Any tips on replacing the steel fuel line in the tunnel?

[73911guy]

I'm going to pull the fuel tank from my '73 911 and have it sealed - it is letting a lot of fine rust get into the gas. I'm planning on using the Renu process to seal it up. And the seals inside my K&N Billet fuel filter let go and passed the rust along to the carbs.

While I have it out, I'd like to replace the steel fuel line running down the tunnel - both ends of the tube have terminal corrosion. How difficult is it to do this job, and are there any hidden clips or fasteners inside the tunnel to keep the line in place?

Thanks

Jim

[nick-moss]

The tube is clipped in place and I'm not sure the job can be done with the motor/box in situ. It may be possible to feed in from the front. Take off all the tunnel carpet, the gear lever mechanism and the handbrake assembly and you should be able to feed it through.

[GreenT]

I had exactly the same problems, and I think you'll find it's enough to take care of just the tank. The atomic particle rust comes from areas in the top part of the tank that are more exposed to air. I bet once you look inside the empty tank you'll find the bottom part always covered with fuel is much cleaner. I decided the line would probably be fairly clean as well by the same reasoning and that replacing it would be more trouble than it was worth. I changed to one of the new Weber billet filters below, and between that and a fresh tank - end of problem.

[73911guy]

Thanks for the responses. The real problem with the fuel line in the tunnel is that there is a lot of corrosion at either end of the line outside of the tunnel where the rubber hoses clamp on, and sometime its going to start leaking there.

Does anyone have the workshop manuals that they could check for the procedure on this? Any help as to the location of clips, etc would help before I tear into it.

Thanks

Jim

[Bobs 67S]

Jim, I have taken this line out just twice.

Remove the engine and trans. The line inserts and is removerd at the rear. The line is fixed on the inside of the tunnel on the top, drivers side of the tunnel. Go inside the tunnel and bend back the three or four tabs that hold the line in. Save the rubber gromets. Move the shifter, remove rear inspection plate from the tunnel for access. The carpet may need to be lifted from the tunnel for the access next to the gas pedal, too.

Stoddards has the line but you might want to check out a truck supply house for a suitable comperable size brake line. (Local source, readily available, inexpensive).

Figure a half day to install. (that ment I took two day the first time).
Bob

Clyde in Australia just posted this picture of his car. This is what you'll be looking at when the engine/trans is out.

[Jay911T]

A little advice about the Renu process. I had it done, and it seals the heck out of the tank. Very effective. The downsides are this:

--Give the company doing it your fittings, and tell them you want to be sure these can be re-installed. I needed alot of work to get these back in.
--Your fuel sender fits into a small recess in the bottom of the tank. Give them the sender and a gasket and let them know this needs to fit. My sender no longer fit in the tank. I had to make a 1/2" spacer to raise the sender up higher. Of course, my gauge will be slightly off now.

When I got my tank back, it looked great, and I was thinking I'd be back on the road in no time. This was a little frustrating.

[73911guy]

Bob 67S:
I really don't want to pull the engine to replace the line but its going to fail sometime soon, and I'd really rather it not be in my attached garage when it does and I'm out of town. Even though my furnace and hot water heater are raiseed up off the floor per the local building code, with my luck the whole place would go to the ground.

JayT:
WOW. I'd asked them about the fittings but never thought about the sending unit. That would have sent me over the edge because it would have been the last thing I installed after replacing the tank. I'll make sure I send everything along with the tank.

Thanks again everybody.

Jim