Date: Wed, 15 Dec 2004 16:14:47 -0700
Reply-To: jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: jimt <camper@TACTICAL-BUS.INFO>
Subject: Re: +Fuel Lines WAS Re: Gypsy is gone...
In-Reply-To: <41C0AD0E.7010508@charter.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
On 12/15/04 2:30 PM, "John Rodgers" <inua@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
> Eric, I'm with you. Inspection is the best protection. The last major
> fuel leak I had was with brand new fuel lines. There was nothing loose,
> no bad clamps, no problems ........but I dumped 3/4 of a tank of gas so
> fast you could the needle on the gage falling. And a fuel hose was the
> culprit. How so if it was new? Well, actually fairly new, recently new,
> but ot the first trip out after installation. It had been driven a few
> hundred miles, but with no apparent problems ........ but the fuel line
> passed close enough to the throttle cable that the cable wore a hole in
> the fuel line. When it reached a certain point - blooie! -- hole opened
> and the fuel came out.
>
> Inspect, inspect, inspect.
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
>
> Eric Zeno wrote:
>
>> I'm not convinced that the fuel lines are alway the problem.
>> Over the years I've seen the cigar tubes blow up/off. I've
>> seen the hose clamps rust away. Worst of all I've seen
>> people who have not known what they are doing cause
>> fuel leaks. A reminder every three months to do a good
>> over all inspection of the fuel system would be better.
>> The inspection should consist of looking at every fuel
>> relation part in the engine compartment for leaks, rust,
>> and proper placement and fit.
>> Eric
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
When I did my Aircooled to subie mod I ran a lot of new plumbing as sell as
revised fuel line routing. For the first week I did some rough driving
every day and checked EVERYTHING. In the first week alone I either rerouted
or changed the fastening of about 12 points which two were fuel lines. In
the second week I did about another dozen of which two were again fuel line
related. Almost all of the others were related to my coolant lines.
The trick is not to just look at a hose but if it is LAYING ON ANYTHNG OR
WITHIN AN INCH OF ANYTHING check the hidden side by feeling if necessary. I
found where rubbing was wearing into lines. This included ones that werent
touching anything unless the vehicle was moving. I.e. One coolant line that
was 4 inches away from a cv axel. It had to be moved to 6 inches away from
the cv.
When I developed a fuel leak on my Aircooled engine it was in the metal
line. It had been resting against another part and had vibrated a hole into
it. Anyone with bugs knows about that phenomenon.
One line I have seen over looked on vanagons is the fuel return line.
BTW I was over looking at a couple of cars at an auction today. Neither
was a VW but it was very obvious what had caused their fires. Fuel lines in
the engine bay. A 1990 and a 1991. Young compared to some of our vanagons
and buses.
jimt
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