A topical posting!  Last night my wife managed to get through a complete
tankful on our '90 Country Homes converted vanagon in 8 miles without
realizing there was anything amiss until she noticed the gas gauge was on
empty and there was that smell when she stopped to pick up the kids from
school!  The return line back to the tank was leaking where it clamps onto
the more rigid line just beyond the engine compartment.
I suspect this joint was affected partly because of age (8 yr, 120,000 mi)
but also perhaps because the week prior I had an auto trans. pan gasket leak
on an S.F. to L.A. trip which had coated everything in ATF; the repair shop
steam cleaned the tranmission/engine area - this may have pushed the line
over the edge.

BTW, great site!  I've only just joined the list, am extremely impressed
with the collective energy and enthusiasm of you all.  The administrator has
my deepest admiration and condolences!

Graham
'90 Country homes Vanagon

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
> Of Joshua Van Tol
> Sent: Thursday, January 14, 1999 5:33 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Are Vanagons more fire oriented than any other old car?
>
>
> >        We all know that replacing the fuel lines is important in the
> >Vanagon, mainly because of their age.  So, does the same apply to all old
> >cars that the lines should be replaced?  What is it about the air cooled
> >vanagons and the water ones that makes this such a problem; and, are the
> >older buses at risk of the same problems, 195?- 1979?  If you
> reply, please
> >do it publically, then several people who have the answer won't
> all think it
> >hasn't been answered to me yet.  Thanks, ph  '80 Westfalia.
>
> All older cars, but particularly fuel injected ones, are at risk, except
> for (sometimes) those that don't use rubber hoses.
>
> CIS injection systems typically have plastic lines that get brittle with
> age, and are also a problem. Stainless braided lines typically
> last forever.
>
> Joshua Van Tol -- jjvantol@uswest.net
>