Help.....now to the piddling petrol...

[gridgway]

The return fuel line in my 89 car has an extra length at the tank end (I have no idea why it's too short otherwise). This has perished and was piddling fuel everywhere. I made up a bunged pipe 10mm ID, removed the perished pipe and put the bunged pipe on to keep the fuel in the tank. A very messy business.

The first question is about the internal plumbing of the return pipe in the tank. Does it just go straight in at the bottom or does it go up higher inside the tank? In other words, how much fuel would I need to drain to stop the fuel from gushing out the bottom?

Secondly is about fitting the new length of extension pipe. The joiner is 8mm dia but has a big flare on the end of 10mm. Try as I might I can't get 8mm 5/16 fuel hose on it. Not even by heating it up in a cup of hot water. The joiner pipe is in the pic below. Any suggestions? I could use 3/8 hose, but that's a bit big and I don't know the dia of the return fitting on the bottom of the tank.

All thoughts gratefully received - thanks!
Graham
PS hope you like the weedy Halfords jack!
IMG_20180428_151549 by graham Ridgway, on Flickr

[Berny]

I think the feed and return pipes are different sizes, I don't think the return pipe is much higher than the other,

[smallspeed]

Graham you might be better getting a new hose joiner - that looks like a flare rather than a “bubble”..
The hose seals on the tube bit where the bubble is normally rather than at the hose clamp and I’m not sure how good the seal will be on what is effectively a sharp edge (appreciate it’s not sharp, but hopefully you get what I mean)
Would also fix your issue or not knowing exactly what size, and make it easier to get on - I don’t think you’ll ever get the hose over that “trumpet” unless you pull it on from the straight end first as there’s absolutely no lead in to work with..

[smallspeed]

PS - is that jack on three wheels?!

[jb]

The short answer is that I do not know but on my tank the out and return are next to each other but they may be different inside.

I do hope you have an axle stand under there somewhere and a fire extinguisher and I would disconnect the battery earths as well. I read a report on Pelican by Grady Clay that put the wind up me before I started. Basically be very careful.

That the return was leaking before you plugged it implies that you need to drain some of the tank so why not do it all. I have just done something similar and I took out the fuel level sender out and used some fuel pipe to siphon it out from there into a 10litre can. There was still a bit left when I took out the filter at the bottom of the tank.

None of this really helps you but I have always found it reassuring that someone on DDK is there when things go a bit wrong.

[gridgway]

Thanks all, some progress...
I have got the fuel pipe on the joiner after heating it up with a good hot cup of tea (well water really, but then you'd lose the HHGTTG reference)! That's all good.

I'm now resigned to draining the tank which will be next weekend. I'll need to run around in the Rover 25 to make enough space to put the fuel straight in it.

Safety is ok. No sparks at hand (although we don't have any petrol leaking at the mo anyway). The car is on two stands with two jacks just snuggled up just in case. And yes it does look like the jack is on 3 wheels, but it's not as there is no load on it! I hate jacking cars so always err on the side of safety.

All this for 3 inches of fuel hose that's not proper fuel hose

All good fun, at least I get to paint the big cover plate now it's off!

Graham

[gridgway]

Right more advice needed. As I wrote in my other thread, I got it all back together, fired it up and petrol fair piddled out - arse. Can't see where, as it's on the deck and the plate is in the way.

After a break doing many other things I started again.

Syphoned most of the 20l out.
Put it back up on stands.
Removed the plate.
No sign of loose clips
No sign of split pipes
All dried up as it's been many weeks since I last worked on it
Got brave, connected up the battery, ran up the motor (with the front up in the air on stands).

And no sign of a leak at all. Anyone any ideas on what on earth is going on?

Next step is to put it down on the deck and run it up. Then put the 20l fuel back in and see. But I'm getting a bit fed up now!

All ideas welcome.

Graham

[911hillclimber]

So, the car's nose is in the air at a fair angle?
It leaked when the car was down level on all 4?

Could the fuel leak be closer to the engine end, and fuel is running along the return tube to the lowest point and onto the floor?
Just a thought while on holiday.

[gridgway]

That's exactly what I was wondering Graham. I was looking around the back as I would expect to see it coming out there.

I guess we'll see what happens when I drop it down in the morning.

Graham

[gridgway]

Right, now feeling pretty stupid at my lack of observation last night.

Looking properly this morning, the new piece of hose I put on to replace the old bit that had perished has in fact also perished - well disintegrated in petrol.

It was new petrol hose from Halfrauds for unleaded. SAE J30 R6

I presume that's not what is needed for current unleaded and super unleaded fuels.

The question is what is suitable?

Cheers
Graham

[gridgway]

So this is the culprit, what happened here and was it something I did?
IMG_20180616_125721 by graham Ridgway, on Flickr
IMG_20180616_125742 by graham Ridgway, on Flickr
IMG_20180616_125905 by graham Ridgway, on Flickr

[smallspeed]

I wonder if the liner is compatible but the outer isn’t?
Would seem odd..

[911hillclimber]

I imagine the run of the new hose is straight and not a tight bend?
If a tight bend, the strain on the outer could cause the split...maybe.

Looks to me there was a split in it before you started?

[gridgway]

Yes, interesting thought Graham. There is a bend, but not a particularly tight radius. It does look like there is a nick, but unless it was there from new, I have no idea where it would have come from. Looking again where it is, there is nothing sharp anywhere near it.

Also looking inside, the joiner which is a flared bit of brake pipe has scuffed up the inside quite badly (as I think Ben observed it might).

I much prefer a physical problem though rather than a chemical rubber ethanol problem.

But what a vile bodge it is. The old pipe being 2.5" short.

Graham

[gridgway]

would an 8mm one of these make a good joiner?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Metal-Brass- ... 1316306180