Scary story [a bit long]
11-02-2008 | 01:30 AM
#1
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,176
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From: Menlo Park, CA
Scary story [a bit long]
I'm sorry, but I feel a need to rant a little...no shop names will be posted as I am not, right now, interested in assigning blame or talking bad about anyone. I'm just glad I'm ok and my car is in one piece
So my car recently had a number of parts replaced, including the fuel lines. I got all hydraulic fittings and Earl's pro-lite nylon braided hose with compression fittings to connect it to the existing hardlines. While I thought it'd be a cool upgrade that would make the car a bit safer (no 20 year old fuel lines), it's turned into quite a hassle, but hopefully others can learn from my experience...
so first, shop #1 installs the lines by cutting the factory lines in the middle and using copper adapters to clamp down the nylon lines. It allegedly doesn't leak, but it doesn't look great and I'm skeptical about long term reliability. So I have them redo the lines, which they do, and they do a nice job installing them. Compression fittings are used this time, and the lines are nicely routed. The feed line is run through the rear engine hoist point, which actually looks pretty cool, but I think they may have run it like that without a rubber grommet and a small tear in the braid may have developed.
Meanwhile, a couple of the fittings started leaking. I moved to the NY area and found shop #2, who I had redo many of the fittings. Shop #2 noted that the nylon braided hose was poorly suited to the AN-fittings and very difficult to seal. They actually replaced the return line with a piece of traditional stainless braided hose. Shop #2 also cleaned the car, checked tire pressure, oil, etc and generally went out of their way to make a good first impression. I must say, it worked...I was ecstatic. The fuel leaks were fixed and the car was running better than ever. I picked it up today and took it on a 40 mile drive up to Valhalla (Rt 22 near Kensico dam, at sunset in a Porsche...phenomenal). I later went over to a friend's house and when I went to drive home, noticed a really strong gas smell. The car was more or less running ok, but didn't seem to be as smooth as it had been earlier. When I get home, I put it in neutral and pop the hood, cynically thinking that maybe shop #2 hadn't been as good as their salesmanship and a fitting was still leaking or something
oh no, there was a break somewhere in the feed line that was causing fuel to spray at the passenger side of the car like a fire hydrant. WHAT THE F(*&?!?? I turned the car off as fast as possible and went to get a fire extinguisher to wait with the car while the headers cooled down (considering it looked like they had pretty much just been bathed in fuel...). An hour later, the car's outside with the hood cracked open and I'm waiting until monday to have the car towed back to shop #2 (who offered a guarantee on the work and I'll be hoping that they make htis right). My current hypothesis is that that break in the braid where the line was run through the engine hoist got worse during the drive, to the point where structural integrity failed and fuel began spraying out.
I'm hoping that replacing it with stainless braided line (rerouted perhaps bc the stainless will destroy that grommet) will fix the problem, but I had a very very scary moment when I popped that hood. I later noticed a fairly large trail of gas coming up the driveway (and presumably down the street as well...)
So, moral of the story, if you're going to have a shop put compression fittings and hydraulic hose on your car, make sure they're very good at it, and if you want hydraulic lines, don't get nylon braid. I still think that, when its all sorted out, the braided lines will be a net positive for the car, but I got quite a scare tonight. Thanks for reading
So my car recently had a number of parts replaced, including the fuel lines. I got all hydraulic fittings and Earl's pro-lite nylon braided hose with compression fittings to connect it to the existing hardlines. While I thought it'd be a cool upgrade that would make the car a bit safer (no 20 year old fuel lines), it's turned into quite a hassle, but hopefully others can learn from my experience...
so first, shop #1 installs the lines by cutting the factory lines in the middle and using copper adapters to clamp down the nylon lines. It allegedly doesn't leak, but it doesn't look great and I'm skeptical about long term reliability. So I have them redo the lines, which they do, and they do a nice job installing them. Compression fittings are used this time, and the lines are nicely routed. The feed line is run through the rear engine hoist point, which actually looks pretty cool, but I think they may have run it like that without a rubber grommet and a small tear in the braid may have developed.
