TheSamba.com :: View topic - Up in smoke... Bus fires... don't let it happen to you! FAQ

Sat Oct 13, 2012 4:09 pm

Desertbusman wrote: The bug valve mentioned is the old type fuel reserve valve. It can be easilly modified to perform as a manual shutoff valve only.
But having one would be redundent if you are also going to use an electric solenoid shutoff valve. You could use one or the other but no need for both.

Now if you had a parallel installed manual valve that's for a different purpose. If the solenoid valve fails for whatever reason then your fuel is shutoff and would be difficult to replumb the whole thing sitting alongside the road. A manual valve in parallel could easilly be opened to get your fuel flowing again.

Hi,

OK, i see what you mean. I'll maybe just stick with the electric one, i can always carry a brass pipe joiner to link the pipes together if it fails i guess.

Cheers,

Alistair

Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:03 pm

Yes :wink:

Mon Oct 15, 2012 10:02 am

So I was having a conversation with a air cooled VW owner about the fire I had. I started talking about the fuel lines and the in-line fuel filter. When I told him I use the plastic ones he almost jumped out of his chair.
He said the cheap plastic filters are probably what causes a lot of fires in VWs and he doesn't even understand why they would make them. He said that gasoline (a hydrocarbon) when introduced to a plastic causes friction and electrostatic shock.
What makes me think he is correct about this is when I got home to look at the pile of burnt pieces I have pulled from the bus I took a look at the fuel filter and it has a rupture point in it and no other problems (except a little bit of melt).
I am curious if other people agree that this could be the starting point of a lot of fires including mine :?:
He said to always use a glass fuel filter in-line. I will look into this more:wink:

Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:41 am

If the filter was under the fuel tank and outside of the engine compartment along with periodic replacement of the fuel filter, there would not be an issue with it. I've been running those cheapo filters for decades.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:57 am

I am not a lover of plastic filters, especially the ones typically sold at VW parts houses that have no swedges to hold the hoses on and are typically installed between the pump and the carb on Type 1 engines. A metal filter before the pump is okay inside the engine compartment if well located, while any filter adding weight to a Solex carb inlet fitting is not. Putting the filter underneath eliminates many problems but not all. I have had metal filters rust through when a truck of mine was parked for several years while I worked out of town and have seen plastic ones with visible cracks, but can't off hand remember seeing a plastic one that was leaking.

I still like the sturdy little Ford filters that were made to be used in the engine compartment.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:00 pm

The plastic filters are a danger when mounted between the pump and carb, the hot environment in the engine compartment isn't good for it either so even upstream isn't good in the compartment. I too have never had an issue with even a plastic filter under the tank as Snakes mentions.

Now those glass filters are a whole different story, multiple sealing surfaces and materials that expand at different rates as well as being fragile scares the crap outta me, if plastic worries you get an all metal one from your FLAPS but leave the glass ones for the magazine cars.

Mon Oct 15, 2012 12:35 pm

Yeah, the idea of a glass filter scares the crap outta me as well.

Will the carb get too clogged too quickly if I don't use a filter? I'd rather not use a plastic one after what happened unless I can put it under the bus (on that line coming out of the petrol tank) but I think that line is larger diameter and won't fit one of those horrible plastic filters???

Mon Oct 15, 2012 1:25 pm

spicolibus wrote: Yeah, the idea of a glass filter scares the crap outta me as well.

Will the carb get too clogged too quickly if I don't use a filter? I'd rather not use a plastic one after what happened unless I can put it under the bus (on that line coming out of the petrol tank) but I think that line is larger diameter and won't fit one of those horrible plastic filters???

Both metal and plastic inline filters are available at almost any decent FLAPS. A filter before the pump will protect both the pump and the carb, I don't think running without a filter on an old rig is a particularly good idea.

Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:45 am

A Hastings 262-GF1 is a metal canister filter with 1/4" barbs - i.e. slightly oversize. If you find a metal bodied filter that a perfect fit with 5.6 mm fuel line, let me know.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/HHT-GF1/

Mount the fuel filter above the transaxle. It's an awkward location - but it keeps the filter out the engine compartment.

