I feel like a pyromaniac!!

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Peeps…Plan today was to drive to Romford to visit the guy that fits hoods to get a quote on some re-trimming..
Start the car…Warming up..Just about to set off when i thought the smell of petrol was a bit strong..Popped the bonnet and there in the "V" of the engine was a puddle of fuel....The hose joining the fuel rail at the front was pi55ing out fuel where the rubber meets the metal..The hose looks fairly new so i managed to remove the hoses on the air valve and re-tighten the clip…What is it with me, Wedges and fuel.

Then i noticed a small puff of steam from the lower radiator hose when i warmed her up again..Another loose clip..I have gone over all to be sure..

Then i went to the post office to pick up a missed delivery and this was there..


Which was handy as the seal had gone on the old one..If anyone needs a fuel cap then let me know..They are not lockable but they are shiny….

Also got me window towel albeit a bit late now the rear window has cracked!…


Cheers..Ziga

[wooly350i]

I think one of the biggest causes of dead wedges Zig is that fuel pipe by the bulkhead just before it goes onto the metal pipe, you woz lucky mate, exactly same happened to me about 10 years ago and lucky it wasn't hot as id just started it up to leave Brooklands.

[Skyedriver]

All those problems happened for a reason, probably kept you out of an accident or speeding fine...Karma!
ps like the towel

[mrzigazaga]

Skyedriver said:

All those problems happened for a reason, probably kept you out of an accident or speeding fine...Karma!

Well i do try to avoid speeding fines these day's…But i think you are right about keeping me from burning to death..I do want to be cremated but i'd like to wait until I'm actually dead!..Scary….I think the next job is to replace the fuel hoses and clips…..Cheers…Ziga

[chj]

mrzigazaga said:

there in the "V" of the engine was a puddle of fuel....

Had the same on the seac, but discovered it after a 45 minute drive back from tvrcc meet and I'd left it running in the garage to check the fan was kicking in properly - scary, and amazing it hadn't caught fire. It was the same little pipe, but the pipe had perished and was seeping through the rubber itself. It was one of the old cloth covered pipes so there was no way of seeing it was perished until it was leaking.

[Wedg1e]

chj said:

It was one of the old cloth covered pipes so there was no way of seeing it was perished until it was leaking.

It's probably fair to say that any of those cloth-covered lines on any car WILL be past their best by now and should be renewed.

[wooly350i]

Mark, you want to look at running your new fuel lines down behind the offside sill instead of down that hot tunnel, you may be able to get a different fuel rail with the high pressure swaged end and nut to connect onto, mine points out towards the offside wheel arch.

[mrzigazaga]

wooly350i said:

Mark, you want to look at running your new fuel lines down behind the offside sill instead of down that hot tunnel, you may be able to get a different fuel rail with the high pressure swaged end and nut to connect onto, mine points out towards the offside wheel arch.

Hi Mate...There is a copper pipe that the fuel pipe is connected to that runs through the tunnel but I'm not sure it has swaged ends..I know that the pipe between the tanks needs replacing as that is cracked and the clips are rusty!…Cheers…Ziga

[V8 Fettler]

Any doubts, change all the flexible fuel hoses Mark. The wonders of ethanol

[adam quantrill]

It's a lucky escape, and a lesson to us all, I wonder how many SDi vitesses are in a similar state with injection-pressure hoses needing replacing? Luckily, petrol seems quite hard to ignite - even when I put it on my smouldering BBQ I usually have to add a match to get it to flash over.

I had my own episode 17 years ago but the hose split under the car, leaving a trail of fuel. I had visions of someone lighting one end and the flames following the trail to the car ;^)

[matt-man]

I've had this same thing before...frightening stuff!

I've actually put new fuel hoses on m whole car now...I changed the easily accessible ones when I got my wedge (almost 8 years ago) and they were still fine when I replaced them recently but starting to stiffen up (first sign of aging...rubber hoses I'm talking here! )

I only use good quality hose clips, usually 'high grip' ones-cheap ones are a false economy.

On my fuel pipe going to the regulator, I've put two clips on just to be sure!

[mrzigazaga]

adam quantrill said:

the hose split under the car, leaving a trail of fuel. I had visions of someone lighting one end and the flames following the trail to the car

That happened on Delilah…Went in to a Tesco and put £40 in and when i came out the car was sitting in a 10ft circle of fuel..I hastily made my way to the garage who fitted the hose which was 12 miles away..I could also see a trial of fuel behind me and had visions of someone flicking a fag out the window and then having to drive like a bat out of hell to avoid the flames catching up with me…
The worst part was stopping at traffic lights and then seeing people behind me wheel spinning in the puddle as they tried pulling away.....As i got to the garage they put her up on the ramp straight away and put a container under to catch the fuel…All of a pint!..It worked out the most expensive journey ever getting an average of 1.40 miles per gallon..I think the space shuttle is more than that…Still on the good side i wasn't burn to death…

Im going to "CHECK ALL FUEL LINES FOR CONDITION" which is something we should all do..Especially in the engine compartment.

Im waiting for some spare rocker covers that I'm going to detail..I think i might as well get a plenum and do the same then when i replace them replace the petrol hoses on the fuel rail…Cheers..Ziga

[PHJayV8]

All food for thought - will check mine ASAP - thanks for valued advice