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Well, that's one way to empty the fuel tank...
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surfr4evr
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:01 pm    Post subject: Well, that's one way to empty the fuel tank... Reply with quote

Engine pull on my '65 x 1 due to a spark plug that just spins in place on #4 cylinder...might as well check the head and I'm stoked as this is the first time i've pulled one! Battery, electricals, accelerator cable....so far so good. Metal fuel line through the shroud to the tank...ok, get under the bus and go to disconnect from the hose. Won't budge. Wiggle a bit...booooooshhhhh!!! Fuel going everywhere, including all over me and my plugged in work light. Yep, had a screwdriver ready until I took my first gulp of unleaded to the face. Grabbed empty oil pan to catch the Vesuvius-like downpour, and when that was full filled two other large containers. Oh well, my other car was on "E" so here I am at 11pm with a funnel pouring gas in my SUV, shirt off, looking and smelling like a frazzled mess. Wife comes out with, "what's all the cussing for and why does it smell like gas in here?!" Mumbled something incoherent and unintelligible, blurry-eyed from my unleaded eyewash. Can't make this stuff up. So now i'll pull the tank and swap out the sending unit and filter...may do the muriatic/chain treatment if I think I can handle that task without burning down the neighborhood in the process. Funny as hell now...not so much an hour ago.
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Khopkinsx
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 10:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

First, I am glad you did not get hurt, that is really dangerous. Fire is one of my biggest fears for many reasons.....

To help avoid this scenario, I usually take a pair of vise grips and clamp the hose before disconnecting it from the motor (metal line). It might be a few drops if you do it right.

Also, to help with the gas line, give the hose a twist to break it loose before you try to pull it off. Much easier. If it is really stuck, cut it as it needs to be replaced anyway.

Glad you are OK. It would be sad if the bus burnt, even worse if it was you.
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Easily done! I did the same a couple of years ago with an awkward hose attached to the tank in our Bay. I had a spigot in my teeth to plug the hose, but once I had a face full of unleaded it wasn't so easy!
I was in a farm shed, about two miles from the nearest person at the time. All I could think was, if there's a spark I am dead!
Makes your eyes sting like buggery, but if it's any consolation I spoke to a consultant ophthalmologist at work the next day and he said it's unlikely to do any permanent damage, just a bit inflamed, but he examined my eyes anyway (alkaline solutions are the worst, apparently!)
Good luck!
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surfr4evr
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 2:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks guys, lesson learned for sure and I'll have a bit more situational awareness next time I go unclamping lines. Flushed the peepers with lots of water but have no doubt will walk around most of the day with eyes looking like Bob Marley.
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far rider Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

That is one of my biggest concerns when pulling an engine. I Like the vise grip idea but isn't there some kind of an inline shut off valve that can be added?
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:28 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Vise grips are the answer. They are quick and easy and for the amount of times you are going to pull the motor, they are perfect. Also, a shroud screw fits in the end of the hose perfect for stoppage if you are just pulling a hose for some other reason.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 5:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have some hose clamp off pliers wont leak.
http://www.ipdusa.com/products/10067/121467-hose-clamping-pinch-off-pliers. I did have this happen to me though was working on a bus and wasn't even touching the fuel line. It wasn't on there with a hose clamp. I stuck my finger over the hole made someone put a hose clamp on the hose then stuck it back on. I got it all down my arm was not fun.
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sled
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wait..you guys are meaning to tell us you do NOT use any sort of clamp BEFORE pulling this fuel line? thats just ridiculous. You plan to just do a quick pull and plug? sounds messy (as we've found out) and dangerous (I know someone who was SEVERELY burned when something exactly like this happened).


this looks like common sense to me.. fuel line clamps

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yes, you can use small vise grips, but the teeth on the jaws are not ideal for the fuel line.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have one of those fuel line clamps now but before that I bought a cheap pair of small vice grips and ground off all the teeth.

This is what I have now:
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Amazon ad
http://www.amazon.com/Stahlwille-12975-Fuel-Hose-Clamp/dp/B00C133QT6
Not cheap though for what it is - I found one cheaper on eBay after some time
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srfndoc
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

X2, I use the same clamps, work great. Glad your ok, be careful out there!
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Clara Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

sled wrote:
wait..you guys are meaning to tell us you do NOT use any sort of clamp BEFORE pulling this fuel line? thats just ridiculous. You plan to just do a quick pull and plug? sounds messy (as we've found out) and dangerous (I know someone who was SEVERELY burned when something exactly like this happened).


this looks like common sense to me.. fuel line clamps

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yes, you can use small vise grips, but the teeth on the jaws are not ideal for the fuel line.


I have one of these in my toolbox.

There are also fuel line pliers

If you have a 61 or earlier buses came new with a fuel tap, which has on/ off/reserve.

You can retrofit a fuel tap onto a newer bus. It screws directly to the bottom of the tank before any rubber hoses. You can turn it to ON and not hook up the cable to the front if you don't feel like adding one, and use it to shut off the gas for an engine pull by turning the tap from under the bus.

I know a couple people who got the Niki Lauda makeover from fuel fires. Evidently it is highly painful. Be safe!

