Date:         Wed, 22 Sep 1999 18:03:32 -0400
Reply-To:     "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         "Karl F. Bloss" <bloss@ENTER.NET>
Subject:      Gas tank fuel lines
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Just a quick update on the fuel leak Bev was having at full-tank condition near
the fuel expansion tank near the driver's side wheelwell.

Basically, the braided cloth line connecting the plastic expansion tank and the
hard plastic fuel lines was on its last legs and almost completely crumbled
when I removed it.  The rusted crimp-on clamps were removed with bolt cutters,
similar to the ones in the engine compartment I did earlier this year.  In this
case, you just have to be careful that you align the cutter right so as not to
snip the expansion tank nipples or crush the hard plastic fuel line.

My local VW dealer had 5mm fuel line (part # 00160, desc. Hose-N900, $3/foot),
so I picked some up (sorry Ken, I needed it right away).  It looks just like
the high-pressure 7mm stuff except the ID is, of course, 5mm.  That is, it's
not the braided stuff, but the rubber hose with the reinforced center.  I'm
sure it's capable of high-pressure, but this application doesn't call for that.

The dealer said there are crimp-on clamps available, but it requires a special
crimping tool.  Since it's not a high-pressure application, I decided to go
with FLAPS worm clamps.

Only one side was leaking, but I did both since I was down there.  I could see
more flexible hose over the gas tank, but that'll have to wait for another
time.  As one listee wrote me earlier, dropping the tank and replacing all the
grommets and lines seems to be a rite of passage for Vanagon shadetree
mechanics, so my time is coming for that.

Tonight we fill up and road test.

-Karl

Karl and Kristina Bloss, Trexlertown, PA
'87 Westfalia Weekender  "Beverley" - 187K miles
VW Mechanic list: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/vwshops
Busses by the Trail - Oct 15-17, 1999: http://www.enter.net/~bloss/vw/bbtt
PA/NJ Vanagon owner's mailing list: http://www.onelist.com/subscribe/pavanagon