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rcmoser

Summer heat and fuel hose condition??

rcmoser
12 years ago

Summer heat is here! At least in my area it is! time to watch for wettness, dry rot/cracks in fuel hoses especially at the carb. which usually placed over hot exhaust or close enough to get radiant heat from it. IMO any LT over 5 years needs close inspection and anything over 10 years probably need the fuel hoses replaced or risk leak and possible fire??????

Comments (8)

  • andyma_gw
    12 years ago

    mebbe it gets hotter where you live, but up here in MA, I replace them as needed. That is, when they start leaking. Hose is readily available and I have never had a fire caused by a leaking hose.

  • rcmoser
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    103 yesterday and the same today. I'm old enough to never say never? IMO the key is to replace them before they start leaking? Sounds like you are on top of routine maintenance likely you will never experience your LT bursting into flames. This would be for the ones that have older machines 5 to 10 years that haven't thought or looked at the condition of there fuel hoses. I can tell you this alot don't even think about it?

  • tomplum
    12 years ago

    Your point is well taken. There are many times when doing maintenance that the line gets replaced aft the filter as that area is where the heat takes its toll as you said. I trim the rear line back some so that the filter is in a "fresh" part of the line and the seal is better when possible.
    So who can tell me how to make a formed/ shaped fuel line easily?

  • mownie
    12 years ago

    Hmmmm! If it is simply an extreme 90 degree angle you need "formed", it's almost better to make the turn using a rigid plastic or metal 90 degree elbow hose nipple and 2 spring clamps.
    Just "bending" typical fuel hose to turn a sharp corner usually causes instant restriction/lower flow rate and may get even worse with time.

  • baymee
    12 years ago

    Speaking of fuel line, where do you get the thin wall, good quality stuff that Tecumseh uses on the snow kings? The stuff at NAPA is almost too thick to get through the engine shroud.

    Tygon tubing and PVC tubing are thin walled, but are they as safe as rubber?

  • justalurker
    12 years ago

    A thorough pre-flight inspection is time well spent whether you'll be off the ground or on it.

    Familiarity with the general workings of a machine that has a big enough battery to kill you, enough gas to start a fire that could burn down your house, and can easily remove parts from a human body is valuable knowledge.

    Not to mention that it is far easier to repair a simple problem when the tractor is in the shed then when it has become a biger problem out at the far end of the field ;)

  • tomplum
    12 years ago

    Briggs 395051r is good alternative to the small Tec line. I use the OEP clamps, though I didn't like the OEP fuel line years back. PVC is a short term solution. It will be hard in a year I swear. I keep a handful of the Briggs 90 degree bends and the funky formed one that goes around the e starter on Quantums. Every so often I'll work on say a Vangard and need a special line and go hmmm, they made it that way somehow.

  • tomplum
    12 years ago

    You can also get OEM Tecumseh fuel line, carb bowls, needle and seat, etc from Stens directly. BTW, I've found a strange thing on aftermarket carb bowls also. The Stens bowls are a touch , like a thousandth or two larger diameter than the OEP. The seal provided by each is the opposite. So Stens seals work better w/ OEP bowls and OEP seals work better w/ Stens bowls. Plastic bowl kits in OEP are iffy at best. More UBI.

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