FWIW, if you are present when someone is severely burned, evidently the thing to do right after putting the flames out is to put them in a cold shower to cool the body down to stop the cooking from the burns. Or the body keeps cooking even after the flames are out.
Cooling the body with a cold shower will mean less damage.
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 7:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Damn lucky! Years ago a fellow VW bus owner did same and when pulling the metal drain pan across the cement floor caused a spark. Bus, garage burned to the ground and the fellow was seriously burned. Sad

First off before you re-install the engine, replace all of the flexible fuel line. For the long piece that goes from tank to the metal line in front of the front engine tin (make sure grommet is in the front tin so it does not cut the metal line), make that piece about 6 to 8 inches longer than it needs with engine in place. Then when you go to install the engine, but before it is fully up and into the transaxle you reach over and slip on the flex fuel line onto the metal line. When you remove the engine next time you just reach over the engine when most of the way out and down to pull off the flex fuel line. Plug with golf tee, Phillips screwdriver, etc.. When engine is back up in place make sure the flex fuel line does not rest on the clutch cable that might saw thru it.

If you are using the German braided cloth fuel line you do not need to use hose clamps, except for the section between fuel pump and carb where pressure will build up and possibly pop off the flex line.

While using vise grips will work to shut off the fuel flow, it can easily damage the line and cause fuel leakage. VW had a special shut off hose clamp to do this (see the VW Transporter workshop manual and if you do not have a copy of that manual get it ASAP) or use the previous posted variety.

Yes one can install an inline shut off valve and too boot in the tank itself so next time you replace all the flex fuel line (every TWO YEARS to prevent VW BBQ), you can do so without need to drain the entire fuel tank. Plus was stock for ALL pre-1961 VWs. No need to install the bus operating cable if you have later bus, we just slide under and flip the switch by hand. Added bonus is you can use the reserve feature and have about one gallon of fuel in reserve. Just do flip the valve at least once in the Spring and Fall to clean out the fuel that will be trapped in the other passage of the valve and drive it for a few minutes. Otherwise the fuel trapped in there can gel and clog up that passage.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=497182&highlight=fuel+tap

From 1960 owners manual:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


When working on the bottom of the fuel tank with metal tools, do make sure to disconnect the battery first. Starter electrical connections are right by the tank outlet and can cause a spark...

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=187319&highlight=fuel+shut
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Last edited by Eric&Barb on Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:59 am; edited 1 time in total
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matthew henricks
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Glad you are OK. Did that years ago as well.

For me it was my ears that hurt more than my eyes. Know that feeling when water goes into your ear and you feel it slide down inside as it displaces any air.... Gas does the same and it burned for hours......
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jeremy57ride
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 04, 2015 9:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hemostats work well. Not as aggressive as vise grips and easily clamped and removed.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

every bus owner has a pair of hemo's!! Wink
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 3:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use some needle nose vice grips, but have old fuel line over the tips to protect the hose that I'm clamping... Then I can just take off the fuel line tips if I need to use the needle nose... Seems to work just fine, but I still need to get one of those fuel line clamps above...
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So easy to install a shut off valve while the engine is out. I'm not a fan of the cloth fuel line and opted to replace mine with quality hose utilizing fuel injection style clamps. Mine happens to be a 3-way valve with a 12v shut off solenoid (I can turn fuel off, normal or bypass the solenoid if it happens to fail).

Regardless, now is the time to "fire-proof" your bus so consider putting a plan together. Make sure the carb(s) have a tapped fuel inlet, not just pressed on and get as many connections outside of the engine bay as possible.

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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

x2 on installing a fuel reserve tap. I put one in my '64 even though I don't have a cable to the front to actuate it. I just reach up from underneath the bus and close it before doing an engine pull or changing the fuel hoses.

I guess there's still a little gas in the hose, but I don't think it can come out as easily if the valve is closed upstream?

I've heard that you can actually start the engine and run it for a minute or two to empty the line completely, but I've never tried it.
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PostPosted: Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

guatebus wrote:
x2 on installing a fuel reserve tap. I put one in my '64 even though I don't have a cable to the front to actuate it. I just reach up from underneath the bus and close it before doing an engine pull or changing the fuel hoses.

I guess there's still a little gas in the hose, but I don't think it can come out as easily if the valve is closed upstream?

I've heard that you can actually start the engine and run it for a minute or two to empty the line completely, but I've never tried it.


Yes. I don't drive my 53 very often, so when I park it I turn the tap to Zu (off) and let the engine run till it's out of gas. This clears the gas from the carb so the carb does not gum up.

If you shut the reserve valve off, then pull the engine, a little gas will drip out, but not much. not gallons, maybe half a cup or less? some from the hose under the bus, some form the hose to the fuel pump.
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Tim53
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PostPosted: Thu Aug 06, 2015 8:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh wow. I really like those fuel hose clamps. Will have to order one.

Initially when I first got my bus in 75, I used a pair of vice grips, but that does damage the hose. I switched to jamming a pencil in the hose, and still do that to this day.

But I am so going to order one of those clamps!

Tim
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