Hydraulic Fuel Line Hose

[Michael Peters]

yes , you got HOSED! I was concerned about my hose.I parked at NAPA. Removed hose with 8" crescent . Had new hose made for $45.Replaced .Add in a couple zip ties. Total time 20 minutes. Started up,check for leaks and down the road we go.

[Mike Groves]

INCREDIBLE!  Wow, well, I didn't even know where the lift pump was, and naively thought "changing a hose" at a reputable engine shop would be reasonable especially after Pape-Kenworth where I usually have my work done begged off on the project.

What material did you construct your hose with?  Caterpillar's first attempt was with normal hydraulic hose but they then looked at my order which specified plastic fuel hose and then ran into issues with the elasticity being a problem, then the 90 degree fitting, and bingo, TIME and MATERIALS.   

Mike

[Mike Groves]

Mike:

I think you did get "hosed" a bit on that repair and I can say this because Fabick CAT in Columbia MO just replaced my fuel line and more for significantly less money.  I had the Racor primary filter removed and replaced by a CAT filter along with replacement of the hose and the entire bill was $504.97 including the new filter assembly.  As Dave Atherton has previously noted I got charged for ~$17 of new hose plus the labor to install it.

Joel

It appears that the entire issue was because of the elasticity of the plastic tubing as it met with the RACOR setup, so simply removing that setup would have made the job probably easier I suppose.  Now with this forum feedback Margaret is saying I should call the shop and describe my unhappiness.  But, then again, chances are this shop had never done this before (and probably thought it wasn't even necessary but were certainly eager to humor me), and simply kept working on it by trial and error.  I certainly paid for more than 2 fittings so its pretty clear with a materials charge of over $150 that trial and error ruled the day!

Mike

[Mike Groves]

I can't find Dave's other posting which I believe included a parts list.  Am I wrong?  Can anyone find that thread and post a link to it?  The search feature we have doesn't seem to work very well.

Mike

[LaMonte Monnell]

I can't find Dave's other posting which I believe included a parts list.  Am I wrong?  Can anyone find that thread and post a link to it?  The search feature we have doesn't seem to work very well.

Mike
[/Gentleman, have a parts list for hydraulic hose disintegration repair. Need:  44 inch long Cat
9X-2374 fuel hose, cost .36 inch $ 15.84, crimp hose fittings  -8 JIC female swivel $ 8.69
Part number 92752 need: 2 , cost $ 17.38, Adapter part number 96515 steel fitting 37. C5315
$ 3.32. Note: adapter is used on the fuel transfer pump on C-12, C-13, C-15 engine only
suction inlet. C-9, C-7, 3126 E, B, A model do not need this adapter.

Fuel/water filter ( if you choose To go with Cat Parts ) 137-4367 filter base, 129-0375 plastic
Bowel, 133-5673 filter element,  120-6726 elbow fittings need: 2 total cost $ 153.52
All parts were bought at Empire Cat and any Cat Dealer should have the part numbers in there
system. Today 2 motorhomes were repaired with fuel hydraulic hose problem with Cat parts.
Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanicquote]

[Dave Atherton]

Jim, you are one of the lucky people ( cummins planned out the fuel system which has
been very trouble free. )  today it is very sad to hear reports from work provided from
a Cat service shop. When I made post with new cost was direct off invoice from a
very large Cat Dealer along with cat part numbers and labor. I had several hoses made
up at 3 different Cat Dealers and cost ran to build hose $ 35.00 to $ 45.00. Install time
Less than 20 minutes. Today we are in a different world and cannot account for Cat Dealer
actions and I know how everyone feels getting hosed. Still we need to remember we have
a Caterpillar engine in our motorhome and at some point we will need caterpillar parts and
service. ( a cummins part will not mate up to a cat engine ) Dave Atherton Retired Cat mechanic

[Dick Simonis]

Regarding the replacement of the hose;  When I had mine done the Cat dealer used another hydraulic hose with my blessing.  I don't feel that a hydralic hose is intrinsically a problem with diesel fuel especially hose that is a decade newer than originally used.  If I'm wrong...well I'll be facing the same issue in another 10 years or so.

FYI, the dealer charged me 2 hours of labor but that also included checking for air leaks on the suction side of the primary filter.

Dick

[Dave Atherton]

Gentleman, there is a fuel hose replacement that meets and exceeds Chemical Resistance
including Bio Diesel B-20. Information for correct hose ( 451TC/ST ) , Cost per hose made
at Parker Hannifin Hydraulic Dealer With tax $ 44.00. How this came about, Rayne LA. Rally
in April had several people request hose replacement after inspection of there motorhomes.
At local Cat Dealer 20 miles away employees did not ever hear of special fuel line that would
work with Bio Diesel and could not help us. Note. I have paper work from 3 Cat dealer that
had made up our fuel hoses. 2 days later and lot of homework we found a Parker Hannifin
Hydraulic hose shop and had 5 fuel hoses made for $ 44.00 ea. Parker Hannifin is one of the
leading fluid power company's in North America. Leaving thought Roy Mueller changed out his hydraulic fuel hose on 1996 Beaver that was Parker brand and kind enough to cut open the
Hose for cross section inspection and the hydraulic look just like new. I carry this hose for
diesel seminar classes I put on along with Gates Global hoses that failed for show and tell to
members. Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic

[Mike Groves]

I suppose where I went wrong was asking for a plastic hose then.  As this evidently created all the problems with finding a fitting that would allow the connection with the more rigid plastic versus the hydraulic.  I agree with Dick, in that simply replacing it with another hydraulic hose would have been ok for years to come.  Now I just hope that because mine is plastic that I won't have any problems BECAUSE of that. 

Not sure how I became so glued on having it made of plastic.

Mike

[Joel Weiss]

Not sure how I became so glued on having it made of plastic.

I just told Fabick CAT that I wanted to replace the line and I let them decide what the replacement should be.  I figured they knew what the proper hose should be better than I did.

[Joel Weiss]

I'd like to ask Dave Atherton if there is any reason why my new dual CAT filters (primary and secondary) would sound quieter than the rather than the CAT/Racor setup I previously had?  Since I don't have "absolute" sound level measurements I don't have any real way to compare them, but when I sit in the driver's seat it just seems quieter.

[Jerry Emert]

Not sure how I became so glued on having it made of plastic.

I just told Fabick CAT that I wanted to replace the line and I let them decide what the replacement should be.  I figured they knew what the proper hose should be better than I did.

Joel, how much did it cost you?  Thanks
Jerry

[Dave Atherton]

Joel Weiss, sorry got you mixed up the other Joel. Think I can answer your question about
less noise with Cat water/fuel filter versus the Racor you just removed. If you were pulling
air around the Racor setup and same air is causing cavitation into the fuel rail with engine
running your injector is also not getting a full amount of diesel fuel with the air mixed within
fuel. What is happening also with low power your fuel timing is retarded with air/fuel mix
now with air removed you do not air fuel mix and not correct firing and injector timing. A
Little off on injector timing engine sounds very different. Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic

[Joel Weiss]

Thanks Dave.  That's sort of what I expected, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't imaging it.

[Dave Atherton]

Mike, reguarding the connection of plastic hose. The use of Air line brass fittings like myself
and Jim Nichols changed all of his fuel line fittings and removed all the MFG. push on o-ring
type of fittings with plastics retainer clips made a air type fuel line connection. Yes plastic
line is the best way to go and MFG. figured that out after 2004. Other motorhome builders
have had the use of plastic fuel lines starting back in 1998 mainly Cummins engines.
Dave Atherton Retired Cat Mechanic