Author Topic: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.  (Read 9757 times)

Offline brads70

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Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« on: April 03, 2012 - 03:33:26 PM »
I've been reading this quite a bit on other forums about braided stainless rubber hoses leaking. The main cause is the ethanol in the fuel is rotting them very quickly. One manufacturer said on one forum that if fuel with ethanol is sitting in them year round (like 99% of our cars)  life expectancy is about a year, 3-4 years if they are drained during the winter. Nice huh! Seems the rubber very quickly gets eaten up and cracks or starts to come apart causing carb or injector issues . The problem is compounded in that you can't see the cracks or the rubber coming apart with the stainless braided coating. Disassemble and check your fuel lines if your running this stuff! You don't need a fire! The most common symptom seems to be a fuel smell in the garage but no visible leaks.
The "fix" is to use hose that is made of PTFE and not rubber. Or of course to not use fuel with ethanol in it.
( good luck with that on a street car!)
The PTFE hose uses different fitting than your standard AN fittings and is good for carb or FI .( high pressue)
Here is a link to a site that explains and sells parts at a pretty good prices. I have not dealt with them personally but they were recommended on other sites I belong to? I will be soon ordering from them to do some plumbing though. Both links are the same company I believe?
http://www.frozenboost.com/index.php?cPath=219&osCsid=6dd5cc73b412f25e6949c519f71b64d3
http://www.allpurposepipes.com/
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0




Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #1 on: April 03, 2012 - 03:59:03 PM »
I noticed 2 years ago there were little black particles in the bottom of my carb fuel bowls. I knew it was because of the Ethanol eating the rubber lines, so I put in new rubber lines. I should check the fuel bowls again just in case.   :thinkerg:

Mike

1970 Challenger - SOLD
2016 SXT+.  1 of 524 SXT+'s in Plumb-crazy for 2016.

Offline brads70

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #2 on: April 03, 2012 - 04:02:49 PM »
I noticed 2 years ago there were little black particles in the bottom of my carb fuel bowls. I knew it was because of the Ethanol eating the rubber lines, so I put in new rubber lines. I should check the fuel bowls again just in case.   :thinkerg:
Ya I see it quite often at the stock car track I work at too. Gotta love the fuel companies/government regulations huh? :banghead:
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline dodj

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #3 on: April 03, 2012 - 08:51:34 PM »
Thanks for the info Brad  :2thumbs:
Scott
1973 Challenger  440 4 spd 
2007.5 3500 6.7 Cummins Diesel, Anarchy tuned.
Good friends don't let friends do stupid things. ........alone.

Offline GranCuda1970

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2012 - 10:47:50 PM »
yeah!! thanks all steel it is.

Offline LAA66

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2012 - 10:58:11 PM »
 Yeah good info thanks! I wonder what ethanol does to gaskets and O-rings in carbs, fuel pumps, gas tanks.... :P 

Offline Super Blue 72

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #6 on: April 04, 2012 - 12:29:28 AM »
Yeah good info thanks! I wonder what ethanol does to gaskets and O-rings in carbs, fuel pumps, gas tanks.... :P

Thanks for the info, Brad!  :thumbsup:

I just finished rebuilding my Thermoquad.  Reason why I did the rebuild is that the carb had hard starts presumably from fuel dumping into the venturis after the engine shut off.  I also saw drips of gas leaking out of the passenger side primary shaft after the engine was off.  It was a steady drip every 1-2 seconds ont the intake manifold.  I can only assume that the primary metering o-rings sitting in the bottom of the fuel bowl no longer sealed as they were dried out and brittle.  Possible side effect of ethanol.  :dunno:
1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye 340, AT, Code TB3=Super Blue, SBD=8/17/1971.  Yes, a Rallye without the fender louvers from the factory because of the body side molding option.

Pic #2 and 3 of my ARII 1/24 scale model car 

Phil in New England-Massachusetts  Always thank God for what you have!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/456046/1972-dodge-challenger

Offline brads70

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #7 on: April 04, 2012 - 06:28:53 AM »
I just last week went to help one of my best friends ( he is 72) fire up his 57 Chevy for the season. As soon as we got it fired up and running, he took it for a drive. Didn't make it 1 mile and it quit? Pop the hood...no fuel in the carb or fuel filter? So we get some gas ( I went home )fires right up and we are off again almost makes it back home and it quits again? Outta gas again? I'm like what the heck?  So I'm pushing it into his driveway when I notice a gas trail on his freshly paved driveweay :banghead:  Turns out the darn rubber fuel line connection had rotted out over the winter and thus the carb wasn't getting the fuel, it was dumping it on the ground.( electric fuel pump) He was just using what ever was cheapest for fuel.....   Ethanol... gotta love it! :pullinghair:
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline wally426ci

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #8 on: April 04, 2012 - 07:04:25 AM »
 :chatting:

thanks for the tips!
{OOI====I====IOO}
      '71 Challenger
      [O[]=====[]O]
      '68 D100

Offline Super Blue 72

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #9 on: April 04, 2012 - 09:07:32 AM »
 :sly:  Maybe it's an evil plot from the Government to phase out old cars....  :sly:  Can't run ethanol in an electric car....  :stirpot:
1972 Dodge Challenger Rallye 340, AT, Code TB3=Super Blue, SBD=8/17/1971.  Yes, a Rallye without the fender louvers from the factory because of the body side molding option.

Pic #2 and 3 of my ARII 1/24 scale model car 

Phil in New England-Massachusetts  Always thank God for what you have!

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/456046/1972-dodge-challenger

Offline LAA66

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #10 on: April 04, 2012 - 10:25:04 AM »
 And older motorcycles. I inadvertently filled my XR600 Honda with ethanol blend and it started pinging. Luckily there are stations out here that don't sell the stuff. Gotta remember to look over the pump labeling before filling. :sly:

Offline HP2

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #11 on: April 04, 2012 - 10:52:36 AM »
My experience with braided stainless is that they flat out don't last like old rubber hoses even when used with fuels that have NO ethanol. I'm sure the ethanol only compounds the problem.

On my drag car, I had to replace the 12" fuel line from the regulator to the carb inlet every 4 years religiously. This was in a vehicle that only ran during the summer months and only used high test, pure gasoline race fuel. Fortunately I could tell when it was going because I ran the fuel pump independant of the ignition. I could pump up the fuel system prior to firing the car and like clockwork, ever fourth year it would start showing drips under the length of hose. One year it was so bad it was squirting out of a half dozen pin holes all over the engine bay. If I was cranking over the car at the same time, it could have been catastrophic.

Any hose I use now is PTFE lined. It is more expensive, but I have not had any issues with it either. Then again, I try to seriously limit any hose lengths on my car anyway.

Offline brads70

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #12 on: April 04, 2012 - 11:00:19 AM »
:sly:  Maybe it's an evil plot from the Government to phase out old cars....  :sly:  Can't run ethanol in an electric car....  :stirpot:
]
Ya I hear ya, crappy fuel and no zinc in the oil! Seems like they are trying to get rid of us so it seems?  :pullinghair:
Brad
1970 Challenger 451stroker/4L60 auto OD
Barrie,Ontario,Canada
Proud to own one of the best cars ever made!!!!!

My restoration thread 
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=59072.0
 My handling upgrade post
http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=73985.0

Offline GranCuda1970

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #13 on: April 04, 2012 - 11:01:42 AM »
Thank god for additives.  :worshippy

Offline burnoutking-1

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Re: Warning for braided stainless rubber fuel lines.
« Reply #14 on: April 04, 2012 - 12:13:33 PM »
Not sure for how much longer, but it is still possible to get non-ethanol pump gas.