Recall from Dr Evils Atlanta transmission clinic that on our return home, we broke down in TN due to a fuel line rupture at #3 injector.

Here's the offending part:

Click to view attachment

Thinking back over this past weekend, Mike and others commented about smelling fuel. Couldn't see a leak but didn't look real hard either. While in George's garage at AA I noticed an area of his floor paint was bubbled. Sorry George, I now believe that was due to my car leaking fuel. The frightening part is realizing we drove this car over 5 hours on the highway and probably two days around Atlanta with this leak.

Moral of the story: if you smell gas, thoroughly examine all the fuel line hoses.

I think I'll change the other three injector hoses. BTW - these lines are 3 years old. That doesn't seem too old for fuel lines. Then again ...

That is a very short life for an injector line. What did you use for it 3 years ago?

Dave - I'll have to check. I bought high pressure US grade fuel line hose when I added the stainless fuel lines, and replaced all other fuel lines at that time. Could be 4 years old, but no more than that

Has the engine been in and out of the car with the injectors in place?

I've seen the lines abraded and/or stressed due to kinking by the surrounding tin during install if the injectors are not removed from the intake runners.

Otherwise, it is a very unexpected failure, given the age.

I am REALLY glad this didn't turn out to another post of a burning 914.

Is that one of the injector "elbows" that are pre-bent for the application, or just a length of hose?

If its just a length of hose, it is possible that it kinked a little, and that cause a stress riser to form.

Just a theory though...
Zach

I agree with Vacca..
I used fuel line for the elbows and one failed due to a kink in less than a year.
It cracked right on the edge where the kink was.
I will not use anything but those pre bent lines from now on.

Just a length of hose. I'll be looking at the pre bent ones too! Who has them?

I'll 2nd that. If you smell fuel, you've got a leak. I had several over the course of ownership of my 914. Seemed to spring a leak somewhere every 2 or 3 years. Never from a split hose though. Just from one of the dozens of hose clamps in the engine compartment area. I would even turn on the heater regularly during the summer to check for fuel smell, as the heater pumps air directly from the engine compartment into the cabin. You can smell even a tiny fuel leak instantly when you do that.

Demick

AA has them for sure. if only you had known you needed them over the weekend.

other places might, but I think AA had them made special and the OE ones may be NLA.

Zach

Demick! How are you?!!

Zach - I checked AA site, George has them in a fuel line kit. I'll call and see if he sells them separately. My other lines should be okay such that I wouldn't need his whole kit.