- Andrew in Austin, TX -

Tue Oct 16, 2012 7:37 am

sorry for my ignorance, but the rubber fuel line coming from the fuel tank under the bus to that attaches to the metal line going through the firewall is 5.6mm inner or outer diameter? A metal in-line fuel filter with a 1/4" barb should work with clamps?
thanks for clarification :?

Tue Oct 16, 2012 11:09 am

Quote: A metal in-line fuel filter with a 1/4" barb should work with clamps?

Not a perfect fit, but yes.

Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:19 pm

spicolibus wrote: sorry for my ignorance, but the rubber fuel line coming from the fuel tank under the bus to that attaches to the metal line going through the firewall is 5.6mm inner or outer diameter? A metal in-line fuel filter with a 1/4" barb should work with clamps?
thanks for clarification :?

No, if the hose is 5 or 5.5mm diameter (inside dia.) it will not fit on a 1/4" barb.

Tue Oct 16, 2012 6:00 pm

I don't often disagree, but pop that sucker in hot water and it will stretch. My local FLAPS don't sell metric. :? I asked why, most imports are metric(I think), they sell standard widths. You have to look long and hard to find the right dia.

Tue Oct 16, 2012 8:34 pm

babysnakes wrote: I don't often disagree, .
Well I sure hope we don't disagree much on that other topic (the red one) we've been dealing with. Otherwise you might end up the creek :lol:

the stock line size is a real stretch to get it on a 1/4" barb. if it can be put on I don't think that's the issue as much as how far it is stretched once it's on and how well it will hold up. For instance have you pushed the 5 or 5.5 German hose onto the next bigger portion of the el cheapo plastic filters?

You know my setup. A mix of small 5.5mm conections (tank, plastic filter, steel line around the shroud and fuel pump) and the carburator lines with 1/4" barbs. The small German hose just wouldn't work on the 1/4" carb fittings and barbs even though it was wonderful for all the stock size connections. So what did work is the 1/4" line to the carbs and then clamping it tight to the pump outlet. Either way it's not a good deal and why I'm modifying all the connections.

Evidently spicolibus is going to use the corrct size braided german hose. So the mismatch is only involved with the filter. I don't think it's worh it for the sake of having a metal filter. The other issue is you never know if the filter is getting filled with junk until the engine quits and it probably won't happen sitting in the driveway. I never had a problem or even heard of any problems with the plastic filter in the pumps suction side. Naturally it shouldn't be in the pressure line.

Thu Nov 22, 2012 9:39 pm

There was a multiple page discussion here about an engine not starting after engine fire repairs.

This was not an engine fire topic and it was moved to
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=535767

Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:11 pm

Well damn, it seems all J30R9 hose isn't created equal, here's the stuff from Advanced fluid solutions (Silicone hose workd on Ebay UK) after 8 months in service :x

Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:40 pm

Off-the-wall question: has anybody ever seen, or considered making a set of brass replacement tubes for the fuel pump (2) and carb (1) to accept 1/4" SAE 30R9 FI hose? Or maybe solder a brass sleeve over the stock fittings to increase their OD to 1/4"? Seems silly to fight poor quality fuel line when good quality line is available in 1/4". Just a thought...

Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:45 pm

busdaddy wrote: Well damn, it seems all J30R9 hose isn't created equal, here's the stuff from Advanced fluid solutions (Silicone hose workd on Ebay UK) after 8 months in service :x

Well spotted BD. Thanks. Also might be good to add your post over here;

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=474405&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Fri Apr 12, 2013 3:57 pm

I just got a 5 meter roll of 5.5mm hose in from world pac i have never seen this hose before its made in germany on the hose you can see NBR I don't know if that is the maker but Iam going to give it a try my cost was 45.00 for the roll it not cheep.

Fri Apr 12, 2013 4:21 pm

Don't feel bad, the Goodyear I bought to today was ~$46 my cost for 10' after taxes. Made in the EU and this batch doesn't have the blue liner or seemingly any liner, why can't someone make metric size? :?

Telford, there was a source posted somewhere here for 1/16" NPT hose barbs, with those you get a threaded in connection that won't pull out and a real 1/4" hose barb.

I'll add to that other thread Buster, thanks.