Fuel Leak Questions - Can anyone enlighten me please?

[triang]

Hi - I have an '85 petrol 1900 wasserboxer and have just found a leak in the fuel hose in a pretty inaccesable place.

The fuel line seems to be a solid metal pipe as it runs from the tank and then, over the rear near side axle is a piece of braided hose about 3" / 8cm long which seems to have the leak.

This is then connected to a white plastic round piece which is about 2cm in length this seems to be marked as a 'restrictor' in the Haynes manual (but I can't find any reference to it anywhere) and on then this is connected to a length of braided hose that then sdissapears through the firewall into the carb.

My question is - Is anyone familiar with these connections? Can someone enlighten me who has replaced then? Is the restrictor necessary?

Then Clips look rusted - are they easy to get off?

I am going to replace them with 7mm fuel line and clips from Halfords - is that right?

Basically any tips and reassurance you have got that I'm doing the right thing wouls be great - I seems that I will need to do this from underneath so it's going to be fiddley.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[kervinmervin]

Hi, don't want to get a head of myself as I'm pretty new to this as well " but I've just changed the hose from the restrictor (ceramic non return valve) to the carb. This is the return side of the fuel system and the non-return valve stops fuel flowing backwards. The hose from the valve to carb was about 4.8mm but the tank outlets seem to be bigger, 7mm could be right?

If they are the original clips they are a bit of a bugger but I carefully hack sawed mine off (didn't want to break it, thought this might be hard part to find), it was fiddly as I don't have any ramps, but released enough of the hose to allow me to lower it and make it accessible. I didn't replace the section of hose from the valve to the tank, but probably should have. Mines plastic (from the tank) then it runs into a braided fuel hose, with two clips to bring the hose size up to match the non-return valve connection size. I'm not sure if this is a standard method but it looks cumbersome to me, if I find some decent fuel hose long enough I think I will get rid of this method and replace with standard hose the full length, I guess however that the plastic version is durable.

Sorry if that doesn't really answer your question, hope somebody comes along to validate my reply and further help.

[triang]

Thanks for that - it is a help that I am doing the right thing.
here is a picture of the 'restrictor'



The leaking bit is the small length betwen tank and restrictor - I hope it's 7mm width but I might get a 5mm length just in case.

[kervinmervin]

That's the fella, took off the hose from the carb and this allowed me to feed it back through the black grommet shown to create more working space. Is the 'leaking bit' a connecting piece, if so will be keen to know what size it is, if you can update.

[triang]

Yes the leaking bit seems to be about 8cm long and connects from the solid fuel line running from the tank to the white 'restrictor' in the photo.

Odd that it only seems to leak when you first start ( about 10 or so drips ) and then settles down and becomes 'dry'

I will update when I find out the size - anyone else shed any light on the diameter of the small piece - I have some 7mm but it looks a bit big ( and Halfords is only o[pen for a few more hours)

Thanks again.

[AngeloEvs]

deleted.....

[Blunderbus]

I seem to have this self same fault. Let you know how it goes.

[Blunderbus]

Gosh, that length of fuel hose by the restrictor was totally shrabbened. Hopefully all sorted now.

[toomanytoys]

Most of the fuel lines are 5.6mm........ tank outlet could be bigger (6 or 7mm) and there should be a filter there so its not a problem to get from big to small.. the long length from tank to engine bay and back on mine is nylon/plastic tube.. (factory original)
The braided hose doesnt look original to me... the non return valve should be on the return from the carb to the tank..

The problem is anyone could have buggered about with it in the last 20 odd years and whatever anyone describes may n ot be the original fittment/installation etc....
Dont try and reuse the original clips.. get some propper petrol pipe hose clips (and not "jubilee" type) to secure the hose...

[!aj!]

get some propper petrol pipe hose clips (and not "jubilee" type) to secure the hose

This feels like a reet dumb question but i've just bought some 'proper' clips and have no idea how to tighten them. Presumably, it's a pliers job but i can't see how it will 'tighten'. Any ideas?

[Ian Hulley]

get some propper petrol pipe hose clips (and not "jubilee" type) to secure the hose

This feels like a reet dumb question but i've just bought some 'proper' clips and have no idea how to tighten them. Presumably, it's a pliers job but i can't see how it will 'tighten'. Any ideas?

The 'proper' clips are actually called 'O-Clips' and these are the side grip pincers you need to tighten them properly



You could also try normal pincers or at a push an old pair of sidecutters.

Ian

[rabbids]

Hi All, My fuel gauge stopped working recently and I had to rely on filling the tank and calculating the miles. However on the first time of filling to the brim, I noticed a small pool of fuel on the floor. I'm sure I've read some where about the filler systems degrading, but I can't seem to find anyone selling the filler pipe only the fix and fittings.

Is this because the filler pipe doesn't fail?

[Ian Hulley]

On an 89 you have a plastic filler neck, the weak points are the breather hoses, the filler neck rubber flange ( ) and the grommets into which the breather/balance pipes are pushed. The tanks also rot out on the top .... time to try and borrow a 4 poster for an hour or 10 1 to have a damned good look round and 10 if things turn ugly and you need a new tank etc etc (if you drop the tank check thoroughly the clutch hydraulic pipe and grease the front handbrake cable.)

Ian

[rabbids]

Cheers for the response Ian. Can I get away with getting the bus up on axle stands? Silly question....but if I can use axle stands, where can I put them. Is it also worth replacing all the "weak points"?

[pitufinavikinga]

Hi!

I should have read this post before! I had also a leak on the return line and while fixing it i broke the "restrictor" or non-return valve. Bummer !

Is it possible to get this part at all? I tried couple of sites, but nothing. Any alternative to install?

This little part actually works as a non-return valve, but if Haynes call it "restrictor" is it really "restricting" the flow towards the fuel tank? Is there any technical reason to slow down the flow of fuel after the carb?

-Andres