Date:         Sun, 10 Feb 2013 08:47:13 -0800
Reply-To:     Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG>
Subject:      Copious Fuel Leak at Both Manifolds
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

Yesterday I decided NOT to drive my '84 camper, because after
starting the engine, I found a lot of gas dripping from both fuel
distributor manifolds.  The van hadn't been started for a few
weeks.  (GoWesty 2.3 with all fuel lines and plastic firewall fitting
replaced in 2009.)

http://www.fuelly.com/driver/sbw/vanagon

I assume that's one of the leaks that everyone warns about, the kind
of leak that causes so many burned-up Westys.  I hope some of you
will confirm that, so I can feel better about grounding my camper for
a few days, at some inconvenience.

I'll get a flatbed to take it down to Peninsula Automotive in
Campbell, California, during the week.  (I'm in Santa Clara.)  I'd
replace all the fuel lines myself, but I just don't have the time.  I
usually have work done at Van Cafe in Santa Cruz, but Campbell is
much closer, if they still work on Vanagons.

I also have some questions, if you can take the time to consider the
back story.

Last July, my landlord noticed two lines of drips each time I pulled
out of the driveway after not driving for a week or so.  (I mostly
use bus, train, and bike.)  The two lines were about a foot inboard
of the wheel tracks.

The drips always went away within a few minutes after the engine
warmed up.  I couldn't find where the drips were coming from, and the
drips on the ground had no particular smell.  Van Cafe spent a couple
of hours trying to find a problem, even after letting the van sit
over a weekend.  They couldn't find anything.

Then I noticed condensation dripping from each end of the muffler as
the engine warmed up.  I convinced myself that must be it, even
though the two lines of drips were wider than the muffler.

Then yesterday I thought I'd check again.  When I looked under the
van after starting and warming up for a few minutes, a much stronger
stream of drips was coming from both sides of the engine, well
forward of the muffler.  So I opened up the engine and could clearly
see fuel flowing over both manifolds and dripping down.  On the left
side, the fuel was dripping on an exhaust pipe!  On the right, it was
dripping on an engine baffle, then onto the ground.

I couldn't tell where the leaks were originating.  It may be from the
injector end of the hoses, or the hoses, or the manifolds.  Anyway,
the whole manifold was wet.

Is it more likely the hoses or clamped connections are leaking than
the manifolds?  Not important, I guess, just curious.  I see GoWesty
has plastic or aluminum manifolds, so I assume they're available,
although I read were NLA at one point.

Is this the sort of leak that can start small and get worse over
time?  It sure seems like it started a long time ago.  I've driven
about 3,000 miles in the six months since Van Cafe looked for the leak.

Why did the leak always stop after the engine warmed up?  I can
understand that when driving the fuel may have evaporated before
dripping on the ground, but there were no drips after driving for a
few minutes, even when I let the van stand running.

Why did the leak generally NOT occur when I drove every day?  I just
can't think of a mechanism where sitting idle would cause an initial leak.

On their web site, GoWesty recommends replacing fuel lines every
three years or replacing them with their more expensive kit.  Do you
feel fuel lines should be replaced regularly?

Should I replace the manifolds with the aluminum version offered by
GoWesty?  I imagine other suppliers offer something similar?  I read
that Karl Mullendore at Westy Ventures whipped up his own.

Any other advice you can give me?

Thanks!