Lifespan of OEM fuel lines?

[JZiggy]

1999 4Runner with 300k+ on the clock. No fuel leaks or evap codes, but as Toyota keeps on discontinuing OEM parts I'm wondering if its worthwhile to start collecting some of the fuel lines and hoses. Does anyone have a feel for the service life of components like that? Thinking the high-pressure lines that connect to the rails, filling tube and grommets, stuff like that. Still has the original fuel pump too which might be good to proactively swap out lest it decide to die on a trail sometime.

Thoughts?

 

[rekit]

2001 Tacoma, same concerns. I have a '99 Honda Valkyrie MC that needs carb orings and gaskets (again) even when using Stabil and storing with E-free gas... Tacoma has original alternator (new brushes), fuel pump, brake hoses, ac system, etc. Not liking the new rides too much.

 

[kschachn]

My Accord lasted about 25 years here in the upper Midwest before a brake line above the fuel tank blew. I replaced them all (fuel and brake) with NiCopp, tip-to-tail. The ECHO and Sienna still look acceptable for whatever reason, and the ECHO fuel lines are plastic so those should always be okay.

 

[eljefino]

There are barbed fittings you can build into full fuel lines with nylon and/or compression unions. You should be able to fix whatever problem comes up on the pressurized fuel side of things. Whatever quick connects Toyota uses won't be exclusive to your specific model.

The filler neck, if Toyota stops making it, might be made aftermarket by Spectra or someone. (Shudder.)

 

[redhat]

If you do need new lines, the nylon make your own line are super nice. I’d use them if the need arises.

 

[Rmay635703]

There are a few places locally now that can make a new steel hardline $250/installed.

Very thankful they exist because we had 2 decades of “scrap the car because a steel brake or fuel line went “

Not sure what mental midget decided hardlines were thousands of dollars but having a place that can fab them is a must in the rusty Wi region.

Hardlines should “theoretically last the life of the car” and even here 20 years used to be required without a recall.

But I’ve already encountered a few folks that had bad brake systems (hardlines, calipers and all) at 5 years and a bunch of morons claiming it’s normal to replace all that crap with a brake job which is insanely rediculous

 

[JZiggy]

To be clear, I'm talking about the rubber soft lines (on high and low pressure sides), not the metal hard lines. No rust issues for me, thankfully.

 

[Jetronic]

you can get those per foot in any diameter you want

 

[Oillover]

To be clear, I'm talking about the rubber soft lines (on high and low pressure sides), not the metal hard lines. No rust issues for me, thankfully.

My 88 BMW has many of the original rubber fuel hoses (and coolant hoses too).
Neither show any signs of failure.

 

[eljefino]

you can get those per foot in any diameter you want

SAE 30R9 for high pressure, please. 30R7 is for low pressure, carbed stuff.

 

[camrydriver111]

If it's the low pressure lines isn't it just generic fuel-comaptible hose cut to size, or are there special bends?

On BMWs I believe you just buy OEM Cohline fuel hose and cut it to size. Is it more complicated on Toyotas?

 

[JZiggy]

I think all the low pressure lines can be bought with the nice OEM bends but yes, I expect generic will work fine too.

 

[02SE]

I would suggest taking a look at the fuel lines to assess their condition, they are easy enough to follow from the gas tank.

I had a '97 4Runner for 22+ years, which spent every year on salt-encrusted roads. It had virtually NO rust, as I washed the salt off on a regular basis, paying particular attention to the undercarriage.

 

[Rmay635703]

To be clear, I'm talking about the rubber soft lines (on high and low pressure sides), not the metal hard lines. No rust issues for me, thankfully.

Those should also last 20 years but it’s not uncommon to fail or fail visual inspection

I would suggest taking a look at the fuel lines to assess their condition, they are easy enough to follow from the gas tank.

I had a '97 4Runner for 22+ years, which spent every year on salt-encrusted roads. It had virtually NO rust, as I washed the salt off on a regular basis, paying particular attention to the undercarriage.

I had a 2010 Cobalt with a clean body that had a fuel hardline rust through inside a clamp at 6 years old, my car was 1 year too new to be apart of the repair campaign, reported it to the national highway since it blew fuel on my driveway and would have never been caught in an inspection

 

[eljefino]

Those should also last 20 years but it’s not uncommon to fail or fail visual inspection



I had a 2010 Cobalt with a clean body that had a fuel hardline rust through inside a clamp at 6 years old, my car was 1 year too new to be apart of the repair campaign, reported it to the national highway since it blew fuel on my driveway and would have never been caught in an inspection

Yeah my HHR was similar, GM likes to make a "spider" out of poorly treated (or untreated) bare steel for the brake lines, fuel and EVAP. There are better materials available, but they cost slightly more.

 

[JHZR2]

My Mercedes fuel lines underneath are all original. The ones that connect to barbed fittings get changed.

Perhaps you should inspect them? Pretty easy to see if they’re cracked, seeping, etc.

 

[ElectroMechanoMan]

The vehicles I’ve been around since about 2005 have coated brake lines and they seem to hold up well. I had to replace all of the steel brake and fuel lines under my 1994 Dodge truck at about 15 years old. They wouldn’t have lasted that long if the truck hadn’t been undercoated.

 

[zzyzzx]

The only time I have ever replaced any of these is the fuel fuller hose breaking at the bend, or fuel rail connector piece that got chewed on by an animal. I used generic fuel injection hose to fix the latter.