Fuel tank vapor lines

[slofut]

This is why you don't use regular fuel line for vapor lines! Best use german cloth braided vapor lines made for this. Changed all these out maybe three years ago.

Untitled by Bill Smith, on Flickr

[dcains]

Wow, I hd no idea that could happen. What's different about the vapors than the liquid fuel?

[DesktopDave]

Eek! Glad you caught it before it became a major problem.

I wonder how much of this is due to long-term storage of alcohol-containing fuels? I've been slowly replacing all the old seals in my cars & bikes with viton-type rubbers instead of vinyls. They seem completely resistant to alcohol fuels, and come in all sorts of fun colors too! That's not helpful for hoses though.

[bkats]

This also happens to the wrapped lines. It's all the damn ethanol in the fuel. Remember to store your car with a full tank, and maybe add a stabilizer.

[slofut]

In plumbing the fuel system in my restomod corvette, I learned that there is indeed a difference in hose rated for fuel and hose rated for fuel vapor. Beats me but, you can google it. I think the hose in the pics is 5/16 ethanol rated hose. The cloth braided stuff is a bit expensive too, and I'm guessing the actual part number replacements may be vapor rated? But I'll dig into it again soon and try to find a solution. Guys are selling factory cloth covered by the foot on ebay.
Bkats, I agree this ethanol laced fuel is a real pain, even more so with carburetors. And I have about 20 or so on various vehicles! ...so you know what I've been doing. It's hell on rubber lines, even ethanol type 30r9 fuel injection hose.

[slofut]

Eek! Glad you caught it before it became a major problem.

I wonder how much of this is due to long-term storage of alcohol-containing fuels? I've been slowly replacing all the old seals in my cars & bikes with viton-type rubbers instead of vinyls. They seem completely resistant to alcohol fuels, and come in all sorts of fun colors too! That's not helpful for hoses though.

Yea, I kept getting fuel odors near the back of the car, surely didn't expect the vapor lines I had recently replaced. No odor in the car though. They're sort of a pain to replace too.
I've actually been driving it a good bit the last couple years. And more often than not I put non-ethanol fuel in it. But even non-E fuel has about 5% ethanol! Yea, they don't tell you that.
Anybody remember Amoco white gas? 93 octane, crystal clear! Dad insisted that I put only that in the xke. Those were the days...

What kind of seals are you replacing (able to get) with viton?

[dcains]

When I replaced mine a few years ago I bought the hose at NAPA, and this thread has prompted me to check its condition. As it turns out, the hose I bought was specifically made for fuel and vapor lines, and still looks as-new. Doesn't look German/OEM original, though, and it's labeled "GATES 4219G Fuel Line PCV/EEC".

[slofut]

When I replaced mine a few years ago I bought the hose at NAPA, and this thread has prompted me to check its condition. As it turns out, the hose I bought was specifically made for fuel and vapor lines, and still looks as-new. Doesn't look German/OEM original, though, and it's labeled "GATES 4219G Fuel Line PCV/EEC".

Just got back to this post. Thanks Dean, I'll check into that hose. Drove the 6 yesterday and today, filled up the tank and found my way back to this thread.