Plastic fuel fitting/transition piece by engine compartment

[vwwestyman]

I'm working on replacing the fuel lines in a later Vanagon.

With this engine (just the stock 2.1 I believe), the fuel pressure line to the engine still has the plastic (that's what it looks like) fitting in the upper right hand corner of the engine compartment. So the hard plastic line that comes from the pump transitions to a shortish rubber hose which is used to connect to that plastic piece, and then of course on the engine side of the plastic piece is the long rubber hose that goes to the T to split the fuel to both sides.

So the question is, what do most of you do with this piece when replacing the fuel lines? Continue to use it? Buy a new one each time? Bypass it?

Seems like it could be bypassed with transitioning that plastic pipe straight to the T, while securing the rubber hose up there by some other means.

Thanks!
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[bobbyblack]

From the chit chat here I see most often it is just taken out of service and the new fuel line just extended from the engine area in and out T's (one being the regulator) to the hard lines.

Some, however, go to great length to seek out and purchase a metal one from a guy in Chicago that used to be here a lot.Personally, I have just removed the plastic thing and went with the slightly longer run of new to reach the hard line.

I am sure you can find out how to get a hold of that guy if you want his version tho. Some people actually like him. User here was something like TK or Terry Kay or such.

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[vwwestyman]

[Timwhy]

Once you remove it, you'll be able to run the hose thru the hole where it was.
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'15 Audi A3 Quattro
'09 VW Tiguan (dead)
'87 VW Westy
'91 Tin Top
'90 Cabby
What the Westy wants the Westy GETS


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[beach_creature]

This?

https://www.vancafe.com/025133322A-p/025133322a.htm

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84 Westy
1.9TD AAZ
5spd manual with Locking Peloquin TBD

[bobbyblack]

By Monday.. Well, I'd go with a short length of slightly larger fuel hose over the line you are putting in, as a protective cover and run it through the same hole. Or find a suitable grommet. I also used some zip ties to keep mine from wandering around.
_________________
'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[vwwestyman]

[Ahwahnee]

Good choice. I also went with a single length of line and used a slit length of larger hose over it to prevent chafing.

The metal fixture is an improvement over plastic but eliminating it altogether also eliminates to (of the many) connections in the system.

[Wildthings]

The original plastic piece served a function on the assembly line so that different engines/fuel systems could be bolted in without changing the basic fuel plumbing between the tank and the engine compartment. The piece or a replacement for it just isn't needed unless you regularly want to swap back and forth between a WBXer and an I4 engine or between carbs and FI on your WBXer.

[IdahoDoug]

Yep, just remove the plastic piece and run the new fuel line through the hole created by its removal. Then an anti-chafe strategy of your choice - a grommet or split piece of rubber hose.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1988 Toyota Supra 5 speed targa, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[Sodo]

Quality hose, routed and secured properly is much safer than that plastic fitting which can break.

Chafing requires rubbing, or motion.
It can’t chafe if there’s zero motion.
Zipties are good.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[khughes]

[vwwestyman]

Thanks all.

I removed the plastic piece, installed a grommet in the hole, then used a piece of larger hose to kind of hold it tight in the grommet. Did the same thing with the return pipe grommet.

As a bit of an aside, there is miles more fuel lines on this engine as compared to the fuel injected engine in my '73! Took a lot longer to replace everything than I originally imagined.

As said, I'll discuss this with the owner when I return the van, but since he isn't swapping engines back and forth I doubt we'll do the metal replacement thingy.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[Zeitgeist 13]

I frankly don't see much value in keeping the entire "firewall" in a watercooled Vanagon. I'm probably not going to buy another T3, but if I did, I'd cut the firewall out as a first order of business. Once gone, you can route any peripherals as you see fit, rather than simply replicating the peculiarities stemming from a design originating back to when these vans were still aircooled.

Here you can see where I cut the mofo out, and how much extra room it affords.

_________________
Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[vwhammer]

[vwwestyman]

Wow, it does seem to clean things up with that firewall gone. I wonder if VW decided ti was cheaper to keep the tooling and pay for the metal that makes that piece, rather than change everything when going to watercooled? Or maybe nobody really thought about it either way, and they just started using it? ha ha

I really like that engine support setup, too! I might have to make something like that.
_________________
Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[vanagonjr]