james944

Thanks for you feedback.

I imagine nylon was what the guy meant, hopefully. It's just finding the time to do that Pete. In the summer this car is having a serious bit of TLC!

I can find a adequate hose but I am struggling to decide what size (without cutting the original hose). Any ideas? Where did you get your linesfrom?

James
Click to expand...

James I got my lines direct from Porsche Germany via Porsche West London.. regarding size i recalled 8mm in the equation which is half right having just done a search via Google... seems there are two sizes.. 10mm feed and 8mm return, I do recall different sizes but couldn't remember if this was the fuel lines or the brake line having changed both at the same time.

Pete
 
I did mine with British Standard approved Fuel hose and Clips. The pipes are OD 8mm and 10mm from memory. I doubled the clips at each end. Porsche used Rubber Fuel Hoses over the exhaust manifold, so i figured if it was good enough for that it should be adequate for dealing with the rear suspension.
50 thousand miles later it has passed every MOT and never corroded, perished or leaked.

There is more than one way to skin a cat they say, some ways cost thousands, others ways cost much less.

Good luck what ever route you take James

George
944t
 
I've dealt with this on both of mine.

With the S2, I went for a well-known supplier's braided lines at about £300 plus fitting. I was extremely annoyed to find 6 hours labour added to that, as the whole point of flexis is you don't need to drop the rear beam! [:mad:]

Given that it ended up nearly a grand, with parts, labour and VAT, you might as well go for original.

The other car had a simple repair with a replacement of the rotted part only. £120 inc. VAT.

Guess what I'd do next time?
 
I was extremely annoyed to find 6 hours labour added to that, as the whole point of flexis is you don't need to drop the rear beam!
Click to expand...

Totally understand that Paul, sorry to hear of a decent customer being taken advantage of.

My experience of the Motor Trade would be, "it depends how busy the workshop is"

They don't have Customers, victims would be a better term.

I know what you would do in future.

While on this topic, I should have added, those hoses under the bonnet, - preventative replacement of those would be highly recommended. They are subject to high temperatures, and are not part of a preventative program such as the cam belt. They can do greater damage than the cam belt.

George
944t
 
Nice one guys, that's just what I needed to hear.

Looks like I have another exciting job on my hands but hey, that's what a 30 year old car offers, right!
 
Fuel pressure line is 10mm, fuel return line is 8mm. If you want to replace with OEM coated steel lines then you need to drop the rear axle (but not the transmission) to get access. I have read that others have managed to replace the OEM lines with rubber/braided rubber without dropping the rear axle and having spent more than a few hours underneath mine, I can see that this would be possible. So really you need to decide what you want to replace the original lines with and this will then dictate your next steps.
Personally, i was doing lots of welding on mine so dropping the rear beam was a no brainer and because I want replace with OEM parts as far as possible, i bought new lines from Porsche and fitted those.
 
I'm going to for stainless steel braided nitrile rubber fuel lines. It'll save the bother of removing the transmission, axel or torgue tube!

Thanks everyone, for your feedback. It's great to know you're willing to help budding, inexperienced enthusiasts like myself.
 
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