993 Fuel Lines

[Ocho]

Hello all

My poor old girl has started leaking fuel and it turns out the fuel lines need replacing. However, I'm told these are a Porsche only part and aren't currently available.

Has anyone been able to source these elsewhere or have any other ideas?

TIA

[Yellow491]

I have replaced all mine on the race car,the main lines front to back are steel,just take all the rubber pipes off from the tank to pumps at the front and rear flexes off the engine and to the filter etc,and go to a good hydraulic pipe man, or go to a motorsport shop and they will make up in goodrich or similar with ptfe lining for rot proofing the e 10 fuel etc

[Ocho]

Thanks for the reply. That sounds like a bit much for me, but I'll pass this on to the guys working on the car. They may not want to take such a route as it may not be a route they would choose to take, having parts made up - no idea. But appreciate the solution.

[Cheburator mk2]

Ocho said:

Hello all

My poor old girl has started leaking fuel and it turns out the fuel lines need replacing. However, I'm told these are a Porsche only part and aren't currently available.

Has anyone been able to source these elsewhere or have any other ideas?

TIA

https://www.automec.co.uk/ - they are the biggest supplier of all sorts of metal lines to the classic car industry in the UK. Automec would be more than happy to make new pipes in Cuprofer - same material and diameter as the original Porsche ones for your 993 - in the correct length too. Your specialist should be able to bend them to shape using the original as a pattern once they arrive. The best and easiest soluiton by far. It will also look stock and original, which on a 993 is important these days.

P.S. If your specialist hasn't really thought of that soluition, perhaps he isn't that "specialised"?

[Ocho]

Cheburator mk2 said:

https://www.automec.co.uk/ - they are the biggest supplier of all sorts of metal lines to the classic car industry in the UK. Automec would be more than happy to make new pipes in Cuprofer - same material and diameter as the original Porsche ones for your 993 - in the correct length too. Your specialist should be able to bend them to shape using the original as a pattern once they arrive. The best and easiest soluiton by far. It will also look stock and original, which on a 993 is important these days.

P.S. If your specialist hasn't really thought of that soluition, perhaps he isn't that "specialised"?

Thanks for this also. To be fair to them, they said if Porsche couldn't supply then they would have to start looking into alternative solutions and this could well be one of them. I'm just impatient and have jumped the gun myself!

[Ocho]

I just had to add this follow up...

So I went onto the Automec website, and a chat function popped up. This is my brief chat before it appeared unattended:

Chat history from website Automec on May 26, 2022

14:02 You: Hi

14:02 You: Hello - am I talking to a robot or a person?


And this is the email that they promptly sent in response:


Hi Mr. Blok

Thanks for getting in touch. Back in the 1980s I could crank out some pretty robotic dance moves but on the whole I am a human.

How can I help you today?

Kind regards,


Made me laugh anyway!!!

[Cheburator mk2]

Ocho said:

Thanks for this also. To be fair to them, they said if Porsche couldn't supply then they would have to start looking into alternative solutions and this could well be one of them. I'm just impatient and have jumped the gun myself!

Automec were very helpful when they made brake lines for my 928 GTS which was being restored to factory fresh condition at the time. I measured the lines, took pictures and sent them the information. With 5 days I had a nice box full of lines all labeled and ready to be bent to shape. At the time I also discussed fuel lines with them, but elected to go with Porsche at the end, since they had them in stock, pre-bend and "only" around £400 for all 4. One addes bonus for you is that Automec is likely to offer you a discount for your troubles in measuring the lines if they then start making a kit for the general public.

Hope this helps,

Alex

[Ocho]

Cheburator mk2 said:

Automec were very helpful when they made brake lines for my 928 GTS which was being restored to factory fresh condition at the time. I measured the lines, took pictures and sent them the information. With 5 days I had a nice box full of lines all labeled and ready to be bent to shape. At the time I also discussed fuel lines with them, but elected to go with Porsche at the end, since they had them in stock, pre-bend and "only" around £400 for all 4. One addes bonus for you is that Automec is likely to offer you a discount for your troubles in measuring the lines if they then start making a kit for the general public.

Hope this helps,

Alex

Still struggling with this. My local indy says that bending the lines to shape is far from a simple task, and this was confirmed by Automec who also aren't capable - apparently the fuel lines are much larger dimensions which makes the bending process a lot harder to do.

[Yellow491]

You will only need to replace all the flexible pipes,the steels will be fine unless damaged,its not difficult.

[Ocho]

Sorry for the delay in replying, MIL passed away...

Anyway, I've now been back to the indy to see the car and the metal parts on the fuel line does need replacing. It's a 28 year old car with a high mileage car (203k miles) and these things don't have an infinite lifespan. Speaking to them, it's gone where the pipe is held in place and over that time/miles, with a little regular movement and expansion/contraction, however small, over time it will wear through any protective layer and then start to corrode.

Ordered from Porsche now as Automec wouldn't be able to make it up for me. Even if they had the exact schematics or I took the old part up to them (in one piece so they had it as it needed to be made - not something that you can put in the post really), then they couldn't be sure of making it up exactly as required, if at all.

Thanks for the help all.

P.S. keep an eye on your wheel alignment people. I'm also faced with two new rears with the current tyres beyonf bald on the inside after only 2,000 miles - this was an expensive outing just to get a heating pipe reconnected...