Talk to me about Teflon fuel lines (ROTAX 912)

FastEddieB

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Fast Eddie B
I’m about to get started on my 5-year rubber parts replacement on my Sky Arrow’s ROTAX 912.

Fuel lines are straightforward enough I can do them myself, as I did last time. Planning to get help on the other rubber parts.

If you switch to Teflon fuel lines, the 5-year replacement requirement for at least those lines goes away, so it seems like a good option.

I have a friend with an RV12 who made the change. But it was a custom kit for an RV12, and was around $600, involving lots of custom fittings. Too rich for my taste just to avoid a few hours of work every 5 years.

His source: https://www.tsflightlines.com/home.html

Looks very slick on his plane, but again, that’s a lot of money.

Question: can one just buy Teflon hose, cut it to size and use stock fittings and hose clamps? I think I read that Teflon lines and barbed fittings don’t mix, so I’d have to track down how many of those I have and replace them with “end bead” fittings.

Or am I missing something fundamental here?
 
If it's Experimental, you can do what you like....

I bought the kit from TS Flightlines. The cost wasn't much more than the stock rubber replacement hoses, and I like the way the Teflon lines are run a lot better. No banjo fittings, everything was the correct length and it all went together really well. No more replacing the hoses so it actually works out a lot cheaper in the long run. I don't know anything about attaching fittings to Teflon hoses, but looking at the cost of the fittings, hose, firesleeve and any special tools you'd need I can't see how you'd save enough money to make it worth the time. I could be wrong, but I'm OK with that.
 
Thanks, Dale.

It does appear it’s not as simple as just changing hose types using existing fittings. As such, I’ll probably just stop by NAPA and buy some conventional fuel line, and rinse and repeat again every 5 years.

No more replacing the hoses so it actually works out a lot cheaper in the long run.

Last time I did it, I thought the fuel line was trivially inexpensive from the auto parts store. Hard for me to see how I’d ever come close to spending $600+ over the life of the plane. Assuming my labor is free - which it essentially is!
 
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