Not all stainless streel braided line is rubber hose.  The best is
chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) hose, covered with stainless steel braiding,
and will outlast your vehicle with no maintenance.

http://www.paragonperformance.com/HOSE.HTML

Also, PTFE teflon-lined hose is excellent for flexible brake hoses;

http://www.paragonperformance.com/Dotbrk.html

Even your home washing machine hoses!

http://www.paragonperformance.com/Washing%20hose.html

Mike B.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew Grebneff" <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 9:21 AM
Subject: Re: Steel Braided Fuel Lines & Fuel Line Covers

>Has anyone ever installed Steel Braided Fuel lines, I was thinking
>it  might be very worthwhile under the van running the lines from
>the tank  to the rear engine bay?

Beware. There are braided hoses and then there are braided hoses.

Most are just esthetic; the braiding is loose and not functional. In
proper (expensive!) braided hoses the alloy weave is a tight fit over
the rubber hose, and prevents the hose from expanding under pressure.

Braiding of either kind will not help at all against heat or flame.
It will not help either against breakdown of the rubber hose, though
it will act temporarily to prevent abrasion of the hose by metal
brackets etc (until the braid itself is worn through).

I'd say thay you'd be wasting money on braided fuel line, except
perhaps where the line passes through the front of the
engine-compartment (get rid of the 2-ended breakie-breakie plastic
fitting and run the line right through the opening, using innertube
to pad it against the sheetmetal edges of the hole). Braiding would
help prevent abrasion at this point, especially if there's rubber
around the line as well.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut
, Opinions stated are mine, not those of Otago University
"There is water at the bottom of the ocean"  - Talking Heads