Date: Sun, 4 Oct 2009 22:18:37 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson928@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: fuel lines: if it ain't broke
In-Reply-To: <b2ac7c9e0910041707w58dcdc2bvab4b595a69e0e511@mail.gmail.com>
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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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