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Originally Posted by biopete
FYI -- It can takes many months/years of Neat biodiesel use to break down those old rubber hoses. Also , a theory is that you do not need to spend 6.00 a foot for Viton hoses. Just by the same braided hose for 2.00 to 3.00 Here is my experience :
1) 1991 Jetta 250K, ran highest blend biodiesel I could (B100 in warm season , B50-B75 in colder months) for 1.5 years before the old braided injector hoses finally gave way. Replaced with new braided hose.
2) 1981 300D -- they were bad when I got the car (leaking around connections) and biodiesel made it a little worse maybe. Replaced with braided hose.
So if they are already leaking or old , you may want to replace them, but if they are not, then I would not worry about it.
Regarding the theory of not needing the Viton rubber--
A diesel shop mechanic said it was combination of the old formulas of D2 that started the breakdown of the rubber and the methanol in the biodiesel finishes it off. This makes sense to me when I look at my wife's 98 TDI and it has the same braided rubber hoses yet they are not supposed to be subject to Biodiesel breakdown -- the D2 formula changed before her car was made.
It could be a different rubber though.
I replaced all mine with 3.00 braided hose from an MB mechanic in town. I've read where other people have too.
cheers,
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There is no methanol in quality (washed) biodiesel. Biodiesel will break down "rubber" fuel line, even new nitrile. My first conversion I ran a second tank in the trunk filled with B100, and plumbed it with new line. I plugged a filter with black goo every week until I stopped running B100 in the second tank.
Shorter lengths will not be a problem for a while, but it will break it down. I have replaced all the rubber lines in my car with viton, only 2 feet of 1/4" and 2 feet of 5/16". Not too bad.
B20 will hardly be noticed. It's B100 that will need attention.