Meanwhile, a couple of the fittings started leaking. I moved to the NY area and found shop #2, who I had redo many of the fittings. Shop #2 noted that the nylon braided hose was poorly suited to the AN-fittings and very difficult to seal. They actually replaced the return line with a piece of traditional stainless braided hose. Shop #2 also cleaned the car, checked tire pressure, oil, etc and generally went out of their way to make a good first impression. I must say, it worked...I was ecstatic. The fuel leaks were fixed and the car was running better than ever. I picked it up today and took it on a 40 mile drive up to Valhalla (Rt 22 near Kensico dam, at sunset in a Porsche...phenomenal). I later went over to a friend's house and when I went to drive home, noticed a really strong gas smell. The car was more or less running ok, but didn't seem to be as smooth as it had been earlier. When I get home, I put it in neutral and pop the hood, cynically thinking that maybe shop #2 hadn't been as good as their salesmanship and a fitting was still leaking or something
oh no, there was a break somewhere in the feed line that was causing fuel to spray at the passenger side of the car like a fire hydrant. WHAT THE F(*&?!?? I turned the car off as fast as possible and went to get a fire extinguisher to wait with the car while the headers cooled down (considering it looked like they had pretty much just been bathed in fuel...). An hour later, the car's outside with the hood cracked open and I'm waiting until monday to have the car towed back to shop #2 (who offered a guarantee on the work and I'll be hoping that they make htis right). My current hypothesis is that that break in the braid where the line was run through the engine hoist got worse during the drive, to the point where structural integrity failed and fuel began spraying out.
I'm hoping that replacing it with stainless braided line (rerouted perhaps bc the stainless will destroy that grommet) will fix the problem, but I had a very very scary moment when I popped that hood. I later noticed a fairly large trail of gas coming up the driveway (and presumably down the street as well...)
So, moral of the story, if you're going to have a shop put compression fittings and hydraulic hose on your car, make sure they're very good at it, and if you want hydraulic lines, don't get nylon braid. I still think that, when its all sorted out, the braided lines will be a net positive for the car, but I got quite a scare tonight. Thanks for reading
11-02-2008 | 03:02 AM
#2
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 1,965
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From: Tulsa Oklahoma
Pretty bad luck with two shops. This is why I would make it imperative to see a Porsche specialist. Better yet, a front-engine P car specialist. And better still, a 944/951 specialist who owns and drives 944's daily. Good thing I live in Tulsa with Tom. 
11-02-2008 | 08:11 AM
#4
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From: Sterling, VA
Ugh! Glad to hear you didn't have a carbecue!
On a somewhat unrelated note, my mom/grandparents used to live in Valhalla and I remember the dam you're talking about. I can imagine it being an incredible drive.
BB.
On a somewhat unrelated note, my mom/grandparents used to live in Valhalla and I remember the dam you're talking about. I can imagine it being an incredible drive.
BB.
11-02-2008 | 09:58 AM
#5
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15,223
Likes: 7
From: Burlington ky
i replaced my own on our old 924s w/ regular high pressure fuel injection hose from autozone w/ a couple of cheapy worm gear clamps and it was fine for three years until we sold the car...factory routing. Not sure why they would have so much trouble.
11-02-2008 | 01:19 PM
#6
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 2,176
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From: Menlo Park, CA
thanks...I would have done it myself, but I don't really have anywhere to work on it and the thought of fuel leaks scares me, so I justified having the shop do it by telling myself I was paying for peace of mind
Shop #1 has done a lot of work for me, and had generally done a good job before, so I feel kinda disappointed that something that's relatively simple would prove so troublesome. I also feel a little silly because the factory lines, despite being 20 years old, were working great and not leaking...
Shop #2 is a p-car specialist with a few front engined cars on the lot (including a pretty nice 944 racecar I checked out when I was there). I'm not sure why they didn't notice the abrasion on the braiding, but hopefully they'll make this right....I am after all, hoping to get peace of mind from having someone else do it.
Shop #1 has done a lot of work for me, and had generally done a good job before, so I feel kinda disappointed that something that's relatively simple would prove so troublesome. I also feel a little silly because the factory lines, despite being 20 years old, were working great and not leaking...
Shop #2 is a p-car specialist with a few front engined cars on the lot (including a pretty nice 944 racecar I checked out when I was there). I'm not sure why they didn't notice the abrasion on the braiding, but hopefully they'll make this right....I am after all, hoping to get peace of mind from having someone else do it.