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Ethanol vs Fuel Lines


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i read the following and thought it was worth passing it on.

i didn't know that fuel lines needed periodic replacement, did you?

the square windshield club may wish to take note to avoid that sudden 'boom' feeling you get when fuel vapors ignite.

quote from BoatUS Seaworthy magazine Vol. 30, No. 2, page 8, "New Standards" paragraph.

"Fuel hoses don’t last forever and those from the 80s—even if they are properly marked—should

be replaced. Most manufacturers advise replacing gasoline fuel hose after 10 years,

and any hose that is 20 years old is way past its life; all marine-grade fuel hose has

its manufacture date stamped on it."

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Considering how dry and brittle those lines can get over time seems like a good idea, especially since a failed fuel line can spell disaster in a boat.

Also those older lines were not made to handle the more corrosive E10 fuel we find at the pumps today.

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I am also planning on replacing my fuel lines. Inlandlaker, are you going to do this yourself?

More than likely, Boz, I would do it myself. It's going to wait until next season though. Upon inspection while changing fuel filters this weekend, the lines appear to be in good condition. I plan to cut the high pressure filter open and take pictures for your other thread.

As far as line replacement goes, I was thinking that I could simply tie the new line to the existing and pull it through so I don't have to "fish" around much. I think it will work well. Everything seems relatively accessible.

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More than likely, Boz, I would do it myself. It's going to wait until next season though. Upon inspection while changing fuel filters this weekend, the lines appear to be in good condition. I plan to cut the high pressure filter open and take pictures for your other thread.

As far as line replacement goes, I was thinking that I could simply tie the new line to the existing and pull it through so I don't have to "fish" around much. I think it will work well. Everything seems relatively accessible.

barbed hose coupelers that may be just the ticket 5218k65p1l.png?ver=20761378 for connecting the new hose to the old and pulling it through as long as the old hose isn't brittle.

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That might work but my preference is to use a pull string or fish tape to get the job done. I'd be worried about the hose clamps you'd have to use on the coupler - the lines go down with limited space between the hull and tank.

Taping the two lines together may work but usually they are pretty grimy and the tape does not stick well.

On a DD the only real work is getting the lines from the tank to the mufflers, the rest is wide open.

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I replaced mine year before last while I was having my engine rebuilt. The only hard part was removing and replacing the straps that held them in place. I was kind of determined to put them back exactly the way they came out, which was probably overkill.

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  • 1 month later...

i read the following and thought it was worth passing it on.

i didn't know that fuel lines needed periodic replacement, did you?

the square windshield club may wish to take note to avoid that sudden 'boom' feeling you get when fuel vapors ignite.

quote from BoatUS Seaworthy magazine Vol. 30, No. 2, page 8, "New Standards" paragraph.

"Fuel hoses don’t last forever and those from the 80s—even if they are properly marked—should

be replaced. Most manufacturers advise replacing gasoline fuel hose after 10 years,

and any hose that is 20 years old is way past its life; all marine-grade fuel hose has

its manufacture date stamped on it."

From the article you linked, on page 8, "Since 1984, all hoses

approved for marine use in gas engines

have had to be built to this standard and

hoses marked “SAE J1527” are capable of

withstanding ethanol blends."

I realize that the standard is to replace fuel lines every ten years, but assuming my fuel lines are SAE J1527, in a 99 boat, provided they pass a reasonable check for condition, I should be able to make it until this winter?

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