Brown underwear - Fuel spraying over the engine!!!!!

[mikedavis1]

Heart stopping moment this morning, started up and left to warm up - strong smell of petrol, opened the bonnet to find a stream of petrol spraying liberally all over the engine and exhaust manifold - I recon a few seconds more and I could have witnessed a funeral pyre :


The rubber fuel hose has split where it bends about 6" before it attaches to the metal tube entering the engine. Having calmed down I thought 'no problem', couple of hose clips and a new piece of fuel pipe. Unfortunately not so: The top end of the hose is easy enough but the rubber pipe disappears behind the motor and then joins a metal fuel pipe above the bellhousing - You can see it but cant get a hand down to loosen the jubilee clip holding it on: Bu66er !

If I remove the plenum, throttle linkages etc I might be able to squeeze an arm down there - has anyone had to do this recently? is there an easy way or do I have to virtually remove the engine to replace a 99 pence bit of hose ? (1997 Griff 500)

Any advice VERY GRATEFULLY appreciated.

Mike

[Hoover.]

mikedavis1 said:

Mike

I wouldn't do that

[mikedavis1]

Mike

[IPAddis]

I did this a week ago. You're right the bottom pipe-clip is a real arse to get to. I went to Halfords and bought a flexible hose clip driver (or words to that effect).

It's a screwdriver handle, a flexible shaft and a choice of 7 or 8mm sockets on the end. You can then feed this down the back of the plenum and use your other hand down by the manifolds to guide it to the jubilee clip.

It's still a right PITA but it is at least possible. I tried all other combinations of socket sets, screwdrivers and so on with no luck.

Let us know how you get on!

Ian A.

[antonyj]

Had a similar thing happen years ago on my TR6, it was quite common to just pop an injector out whilst the car was running to check the spray pattern.
Only the fuel went straight onto the hot manifold, and of course made like a dog (woof).
I dont mind admitting I shat myself and dived for the ignition and stopped the motor.

Then a few heavy breaths and it blew out.
I had only had it a few months...
Everything was ok though....luckily.

The old lucas PI system had upto 130psi at the metering unit and the injectors opened at 50psi........

[GreenV8S]

I find a 1/4" drive ratchet handle and socket works a treat and far easier than trying to use a screwdriver etc. You need to get the right size socket of course - probably 7mm but some are 6mm.

The good news is that petrol is relatively hard to ignite because the boiling point is below the flash point. It's scary to see it spraying over the exhaust and HT leads but it will generally just boil off harmlessly. Oil, and particularly hydraulic fluid, is far more dangerous because it will spontaneously ignite on a hot exhaust.

[mikedavis1]

Peter - thanks for that - only wish I'd known about it earlier, would have cut down on laundry bills: There is something very disconcerting about the hiss of petrol on a hot manifold.....M.

[llanelli-rob]

mikedavis1 said:

Peter - thanks for that - only wish I'd known about it earlier, would have cut down on laundry bills: There is something very disconcerting about the hiss of petrol on a hot manifold.....M.

Mike you sure it was only the hiss of the petrol on the manifold you heard?

Could have been your a*se making the noise

[mikedavis1]

Rob, Quite sure, that was more akin to a large flock of very panicked pigeons leaving a loft!!!!!

[v8 racing]

And dont go and start the engine in the morning and let it idle there whilst it warms up!! this is what wears cams out very quickly, just get in and drive it!!

[mikedavis1]

Impossible!

Bought a flexi driver, tried socket with extension but can't physically get a hand to the joint: Even my teenage son lying on top of the engine couldn't do it its just too far down behind the block...... busy at work for the next few days so haven't got much spare time so it looks like the AA low loader to Top Cats tonight

Thanks for the advice but I have to admit defeat:

Rob - Time for a new topic on warming up or not I think:

Mike.

[GreenV8S]

Don't know how far down it is on yours, but is there any chance of getting at it from underneath?

[IPAddis]

mikedavis1 said:

Impossible! Bought a flexi driver, tried socket with extension but can't physically get a hand to the joint: Even my teenage son lying on top of the engine couldn't do it its just too far down behind the block...... busy at work for the next few days so haven't got much spare time so it looks like the AA low loader to Top Cats tonight Thanks for the advice but I have to admit defeat: Rob - Time for a new topic on warming up or not I think: Mike.

Yep, you definately can't get a socket to it. If you manage to miss the bulkhead it fouls on the brake pipes or manifolds.

Flexi-driver should work, but I had to remove the back two spark leads and plug extenders so that my other hand could guide the driver to the jubilee clip. It is a swine of a job though, took me 3 attempts to do it.

Ian A.

[ray_von]

Mike do what I did get V8D to fit a new cam and when its in bits changing the hoses is an easier job .Bargain

[mikedavis1]

Thanks again guys,

Tried from below but you would need arms like an orang-utan to get round to it…

Ian – once you got the rear plugs out you managed to get your hands through - was this the plugs on the drivers side – so hand in behind there and flexi driver in from the top?

May have to try again……

M

[JoolzB]

Did mine about 2 years ago, it was possib;e to get to it from the top of the engine using some 18" screwdrivers, screwfix do them. Still fiddly but the only way I could get to the clip. You can also upgrade the hose using marine parts but make sure it's unleaded quality otherwise it'll deteriorate in double quick time.

edited to add this link www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=101945&ts=04625&id=46005

You won;t be able to buy them tho if yer under 18 :-)

>> Edited by JoolzB on Tuesday 16th May 19:37

[v8 racing]

I must admit i have done a few but they really are a pain of a job! to be honest i dont mess around any more, it takes 5 mins to whip the plenum and trumpet base off, you then have all the room you want!

[mikedavis1]

Rob - I love the " five minutes to whip the plenum and trumpet base off" , buried my nose in the Bible last night and I wish I was so confident - oh to be an expert!!!

Nevertheless I will have a go! (also as Topcats are fully booked next week then off to Spa the following week)

Watch this space - anything could happen (and probably will)

M

[IPAddis]

mikedavis1 said:

Ian – once you got the rear plugs out you managed to get your hands through - was this the plugs on the drivers side – so hand in behind there and flexi driver in from the top?

Flexi driver placed down the back between the engine and the bulkhead (avoiding stepper motor, offsite brake pipe and coolant pipes). 2 spark plug shrouds removed from drivers side. I could just get my right hand down to the jubilee clip so I could guide the flexi driver onto the nut at fingertips.

Having said that, I could only just get to it and a slight difference in the radius of the brake pipes, manifolds or inner wing alignment could make it impossible.

I thought a really long screwdriver would work but given the angle of the jubilee clip and a slight bend in the access path down the back of the engine, this wouldn't work either.

Taking the stepper motor off and possible the rocker cover or inlet side would have helped but I didn't want to get into that.

Ian A.

[mikedavis1]

I am an engineering god!!!!!!


Ian you lied to me ! 5 mins to whip off the plenum etc etc - It took at least ten ! duff advice on piston heads, whatever next

Actually the whole process was a lot less painful than I thought, read the appropriate bits of the bible, plenum etc off, plenty of space to get at the pipes, replaced both (using the 'right' clips Quinny) did a bit of cleaning while I was there and all back together: No problems......couple of hours including distractions, coffee breaks, cheching back to the bible etc: In effect really about an hours work - spent about 2 hours messing about during my first failed attempt...


and it works !

Thanks for the advice.

M