Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2009 02:21:34 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <inua@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: fuel lines: if it ain't broke
In-Reply-To: <6bc66ccf0910042218o4a16d789t972116d5f0735cc2@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
Don,
I had a similar experience on my GL one time. before I learned about
them so thoroughly.
Stopped and fueled up with a full tank. Saw nor smelled anything
unusual. Paid for the fuel, started up, pulled out on the highway.
Nothing out of the ordinary - and then as I cruised along for whatever
reason I happened to look in the rear view mirror and there was this
strange splashy ragged looking stripe that I could see back down the
highway.behind me. - came right up to where it disappeared behind the
van. I glanced at my fuel guage - 1/4 tank!!!!!!! I wasted no time
turning the engine off. I was right at a little bistro and pulled in
there. Shut down, jumped out and saw fuel dripping. Didn't have a fire
extinguisher, but I let it sit a while until the ffuel evaporated, then
popped the hatch and took a look. Nothing obvious. I had my bud with me
and asked that he turn the Key for a second to energize the fuel pump.
Instant fuel spray. Split hose found!! Ignition off. Fortunately I had
sufficient materials in the van to make a fix until I could get home.
Then changed out all fuel hoses for new.
I could have burned the thing up. Don't want to go through that a gain.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Don Hanson wrote:
> Do the lines.
>
> I read about van fires and saw Ben's pics. I saw about 5 burned out
> vanagons on my way down Baja, where they are used as delivery trucks and
> they aren't too particular about removing trash from the roadside...So I
> knew the danger existed...but I never did anything about mine,
> thinking..."Well, these look ok. The PO probably replaced them at some
> point or when he installed the inline four gas motor"
> One day I was headed to town, following an older Camaro or Firebird and I
> thought..."Geeze, that guy's car is really out of tune, it smells like it's
> running really rich" Smelled like unburned gas...Then I noticed my gas
> gauge was falling rather quickly as I drove along...Like a quarter tank in
> about 5 miles! Still the smell of gas, even after the Camaro went straight
> on and I turned off to town....Uh Oh!...I thought it over and decided I was
> maybe squirting gas out of MY van and planned a stop on a slope so I could
> check it out. Yes, I shut off the van and coasted to the side of the road
> and saw a few drips of fuel under the left side on the pavement..near the
> ehaust maniford on the inline four. I had my fire extinguisher in hand
> already, as I got out. No fire, but I then turned the key to on and the
> fuel just gushed out! I pushed the van ahead to get it off the lake of
> spilled gasoline and found that my supply hose had a crack (it was the braid
> covered type of OEM fuel line) where it attached to the fuel rail...
> I was able to shorten the line and make it about one mile further to my
> FLAPS
> where I bought new hose and clamps and went on to an adjacent parking lot
> and did the job right there....Took a few hours and I got all dirty but so
> what?. I count myself as having used up one of my few remaining "lives"
> there...Dodged a very close call...
> Do it, you could be on borrowed time already with your present lines.
> Don Hanson
> On Sun, Oct 4, 2009 at 5:07 PM, Mark <mbrush@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>> Hello all -
>>
>> I'm replacing my gas tank and while I have it out I'm thinking of replacing
>> all the fuel lines too. Got the GoWesty fuel line kit - HOWEVER - I'm
>> re-thinking an entire fuel line replacement job. I got the little plastic
>> bugger out (the one prone to breaking and causing fires) - and I think I'm
>> going to stop there. Just based on how difficult, and messy it was getting
>> that one line out - I'm thinking I won't mess with the injectors, injector
>> rails, and seals. The lines appear o.k. and I fear messing something up in
>> finishing this job (never pulled an injector before). Any thoughts out
>> there? Should I stop - or go for it! The engine has 152,000 on it.
>>
>> Mark
>>
>> --
>> Mark
>> 1990 Westy (2.1 - manual)
>>
>>
>
>
>
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