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 David-M
> Sent: Wednesday, January 13, 1999 10:46 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Are Vanagons more fire oriented than any other old car?
>
>
> Philip Hanson (Volt Computer) wrote:
> >
> >         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.
>
> I've always driven older cars and of the all the cars I have owned in
> 30 years have never had to replace a fuel line in any one.
> Maybe I have been lucky, but the sheer amount of fuel lines in a Vanagon
> may be a factor.
>