ok so i have a austrum beach buggy and the fuel hose entering the floorpan tunnel and exiting out one of the rear forks is pretty shithouse... i assume that a metal fuel pipe runs the length (mostly) of the tunnel.. am i right?

if so how do i access where the fuel hose joins either end so i can renew the hose?

the only thing is if the shortened the floorpan of the buggy (which they indeed did!) then how would they of joined the 2 fuel pipe ends together? this then makes me think that it must be hose the runs the entire length of the buggy...

does anyone run a fuel hose on the exterior? as in under the floorpan or through the buggy body? im guessing not due to the dangers..

please help!:beer:beer

i dont have one of those inspection covers cut out of the tunnel behind the gear stick yet... will be getting one though

in a normal beetle floorpan a metal fuel pipe would run the length of the pan inside the tunnel. the metal pipe sticks out a bit where it enters and exits so that you can connect the rubber fuel line onto it.

it sounds like your rubber fuel line actually enters the tunnel, so i would assume that the entire length of your fuel line is rubber.

hmmm yeah i reckon thats the go on a buggy, problem is when i pull one end the other end doesnt follow! hahaha. yeah no piping sticks out of either end of the tunnel, just hose goin through...

I have a VERY easy solution for you. Forget the fuel line in the tunnel. Run a rubber hose under the top lip of the body on one side and just make sure it's not likely to be damaged by the wheels or anything coming off them.

The fuel line running through the tunnel is a "time bomb" with a dicky timer. Especially in an off roud VW, any fracturing or chafing of the steel line (yes, it's a steel fuel line all the way, front to back) will cause fuel and fuel vapor to be encased in the tunnel. When, not if, but when this ignites, it has the potential to explode the tunnel like a grenade sending shrapnel through your vital bits.

So, the easiest, safest and most servicable option, is to run a new rubber fuel hose under the protection of the top lip on the side of the fibreglass body. This way, if you ever do have a leak it's external to the body. And if you ever have fuel problems, the new line is so easy to get at.

I'm sure somebody will come on here saying it's a stupid and unsafe idea, and if they do, can they please state the reason they think so. I have had someone say to my face they thought what I'd done was the most dangerous thing they'd ever seen, but in reality, it's the safest place to put a fuel line. To run it through the inside of the main chassis beam originally (the tunnel) had to be the only "stupid" thing VW ever did with their brilliant design.

I'm not trying to refute what you're saying but I've never heard of the fuel line leaking inside the tunnel which exploded like a grenade. The most likely place for a fire would be the engine bay where there is lots of airflow and sparks and heat.

I reckon a steel line that is securely fixed inside the tunnel with the proper factory grommets where it comes out of the tunnel is very safe, partly because the tunnel protects it from anything outside. Also if it is soft annealed steel tubing like bundy tube or something it is quite malleable and doesnt work harden like a copper line. Rubber lines age and crack and need to be replaced over the years, particularly if it is exposed to the elements on the outside of the car. nothing wrong with rubber, it just needs more maintainence.