Photo of something leaking...what is it?

[Smcknighty]

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/151821778721" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; might help?

[Emma&Al]

Thanks SmcKnighty - so, that would account for the petrol smell that I smell every now and then. So would I be losing a substantial amount of petrol from that - enough to notice in the mileage?
I can't see that I'm going to be able to do this myself unless there is a step by step guide, so it looks like it should be a visit to the garage Gah!!

[Emma&Al]

Oh thanks! I've just seen the link you put up - nice one, thank you

[Moonrakers]

Thanks SmcKnighty - so, that would account for the petrol smell that I smell every now and then. So would I be losing a substantial amount of petrol from that - enough to notice in the mileage?
I can't see that I'm going to be able to do this myself unless there is a step by step guide, so it looks like it should be a visit to the garage Gah!!

I don't know if you ever work on your van, but if you do like to get your hands dirty, changing the fuel lines honestly isn't difficult and is definitely a job us wannabe DIY mechanics should aim to tackle. The job needs no special tools or technical knowledge. It's just a matter of undoing the hose clips that attach a piece of hose, pulling the old piece off and replacing like-for-like with new, one piece at a time, paying attention to how the original hoses are routed. I did the whole lot myself recently (I'm definitely not a mechanic) and there were no difficulties at all. It took me 1.5 hours, but only because I was a bit paranoid and worked slowly and methodically, triple checking every connection. It's even easier if you spend a bit more on a complete kit of ready-cut hoses complete with quality hose clips and a filter as I did - no measuring or cutting necessary, though that wouldn't be difficult anyway. Give it a go, I bet you can do it. It's all pretty obvious once you start and there are threads about it on here too.

I bought this kit from ebay and can definitely vouch for it, not only is it very high-quality but also very complete including stainless steel fixings of different sizes and most importantly. high-grade tubing that will be safe over time. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161799600743" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

good luck.

[Emma&Al]

Moonrakers, thank you so much for giving me a bit more hope that I may be able to carry out this task.
I DO like getting my hands dirty but often feel that I might do something wrong. When I first joined this forum around 10 years ago, I had a high top t25 called Big Al (hence my username!) and I had a friend come and change all the fuel lines for me - at the time, I wasn't present so was unable to see how he was doing it.
I guess the most worrying part for me is how do you drain the petrol?
Do you start from the engine and work forwards towards the van? I need to make myself familiar with the layout of the fuel tank and lines, I can do this maybe with my Haynes Bible
The link you gave me - thank you, I emailed them and asked if they had a kit that would suit my van and they didn't. Their reply was a bit jumbled (!) but I think they were saying if I knew the sizes, that they could make them for me...but I've no idea of the sizes!

[Emma&Al]

https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/ ... -0-cu.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is this the same thing?

[kevtherev]

yes

[Moonrakers]

https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/ ... -0-cu.html

Is this the same thing?

Evening Emma, sorry for the delayed reply.

Yep, that's perfect from Brickworks. There's also the return line which you should probably replace at the same time. The kit you posted goes from tank to fuel pump - including the filter which is found just behind the tank under the driver's side - then there's another set of pipes that return from the fuel pump back to the tank on the other side. This is the Brickwerks item for the return lines, check with them it'll fit your CU engined van... I reckon it will.

https://www.brickwerks.co.uk/index.php/ ... -2048.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Firstly, if you aren't equipped to raise your van, this can all be done by crawling underneath as the hoses are all accessible, just use a flat cardboard box or something to allow you to slide under relatively comfortably. Luckily the only tool you'll need under there should be a screwdriver.

To empty the tank is simple, though much easier if it's not very full, obviously. Storage of the fuel becomes a bit of an issue if you have the full 50 litres on board, that's a lot of jerry cans! Hopefully there's not too much in there in which case all you have to do is remove the clip with a screwdriver that joins the first short section of hose and the filter, quite near the tank, pull the hose off the filter and then simply tuck the free end of that hose down into a suitable container and let it drain into there. You can get cheap 15 litre plastic fuel containers that would be ideal for this in various outlets or pound shop type places, easy to pour the petrol back into the tank afterwards, too. Whatever container you use, just bear in mind it's easier if they can stand upright under the van... the tall metal jerry cans or large plastic water containers would need holding at an angle and you wouldn't be able to fill them completely that way, but use whatever you can get hold of. The diameter of the fuel pipe is pretty narrow, so you won't get a scary gush of petrol at all, it takes a while to fill a can and if you have to swap cans half way through you'll lose hardly any petrol.

You probably won't need to study the Haynes manual really - the two ends of the lines are at the tank itself (bottom of the tank at the rear of it) and the fuel pump in the engine bay, so it's simply a question of starting at one end or the other and replacing one piece at a time, copying how the originals were. The feed and return hoses both travel through grommets in the bulkhead behind the engine (obvious when you see it) but that's not a problem, you just need to push the new hose through from one side or the other, doesn't matter which, and pull them through from the other side. Probably best to start at the tank by the driver's side and do the feed line first all the way to the carb, then repeat for the return line.

There should be simple plastic clips holding the old hose to the chassis here and there under the van, easy to get the old hose out of those and push the new ones in. If any are broken or seem to be missing, simply use standard plastic cable ties (not too tight) wherever you like just to stop the new hose flopping about - there are all kinds of holes in the chassis you can use to thread cable ties through here and there.

