Near disaster

[John T.]

I went for a drive in my 62 fuel car yesterday. When I opened the garage this morning there was a strong smell of gasoline. Small pool under car. The rubber line connecting the 2 pieces of metal fuel line had split. This line was new during frame off in 2009. Might be a good thing to check.

John

[Eric S.]

Re: Near disaster

Hi John!
Well here is my story: when I first got my 58 I tried to change the fuel pump, and disconnected the line. Fuel started poring out and the rubber line was in bad condition as I could not re-attach to stop the leak. My garage ramp sits higher than the garage floor. About 5-gallons of gas was sitting on the garage floor and it could not run off anywhere as the lowest point was the garage floor. My neighbor came over and helped me stop the leak. Thought I was going to have to call the Fire Department.
Eric

[Jim L.]

Re: Near disaster

John, Eric,

Failures like the ones you experienced concern me enough that I installed a fuel shut off valve on my FI '60. It's near the tank and it's almost convenient to reach through the rear tire well opening. When you are through having your car judged (or maybe even before), you might consider adding a similar valve to your cars. It sure made changing the fuel pump simple when I did it last fall.

Jim

[John D.]

Re: Near disaster

Not all here agree but most believe that ethanol is killing the rubber parts. Forget about having the correct rubber hoses for judging. Step up to rubber that will withstand alcohol aka ethanol. John

[Rob M.]

Re: Near disaster

John, Eric,

Failures like the ones you experienced concern me enough that I installed a fuel shut off valve on my FI '60. It's near the tank and it's almost convenient to reach through the rear tire well opening. When you are through having your car judged (or maybe even before), you might consider adding a similar valve to your cars. It sure made changing the fuel pump simple when I did it last fall.

Jim

maybe NCRS should allow or even award with bonus points such a device (like we do with the battery cut-off switch)!

[Michael W.]

Re: Near disaster

I went for a drive in my 62 fuel car yesterday. When I opened the garage this morning there was a strong smell of gasoline. Small pool under car. The rubber line connecting the 2 pieces of metal fuel line had split. This line was new during frame off in 2009. Might be a good thing to check.

John

If your restorer used lines not compatible with E10 and this is the root cause of the split, you might want to have some words with him. If the line was the wrong type- many are not rated to carry fuel of any type- I'd think of stronger actions.

[Bill M.]

Re: Near disaster

i have seen people use regular rubber hose as fuel line.

[Domenic T.]

Re: Near disaster

Rob,
There should be a "interest of safety" rule concidered.
I am using the dangerous engine mounts that have taken cars across intersections and caused fatalities.
At best the schroud went. I strap mine, but there are other areas compromised for safety also. I cringe at the single mastercylinder.


DOM

[Tim G.]

Re: Near disaster

My old garage had my gas water heater in it and I was terrified of a hose leaking with fuel going all over the place. It never happened, but it would have been a disaster.

[Richard M.]

Re: Near disaster

John, Good you found it right away before something bad happened. Maybe they never changed that hose? Sometimes there's a date code and manufacturer stamp on the hose. Is it there on that one?

In my 45+ years working on cars, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, inboard/outboard marine engines, lawn care engines, etc.....the last 3 to 5 years has shown me things I've never seen before Ethanol showed up. I've seen it gel the resins in fiberglass fuel tanks, break down vinyl hoses in my lawn care fuel systems, eat hoses in cars and boats, etc. It turns metal into a chalky reddish dust which plugs up an ruins anything it touches.

In the last few years this is a new substance I've never seen.

My latest victim is a fuel sender that wasn't reading right on a bench test. It ate the internal resistor and the inside of the housing.
P3140001.jpg P3140002.jpg

And this '59 WCFB a few years ago.

P7190014.jpg P7190016.jpg

[Ken A.]

Re: Near disaster

Not all here agree but most believe that ethanol is killing the rubber parts. Forget about having the correct rubber hoses for judging. Step up to rubber that will withstand alcohol aka ethanol. John

John, there is no such hose made. Modern cars use stainless steel lines-no rubber.

[Jim L.]

Re: Near disaster

John, there is no such hose made. Modern cars use stainless steel lines-no rubber.

How does the fuel get from the body/frame structure to the vibrating/moving engine?

[Edward J.]

Re: Near disaster

John, There is a newer rubber fuel hose made for the E10 fuel and can be had at your local Napa parts store. that is my advice, there are some very cheap grade rubber hoses out there that don't seem to last with the E10 fuel.

[Jim L.]

Re: Near disaster

John, There is a newer rubber fuel hose made for the E10 fuel and can be had at your local Napa parts store.

Ask for "fuel injection" hose or "fuel rated" hose at NAPA and you'll receive hose which will be compatible with modern motor fuel.

[Joe L.]

Re: Near disaster

Ask for "fuel injection" hose or "fuel rated" hose at NAPA and you'll receive hose which will be compatible with modern motor fuel.

Jim------


I always use only "fuel injection" hose for rubber fuel lines. It's a bit more expensive but how much rubber fuel line is there on a Corvette----a few feet at most?