Yep, I wouldn't feel completely safe even with all new fuel lines if I had
the original plastic fuel rails in my van.
My van is an 85, so that would make those plastic bits 23 years old.

I don't run a WBX anyway, so it's not a concern for me.

Too bad somebody hasn't made aluminum replacements like Bahnbrenner does for
inline watercooled VW motors.

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
John Anderson
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 9:07 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: sad engine fire victim, 88 Wolfy

I'll chime in with the rest as I recently had the opportunity to replace the
CIS lines in my 35k mile '78 Scirocco.  They go bad from age, anywhere in
the engine compartment, I cut a section of one apart and time/gas had really
taken it's toll on the inside of the lines.  Now that is a 30 year old line
but still, as I've had the new ones for 10 years I should have done it 10
years ago.  To me even 15 years is probably long enough on a CIS line.  On
cloth braided or smooth bus FI lines, I never let them go more than 5 years,
and replace them all including the ones on the injectors when a van is new
to me; like someone else said, just routine maintainence.  On waterboxers
another real concern that I don't know the absolute life guess on is the
plastic distribution bits that make the ring main, like that bulkhead
fitting on the firewall (scary how old they likely get, has anyone ever
replaced theirs?) and the black bits of fuel rail that feed the injectors,
the early Digijet
 ones with steel bands on the ends can have the band rust and end plug pop
out but even the stainless banded ones can/will eventually crack.  Also the
plastic fuel supply line from the pump up to the ring itself should likely
be replaced.  I think all of those bits are suspect on any Vanagon now days.