Braided Fuel Pipe

[Chancer]

I speak French so knew what it meant, I had not thought about what browser you might be using, I will try again with saving the picture, dont know how to use "paint" and dont have any desire to learn another program to frustrate me!

Its just a shame that this forum has the facility to post images (not that I know how to) but they for me at least are usually unreadable.

[david.g.chapman]

I switched from braided fuel line to lined R9 rubber pipe some months ago for the reasons in this thread.

I did notice though that the lining can be rolled off inside by a male connector if the fit is tight. I had to take each connection off once to check that nothing was happening.

Dave Chapman.

[billwill]

I speak French so knew what it meant, I had not thought about what browser you might be using, I will try again with saving the picture, dont know how to use "paint" and dont have any desire to learn another program to frustrate me!

Its just a shame that this forum has the facility to post images (not that I know how to) but they for me at least are usually unreadable.

I don't know why your browser has decided to "grey out" the "View Image" option; that can be done by programming a web page but is clearly not so here as I an other can use the View Image option. The only other reason I could think of is that it thinks the picture is rude. Perhaps you have an option set to bar any potentially rude pictures.

Install a few more browsers so that you have more flexibility.


~~~~

Jeff's excellent tutorial on how to post photos yourself is at:
questions-f20/tutorial-how-upload-photos-t27816.html

[Certified Lotus]

....all of my oil and gas lines are aeroquip and the oil lines an10 (dash 10) always get to me if i need to get close / the nearness: makes my arms look like we have a cat or a tasmanian devil. sandy

I also use all aeroquip lines for fuel and oil and have for many years. Never had a failure on any of my cars, including two track cars that saw hard duty at the track.

[skelteanema]

Hi All,

this post has worried me as my car has braided stainless covered fuel pipes to the carbs. You can see a portion in the attached picture where the fuel line is braided with blue metal caps.

Is there any way to tell whether this is the teflon lined fuel line, or should I be replacing thiese as quickly as possible? Who supplies reliable fuel lines?

[StressCraxx]

Hi All,

this post has worried me as my car has braided stainless covered fuel pipes to the carbs. You can see a portion in the attached picture where the fuel line is braided with blue metal caps.

Fuel line.png

Is there any way to tell whether this is the teflon lined fuel line, or should I be replacing thiese as quickly as possible? Who supplies reliable fuel lines?

There really isn't any way of knowing for sure until you loosen a jubilee clip (hose clamp for us yanks) and remove the line to inspect it. Using a hose clamp on braided stainless isn't bad practice, but not best practice either. If the line is teflon, I would be reluctant to use hose clamps. Teflon has no elasticity, it takes a complete compression set from clamping force. Eventually the teflon starts to "cold flow" and loses its compression.

It is possible to buy a complete "fuel loom" of braided stainless over teflon. Both RD Enterprises and Dave Bean sell them, ready to install.

The fittings are AN compression fittings with olives. You can also buy the braided line, cover it with heat shrink vinyl to save your hands, and assemble your own fittings to your liking. This process takes some practice and one must expect a few punctures in your hands as you learn how to assemble.

[toomspj]

Skittle

Your picture looks a bit like fuel lines I had on my Sprint. 18 months ago, I started it up to take it out of winter storage (it was in a mate's big grain store). Car started fine then burst into flames as a fine fuel mist sprayed over the distributor, melted the oil line and set fire to the oil as well!

I had the owner of the grain store with me and fortunately we had enough water to put it out - car was parked next to 50 T of Ammonium Nitrate and a ?400k combine harvester! I only had to change out some minor wiring and of course the fuel lines.

So, I was really lucky and my advice would be if in doubt, change them out. I also now carry a fire extinguisher in the road car - and have a plumbed in system in the race cars.

Paul

[Bud English]

Skittle
I only had to change out some minor wiring and of course the fuel lines.Paul

And your shorts!

[prezoom]

Stainless braided rubber hose has a fairly short life span. Even with an exclusive diet of non-ethanol laced racing fuel, it will turn into a garden's soaker hose/pipe. If you are determined to use it, keep the runs short and plan on replacing it after a couple of years. With care, the fittings can be reused.

[skelteanema]

Wow, I am glad that I read this post. Last thing I want is a fuel fire and a roasted Lotus!

Looks like I will be changing the fuel lines then. Any info on the quality of the Matty and/or SJsportcars versions of these braided fuel lines? Are they equivalent to the RDent/Dave Bean versions?

I usually use SJSportscars for parts as their costs plus shipping to New Zealand are reasonable whereas I find the cost of parts and shipping from USA to New Zealand to be very high.

How often should these lines be changed?

Thanks for posting this.

[StressCraxx]

Wow, I am glad that I read this post. Last thing I want is a fuel fire and a roasted Lotus!

Looks like I will be changing the fuel lines then. Any info on the quality of the Matty and/or SJsportcars versions of these braided fuel lines? Are they equivalent to the RDent/Dave Bean versions?

I usually use SJSportscars for parts as their costs plus shipping to New Zealand are reasonable whereas I find the cost of parts and shipping from USA to New Zealand to be very high.

How often should these lines be changed?

Thanks for posting this.

Ask SJ what kind of hose is used in their fuel looms. If its teflon, it should outlast your car.

[Robbie693]

Wow, I am glad that I read this post. Last thing I want is a fuel fire and a roasted Lotus!

Looks like I will be changing the fuel lines then. Any info on the quality of the Matty and/or SJsportcars versions of these braided fuel lines? Are they equivalent to the RDent/Dave Bean versions?

I usually use SJSportscars for parts as their costs plus shipping to New Zealand are reasonable whereas I find the cost of parts and shipping from USA to New Zealand to be very high.

How often should these lines be changed?

Thanks for posting this.

Ask SJ what kind of hose is used in their fuel looms. If its teflon, it should outlast your car.

And let us know what you find out

[skelteanema]

SJ sportscars said fuel lines were rubber material not teflon. Waiting for reply from Mattys and Lotus Marques (Australia).

[elanner]

Skittle,

Have you heard anything yet?

My braided pump->Weber fuel line is likely about 10 years old (6 in my ownership) and this thread has me nervous.....

Nick

[skelteanema]

I did get a reply from Lotus Marques (Australia) regarding their fuel lines. Their reponse was:

"The weber braided fuel line assembly is manufactured from a rubber hose SAE 30R6 From experience, if fuel line assembly were manufactured using a teflon lined hose there would be minimal flexibility Using a teflon lined hose is great where there is plenty of room for a large bending radius but not on a Lotus twin cam engine Please do not use Ethanol based fuels in your twin cam engine".

They also provided a link in which they attempt to answer some questions about fuel line compatibility with ethanol blended fuel:

http://www.lotusmarques.com/info/knowle ... nded-fuels

My fuel lines are more than 16 years old, and I intend to replace them as well. I do not use ethanol based fuels, which seems to be one factor in fuel line failure.

I have not decided where to get the fuel line from as yet, the Matty and SJSportcars product is substantially cheaper than the RDent or lotus marques product: visually they look the same. RDent do not state that their line is teflon coated, but rather that it is: "just like the original" They also suggest to: "Check your old fuel loom regularly for leaks and replace it at the first sign of a problem."