TheSamba.com :: View topic - Ready for the Fuel line job! (results so far please look )

Tue Aug 26, 2008 11:46 am

ok I have the hose and the clamps I am ready for the job (once it is cooled down outside!) I was wondering ....

Will there be gas in the lines while the engine is off?

Is there anything else I will need? I will be without a car to go get parts until I am done!

I am going to start the job @ 6 or 7 pm ... anythign else?

Wish me luck.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:07 pm

Yes, there will be fuel in the rails, and in the fuel hoses. I'm sure that the pump has a check valve in it, so that fuel doesn't all drain back to the tank when shut down. It'd take a bit longer to purge the air, and get the fuel into the rails at startup otherwise. Most fuel pumps have this.

I just did this job last week. Not really hard, but it involved a lot of trying to work around all the cooling hoses! It took me longer than I expected it would. Getting the fuel rail all disconnected seemed to take forever.

Oh, and when you're done and wonder why it won't start, remember to reconnect power to the fuel pump. DOH!

Good luck!

Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:16 pm

how do I get gas back to the lines?

Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:34 pm

cycle the key a couple of times without engaging the starter.
this should prime the lines.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 1:04 pm

before you attempt to start it, with the ignition switch on, go around back and look at all the connections to make sure they aren't leaking. they will be pressurized and any leaks should become apparent.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 2:13 pm

If you can put the back end up on ramps or stands so it is easier to get to the fuel lines behind the engine firewall. It took longer than expected for me also.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:27 pm

i actually just got done replacing the lines in the engine compartment today. I plan on doing the rest next week. The biggest pain in the arse are those damn hose clamps that vw put on there. I guess theres a special tool for them but without the tool, they were a tad frustrating. One other thing, you can just cut off the lines from the injector to the rail and clamp on new lines. I was a bit stumped as to what to do with them (They were in the worst shape by far and needed to be replaced asap) but a quick search on thesamba and bam. My troubles were gone. (Thanks to benplace!) It took me about 3 hours to do those lines but i had dinner in the middle and i was taking my time.

EDIT: One other thing to add; make sure you keep everything as clean as possible. Any dirt inside those lines or along the fuel path and your asking for trouble.

Tue Aug 26, 2008 4:33 pm

Follow the directions on BenPlace. Also use a clamp or two on the line from the pump to the tank and maybe wear some goggles while doing this one. I took a short but painful gasoline shower when I did this. Just do one line at a time and don't rush yourself and it's a piece of cake.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 5:50 am

ok now I am confused!! I get out there and the "hoses" are metal. there is a little rubber here or there but only where the are connections or bid turns. MOST of the rubber has nylon or plastic on the outside. I can take picts if you like. but I feel that the fuel lines have been changed out withing the last 7 years.

There are areas that I will replace the FI line no matter because they do look older. but I dont think I have anything to worry bout in the engine area.

I am sure there are people that will want picts.:)

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:04 am

Are you sure you're looking at the fuel lines? Follow the line from your tank, past the pump and filter and up to your engine. There is some hard plastic line, but I don't think there should be any metal fuel line. There is a protective covering over much of the line. If you need more, I think Bus Depot sells it. Are you going to do away with the plastic connector that goes through the fire wall. Remember, this is just as likely or maybe more likely to fail than the lines themselves. Just go from the hard plastic tubing with the fuel line right through the firewall. and use a grommet or other suitable protection. Or route it underneath the firewall.

I'll be doing this job in the next week or so. I had my mechanic do it on my '87, but I think I'll do it myself on the '85 Westfalia. The only part I'm worried about is doing the short pieces at the injectors.

Ed in CT

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:30 am

ok give me 10 mins and click me blog link for the pictures.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:43 am

ok I have the photos of the FI line (or what I think are the FI lines) I am sorry I cant put them on this site ( too many I guess)

Thanx for chking this out!! please answer here.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:57 am

Wow! Yours looks a LOT different than mine. I didn't have any of those metal lines!

If it were mine, I'd keep the metal lines where/how they are, but replace all those rubber lines. You know, the ones with the huge cracks in them! 8-)

Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:00 am

I am wondering if the prior owner of this car had ALOT of money and was a VW lover like we have never seen. Not the person I bought it from but the perswon before that.

glad to see I am not an idiot or completely insane!!

Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:08 am

I didn't realize that there was such a differnece between the air-cooled and water-cooled Vanagons in terms of the fuel lines, but it makes sense since they're very different engines. I have three Vanagons- an -85 Westfalia that I use for camping, an '87 Wolfsburg that I used to use for camping and now is my daily driver, and an '83 air-cooled that I bought cheap and am still deciding what to do with.

So I looked at the fuel lines on the '83, which should be just like your '82. Wow! What a different set-up for the fuel lines.

I would replace the rubber, as the previous poster suggested.

One other suggestion- why don't you post this question on the bay window bus section? Those had the same engine as yours from '72 (I think) to '79, the last year for the US. Should be same engine, same fuel line set-up. Also the Type 4 list. After all, VW used the pancake engine on the Type 4 first, then put it in the bus, right? (I don't know what they used in the Type 3). Just make sure on your posts that you mention that you have an air-cooled Vanagon with the Type 4 engine.

Good luck,
Ed in CT

Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:19 am

That's normal. Aircooled Type4 motors used metal lines as injector manifolds and to reach bank to bank. In the pics the connecting bits do look fairly recent, except for the injector stubs. The surface cracking on those doesn't look too severe, but as long as you're up for the job anyway might as well do it up. It's a very good idea to replace the injector sealing o-rings where the nozzles insert into the intake. The small o-rings can always stand replacing; the big ones only act to hold the injectors in place and only need to be replaced if they're starting to crack.

These little guys, they're all the same year to year:
http://www.van-cafe.com/vanagon_parts.jsp?ct=85944197&pa=pct&pct=343148836

Back by the pump, though, I would redo all of that, and definitely cut off that crummy-looking wire connector for the pump and crimp on a fresh one. Get some heatshrink to cover the crimp. The way it is looks like a power failure waiting to happen; might as well get ahead of that.

That crackling on the frame rail and underside of the corner of the tank says to me that there has been gas leakage there in the past. Does this thing leak when the tank gets filled? Might want to look into the tank reseal job, upper breather network and the filler pipe seal.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:28 am

tencentlife wrote: That crackling on the frame rail and underside of the corner of the tank says to me that there has been gas leakage there in the past. Does this thing leak when the tank gets filled? Might want to look into the tank reseal job, upper breather network and the filler pipe seal.

aye, the fuel system was missing the fuel lines to the back up tanks. it has been taken care of. it leaked from the top. smelled terrable after refills

Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:58 am

That may be your crossover tube system leaking. Search for fuel and tank and crossover and tube, and you'll see what I mean. Only happens at fill ups, and you installation of those line might not recitfy the problem. The grommets at the top of the tank go bad.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:09 am

floggingmolly wrote: That may be your crossover tube system leaking. Search for fuel and tank and crossover and tube, and you'll see what I mean. Only happens at fill ups, and you installation of those line might not recitfy the problem. The grommets at the top of the tank go bad.

yea I had to replace the crossover and the grommets. right now I am concerened with the area from the tank to the engine.

Wed Aug 27, 2008 11:42 am

Quote: That's normal. Aircooled Type4 motors used metal lines as injector manifolds and to reach bank to bank.

I don't suppose any of those fuel lines would be useful for converting the later WBX engines to metal fuel lines...

:shock:

I've never had a good look at an AC Vanagon engine.

Best!