Date:         Wed, 9 Dec 2009 10:29:29 -0800
Reply-To:     Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Re: leaking gas when engine is on (long)
In-Reply-To:  <1446AD2D-6632-43DC-9C02-E560BF79831D@sheilah.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Hi Sheila,
Where under the car on the floor is the gas puddle. Over the last 15 years that i have been a Vanagon owner, many are the stories of Vanagon fires, many burning to the ground.
There are vent hoses, fuel hoses above the tank and leading tio and from it.
Then there are the hoses in the engine compartment, and the most important , the hoses to and on the engine. Is the gas leaking under or near the engine? Since you did a fuel tank reseal, if the gas is leaking there, faulty work is suspect
Robert
1982 Westfaila




> wow you all, thanks for the warm
> welcomes.
>
> i went down a rabbit hole yesterday for a solid few hours,
> checking out websites from your various sig lines. my oh my,
> i've been pretty hands off with my own Vanna (ack! six other
> Vanna White's!), though i have tricked out her interior and
> am told, she's quite comfy.
>
> but you all made me wish i had one of those fancy garages
> where i can get all greasy and such. but alas i'm a city
> dweller with a rented carport and don't know jack about any
> of it.
>
> short of fixing my GAS problem myself for fun, i might ask
> my mechanic if he'd allow me the opportunity to get under
> the van with him and see where all these gas lines are. (he
> might consider this a customer nightmare, nice as i am.
> we'll see. i'm open.)
>
> so that's my main problem right now. gas lines.
>
> i couldn't find anything on leaky gas lines though my
> review of these websites though. all i know is that there's
> apparently a bunch of gas hoses (two off each reservoir x2,
> from the main tank to the engine). all in all, i hear
> there's about 12 or so.
>
> this might explain why i keep driving off in Vanna only to
> find her leaking gas from different hoses. eek! i want this
> remedied already!
>
> i (perhaps erroneously) figure that if all these hoses are
> about due to leak, then why not replace them ALL at once.
> isn't that somehow cheaper (certainly less of a headache)
> than one by one they begin a'leaking? cuz i've already had 4
> leaks and it blows.
>
> fwiw, i've already had done the fuel tank reseal (april
> 2009)
>
> so the other concern i have is that i need to get Vanna out
> of a basement garage, where no tow (or fire engine for that
> matter) can fit in. so i'm about to get in there myself, and
> per a friend's instruction:
>
>
> 1/ bring flash light, eye protection, hand protection.
>
> 2/ start engine, find leak. tshirts or rags to wrap gas
> leak, duct tape the rag, or direct duct tape if possible.
>
> 3/ roll it to the hill inside garage with the engine off.
>
> 4/ drive it up the hill with friend standing by with a fire
> extinguisher while i drive up the hill. (gas hopefully held
> in by rags and duct tape. gawd, i love duct tape)
>
> 5/ cut engine at top of hill. then roll it out of garage to
> a tow-able place. (tow trucks don't fit in this garage)
>
> 6/ disconnect battery so engine won't start. remove gas
> rags.
>
> 7/ call tow. tell them engine won't start. tow to
> mechanic.
>
>
> ALTERNATIVELY
>
> 1/ i've heard it's actually not hard at all to replace a
> gas line myself and have at it.
>
> SOOOOOOOO
>
> the reason why i'm posting all this is that i'm afraid that
> the engine will catch on fire. i suppose i might be too
> paranoid about this, but a little personal detail about me
> is that i'm one of those kids that managed to start a big
> ol' kitchen fire (boiling oil) so now i'm ahem, weary of
> fire. ha!
>
> so anyways, does my plan sound safe?
>
> (sorry for the long post)
>
> s.