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Alarming Petrol Leak!!
Dick Axtell - 28/6/14 at 11:49 AM

As per heading. My Locost has been sitting idle for a month. Went to lock-up, to off-load various stuff & keep Dearly Beloved happy (or less miserable!!), and took opportunity to make sure car started.

Engine - Xflow 1600. Fuel system - Usual "Gold" pump, feeding std Weber d/d carb via Filter King regulator. Never previously had any sign of fuel leak. Leak appears to be somewhere after the regulator. Does this need re-setting? Have never adjusted it before.

DW100 - 28/6/14 at 12:06 PM

Check for porous fuel pipes, quite common on this type of car. Braided fuel pipes are bad because you can't see from a visual inspection.

Dick Axtell - 28/6/14 at 02:02 PM

quote:
Originally posted by DW100
Check for porous fuel pipes, quite common on this type of car. Braided fuel pipes are bad because you can't see from a visual inspection.

Good point re braided fuel pipes. So, do we have to keep with these braided pipes? Any potential probs changing to non-braided?

britishtrident - 28/6/14 at 02:13 PM

Braided fuel pipe develops pin holes because the braid has "jaggies" on the inside that puncture the rubber.
Normal OEM style hose is available from most motor factors or even Halfords.

snapper - 28/6/14 at 02:16 PM

I swapped out braided from regulator to carbs after they perished in a matter of months, fitted injection hose no issues since

Dick Axtell - 28/6/14 at 02:24 PM

Thanks for all the advice, and the reports of similar incidents. Looks like a trip to Halfords!

alfas - 28/6/14 at 02:58 PM

best is to have a short flexible from tank to (rear fitted) pump another short felxible to a solid pipe which passes through the propshaft tunnel and ends shortly before the pressure regulator...than flexible to regulator and flexible from reg. to carb

i only use this type of hose and never had any problems, even with modern fuels.



I.P.L. fuel restistance 15/45 which is black (rubber) outside and has a flexible internal hose of polyester or nylon..unfortunately i have no link to a picture

02GF74 - 28/6/14 at 04:13 PM

quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Braided fuel pipe develops pin holes because the braid has "jaggies" on the inside that puncture the rubber.
Normal OEM style hose is available from most motor factors or even Halfords.


first time I would disagree with BT - the braid is woven wire mesh wrapped over the hose - any jaggies ends would be at the end where it is cut and personally I cannot see that happening due to the hose wall thickness - you have to be extremely cack handed to fit the hose so the jaggies pierce the hose.

..... but from my experience, the hose is of lesser quality - bought mine from VWP - and it failed in about 5 years - I won't bother with it again but use non braided stuff.

britishtrident - 28/6/14 at 05:58 PM

It is actually an age old problem, anybody who as worked on ex military vehicles will have encountered it, it used also to happen to a lesser extent on old BMC vehicles with braided SU fuel hose.
The first sign is the hose is ever so slightly sweating a smells of fuel. A single jaggie on the braid will cause a hole that is smaller than a pin hole but it gets worse.

David Jenkins - 28/6/14 at 06:43 PM

Dick,

It's probably worth re-visiting this old thread...

Fuel pipes

Dick Axtell - 28/6/14 at 09:34 PM

G'day Mr. J. Thanks for your pointer to your earlier post. Even more useful info.

blakep82 - 28/6/14 at 11:11 PM

I got some "copper" (must be an alloy though) fuel pipe, and marine grade fuel hose for petrol and diesel from a boat shop.
Whole lot cost under a tenner too I think?