Fuel Line Cracking

ChuckR

ChuckR

Location
Minneapolis
I have a 3 year old Husky 575XP. Hasn't been used a lot and I always run out the fuel for winter storage. It wouldn't start this Spring because the fuel line was totally cracked and crazed. I haven't seen this on my other two saws (55 and 338xpt). The 55 is 9 years old. Is this caused by ethanol? Are there better fuel line materials? I have heard of a gas station here that sells fuel with no ethanol but haven't tried it.
 
It might be the ethonal ,don't really know .Seems like a very short time though for a fuel line to go bad .

On a lot of my older saws that had bad lines I replaced them with a product call tygonal ,fuel resistant lines .They don't stay as supple as the neoprene or whatever the OEM lines are though .
 
I have had some fairly new lines go...My Stihl climb saw need one replacement fuel pickup assembly every year till I sold it. The guys at the saw shop swear that todays rubber/plastics are indeed broken down by exposure to...you guessed it FUEL! The best I can do is stock spares , being 25 plus miles from saw shop..When the line would fail on the 020T it tended to get gas on me while climbing...The saw failure plus being high on gas used to really piss me off!
 
It seemed kinda weird where mine failed. Not in the tank but right after it exits the tank. I was able to do a field repair by cutting it off and pulling extra line from tank. I probably can't run out all the fuel now, but it got me running again.
 
Did you talk with Jeff at Minneapolis Saw up on Central? He's a square shooter and would let you know the best solution. There may not be one besides occasional replacements.

There are occasional cases of fuel lines going bad on small engines. I wonder why only ones here and there. Since there is an averaging of the effect of ethanol on plastics because of multiple fuel sources I think that the batch of plastic may be more susceptible to degrade. Maybe not though...Maybe one batch of fuel has a slightly different recipe and that's what weakens the plastic.
 
I use that shop for parts but don't know Jeff. I saved the piece I cut off so I'll show it to him. My curiosity just gets the best of me as my 55 seems to have the same type of line.
 
I've had to replace 2 fuel pickup assemblies on my 200T. Both were cracked at the bend where it comes out of the tank. My first clue was that the saw would quit when run on its side or upside down. Stihl tech said it was ethanol. I don't know what to believe. I also don't know where to find non-oxygenated fuel. My other saws have not had this problem. I have heard of one other 200T that has had this problem.
 
I just pulled up an old memory from running Poulan 25's.

After replacing a fuel line twice I talked with the mechanic. The fix-it was to put in a fuel line that was a tiny bit longer. The movement of the fuel line would bend the tubing leading to breakage. Think of bending paper clips.

In modern saws it seems like most of them have the fuel tank separate from the carb. Giving a little more tubing to flex may reduce breakage.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I just pulled up an old memory from running Poulan 25's.



[/ QUOTE ] Funny you should mention it .I replaced one fuel line on my S-25 since purchased new in the mid 70's .Great old saw . I've never even had the carb off of it ,which is very unusual for something of that vintage .
 
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