There's also a short piece of hose going from the fuel pump to the carb, that will come in the kit you posted up. Don't worry, it's easy to spot - every hose emerging from the fuel pump will need changing, so just do them one by one and replace like for like - easy. Sometimes there will be a little petrol spilling from the pump but it won't be much, nothing to worry about (unless you're smoking your pipe, obviously.) All hoses are held on by basic hose clips that are undone / tightened with a screwdriver, so no mysteries there. The hoses should be on quite tightly so once the clips are undone, don't be afraid to give them a good hard pull to remove, including twisting while pulling if you need to. Similarly when replacing, push / twist them on to their connectors all the way using as much force as necessary and tighten the clips nice and firmly. You won't break anything using force, the connectors at the tank, fuel pump and carb are all cast metal and very strong.

Order new clips if you reckon yours are badly corroded or are hard to undo, otherwise re-use what you have. They are cheap, at least - an email to brickworks will tell you which sizes you need, they stock them all. Of course Halfords or wherever stock them too in a pinch.

Once you have re-attached the last piece of hose, go over the connections one more time just to check tightness of clips. Refuel and start her up - I had no problem starting from an empty line, it may take a little longer to start than usual but if no start, don't panic. A capful of fuel poured into the carb will do the trick, allowing the engine to fire and allow the pump to pull fuel through the empty lines. Just remove the plastic carb cover and pour a little bit of fuel into the throat underneath if that is necessary, but as I said it will probably just start right up.

With the engine running go over the connections again for peace of mind checking for drips, but I bet there won't be any.

I know this sounds long-winded but in practise, once you are getting on with it, it's not scary or complex. Just take your time, have a good look at each part before removing. There are lots of threads around here that probably have better instructions than mine, too, and probably some pics, but don't worry, if I can do it, you can. And I promise you'll be feeling pretty smug at the end of the job having saved yourself the hassle of getting to the garage and back and a couple of hours of labour! It will also teach you how simple it is to change the fuel filter too, which needs to be done when servicing every so often.

OK, that's it. I'll keep an eye on the thread in case you have further questions... you could even let me know when you will be tackling the job then I'll make sure I'm online, just in case I can help at all. Can also send pics if you need any.

Cheers, all the best (let us know if you do this job yourself so that you can be sent various 'thumbs up' emoticons in celebration, ok?)

Tim

[MidLifeCrisis]

Before this thread gets too far off course - it's worth noting the the 'leak' as shown in the original pics is on a section of the fuel system that is not part of the original fuel layout (i.e. its on a T'd off section that feeds the Eber - according to silverbullet) - so the various ebay and brickwerks kits wouldn't touch it?!?
I don't have an injection system so can't comment too much but I think a different approach would be needed other than buying one of those kits in this case ......... ?

[Moonrakers]

Emma, one last thing I was going to say is that this job is one of those that all our vans have needed or will need and it's exactly the kind of necessary but straight-forward task that builds confidence for other general maintenance jobs - since doing my fuel lines I have replaced the fuel pump, ignition switch, coil, ignition amp, vacuum hoses, rotor and leads, coolant and oil, engine mounts, filters and all kinds of other stuff such as wiring in a USB socket and replacing the skylight and some window seals - very basic to experienced DIY'ers of course, but deeply satisfying for beginners like me or the less confident, and the savings really do begin to add up after a year or two. More money spare to spend on parts, petrol and camping. Mainly petrol

Hope you don't think I'm being patronising, it's just that sometimes the really experienced members here maybe tend to forget how nervous an owner gets the first time they start taking really important bits off the van, and what a big deal it seems at first. If you start doing this stuff at 13 with your Dad or whatever it's very natural, but for the rest of us it's it takes a bit of a leap of faith to get going and it is a bit scary. Be warned though, it gets quite addictive after the first success...

[Moonrakers]

Before this thread gets too far off course - it's worth noting the the 'leak' as shown in the original pics is on a section of the fuel system that is not part of the original fuel layout (i.e. its on a T'd off section that feeds the Eber - according to silverbullet) - so the various ebay and brickwerks kits wouldn't touch it?!?
I don't have an injection system so can't comment too much but I think a different approach would be needed other than buying one of those kits in this case ......... ?

Blimey, you're right. Damn, I hate being a cretin.

So the way forward would be to change all lines anyway, they all look past their best- the kits will cover most of them, and a metre of the correct hose from brickworks should cover the rest of the sections pictured when cut to size, right?

Sorry to have gone off on one, I also don't have this system. Sorry Emma, thanks MidLifeCrisis for the reality check.

[mr_nunn]

Nevertheless the level detail is really helpful for anyone that might want to tackle this job and (like me) is a beginner with this sort of stuff and lacking confidence - thank you for posting it!

[edoh]

some really good information here....
if you decide to go down the changing hoses road....
also....
https://club8090.co.uk/wiki/Pe ... pecific.29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Moonrakers]

Nevertheless the level detail is really helpful for anyone that might want to tackle this job and (like me) is a beginner with this sort of stuff and lacking confidence - thank you for posting it!

That's kind of you, sir.

[Moonrakers]

One last thing - I saw a badly fire-damaged Bay today in a lay-by near Longleat in Somerset being loaded on to a flat-bed and it made me think of fuel hoses again...

At least it wasn't a T25!