>Although not its purpose, I suspect the firesleeve accomplishes a bit
>of heat shielding. If the line is hardening and cracking now, might
>removal of the firesleeve nullify the effect of swapping one with a
>higher temp rating?<
I not sure whether the firesleeve will double the temperature capability of
rubber hose which is effectively what you are getting with silicone hose.
Also as the silicone hose has steel helical reinforcing it is impossible to
kink it. If you reroute the rubber return hose there are several areas
where due to the limited radius of curvature it might kink reducing oil
flow. The kinking might not happen straightaway and if you cover the hose
with firesleeve you may not notice until the firesleeve is next removed.
Why persevere with a mediocre part when for 35($50) you can hopefully
solve this problem once and for all. Be aware that the position of the oil
tank and therefore the routeing of the hose is different for the Classic
and the XS. Also we are dealing with the possibility of 3 different Rotax
engines (912, 912S, 914). These will all produce slightly differing amounts
of heat in different places. As the damage to the oil line was caused by
proximity to the exhaust it may also be worth bearing in mind that there
are at least 3 versions of Europa exhaust systems as well. As the first
instance of hose failure was a Classic 912 (which has the larger cowl and
the lowest power output) it is likely that higher power and closer cowled
engines may also be susceptible to hose damage even if the hose is kept
away from the exhaust.
Nigel Charles
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