L_perm

The lines look perfectly fine--firm but flexible, no spider webs/cracks, not dried out, no wear at the fittings. Do they have any markings that might reveal their age?

Thanks,
LP

Adamant1971

If you don't have any documents showing they were changed, I would change them. Lines can also be compromised from within due to age, ethanol, temperature etc.

Rob Edwards

No date codes on the factory fuel lines, at least not the engine compartment hoses in S4+ cars.

James Bailey

Very, very few people ever change them. Most work on the premise that if it has worked for 15-20-25 years they should work forever....which they do until they do not !!

M. Requin

Their are a number of before/after pics here (including mine) showing perfectly decent looking fuel lines that after removal can be broken right in half. You can't tell by looking, and you can't trust them unless you know their age for sure, IMHO (and nod to Greg, if they are properly constructed).

L_perm

Thanks for the replies. The CHOLINE print on my lines is red, not white. Does that suggest an AM replacement?

whatudrivin

I'm under the impression that if you are questioning them that you should replace them. You can buy Roger's lines and rebuild kit for less than $200 I believe or buy Greg Brown's lines for a few $$$ more and they should last forever. Well worth the peace of mind and safety.

L_perm

I have no reason to believe there is a problem with them, unless I can verify they are original, in which case they need to be replaced regardless of how they look, simply based on age.

So, what I'm questioning is whether they are original. I've looked through a number of pics of fuel lines, and I haven't seen any original lines with red lettering on them. In fact, I can't tell much at all from the pics I've seen. Mine have obvious red markings on them, including "CHOLINE" in big red letters. Do these red markings rule out the possibility that they are original? If so, then I know they've been replaced.

I'll still put Doc Brown's stuff on at some point, but I'd like to know how big of a hurry I should be in, so to speak.

LP

MainePorsche

From what I've read here, it sounds like there is UNCERTAINTY about the age of these lines.

ANY UNCERTAINTY IN THE FUEL LINES DESERVES AN ACTION.

You're not considering them without some element of concern.
It would not be like losing your short hose to the heater valve.
I would 'fix' the UNCERTAINTY.

jmartins

I've read many times about flexible fuel lines, but what about the hard ones?

Mine fuel lines... I can't imagine how they are looking inside.

Rob Edwards

LP, for whatever it's worth I've never seen red printing on any factory fuels lines. Typically the ~20 year old original front crossover hose has a larger font and I assume was white when new, which weathers to a tan-yellow. The newer replacement factory hoses have a smaller, dot-matrix-y font and are also white.


Got a picture of your red printing? I'd be interested to see it.

Examples of the newer factory cohline fuel line printing:

whatudrivin

There was no reason to question the fuel lines in the car pictured below. Why risk your life and your car over something that takes a few hours and a couple hundred $$ to replace? They can look fine from the outside but once removed they can show cracks and such when bending them. We are talking about your personal safety and that is enough reason for me to have changed mine.

L_perm

Here is the front one:

MainePorsche

^^
If you are going to leave this line in, re-seat it. With the contour this line has, appropriate seating will eliminate contact with the filler neck.

L_perm

If I want to just take it off and look at it, what is involved? Specifically, are the nuts good for more than one tightening? And, how do I minimize fuel leakage? I've heard of shutting down the fuel pump and letting the engine burn what it can from the lines. Is this really necessary? It sounds like it could do more damage than good.

By re-seating, are you suggesting turning the hose clockwise at the end shown to move the center part out from under the oil filler neck?

Thanks,
Louis