Is this fuel filter placement site dangerous?

[DannoT]

My son is visiting his uncle in FL. Uncle has bay window. Son shot this pic of Uncle's fuel filter placement & asked if I would post it on Samba & ask if any of you think this is a potential danger. If so, do you have an alternate site for placement to suggest? Thanks Danno's Mom

[SGKent]

I drove for 350,000 miles with one of those style in that general location away from the fan belt. However for every one person here who says no biggee there will be 9 who say don't do it in case it leaks creating a fire hazard.
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“Most people don’t know what they’re doing, and a lot of them are really good at it.” - George Carlin

[WhirledTraveller]

It's common to see that. Typical even.

However bus fires are also common.

Make of it what you will.
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1977 Westy, Automatic. Big Valve heads, CS Cam.

[patayres]

[webwalker]

The only good things I can say for the location is at least its on the low pressure side AND it has clamps.

But being between a place where lots of sparks happen and an awfully hot heat riser probably isn't the best place.

Just in front of the firewall tin is a safer place.

M
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"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
Click to view image

[Mal evolent]

the true problem is not the fuel filter in the engine compartrment.

the problem is the weight of the fuel filter bouncing around pulling the brass fuel hose out of the aluminum carb body

the solution is a 1/16-27 NPT barbed hose fitting screwed into the carb.

but I have my fuel next to the transmission, too.
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73 Beetle Baja, Ghia front brakes, Type 3 rear brakes, 2220 ( 94 X 80 ), Weber Progressive, Bosch SVDA, '97 Mustang seats

Baja Bugs for Volkswagen Virgins: Index

[Dead 1]

Why not place it underneath the bus.? If your tank is clean you will not have to change the filter for a while. So why not be safe and place it underneath the bus?
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"I reject your reality and replace it with my own"

"The American Dream - true enough because you gotta be asleep to believe it"
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71, 1776 cc.

[Desertbusman]

That's not going to pull the brass connector out of the carb because it's on the low pressure inlet side of the pump. And it won't spray the engine. But it could sure drench the engine. Gas could run down on the hot exhaust but it can also run down on the hot exhaust just the same if it's on the front side of the firewall. Electrical, wiring and gas don't mix well. Havn't you read the fire sticky yet?
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71 Superbug
71 Westy

[Kosmo]

What about that braided hose you got there?
That looks old to me. If it is, replace it with good quality rubber
fuel hose, and get some fuel injection type clamps, no slots
in the bands.

[Desertbusman]

It looks like the good German braided hose that most of us prefer. It would be good quality rubber. Although here was a bad batch floating around a while ago. And it does'nt necessarily look old. I replace mine every 2 or 3 years. Braided on the bug and since running duals on the bus just good quality unsheathed rubber fuel hose. Last week replaced that after 3 years also. Looked good but fairly stiff. Used the standard Gates fuel line from NAPA.
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71 Superbug
71 Westy

[Wild Bill]

There are a lot of things that are changed because either some one gets hurt or killed. We had a saying in the Navy...Most safety regulations were written in Blood. Consider the fact that when VW finally decided to put inline fuel filters on there production models they placed them Outside of the engine compartment and on the suction side of the pump.
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"Life in the Fast Lane ?....What the Hell does that feel Like?"


"Wild" Bill Tucker
Pensacola, Fl
1978 Champagne Edition (High Top Camper Converstion.) 2.0L FI
1969 Squareback 2.0L


www.rareairvw.com

[Window Licker]

A plastic filter that close to the heat riser makes me nervous. It's on the correct side, (low pressure), but at least move it away from the heat riser. A zip tie will go a long way here. If you don't want to move it outside the engine compartment, replace it with an all metal one. They are about $4 instead of $1.50 like the plastic ones. Much safer. Even if you don't replace it with a metal one, tie it back from that heat riser.
My $.02
Scotty

[djspn]

[GeorgeL]

Posting this question on TS is like posting to a cat lovers website about your favorite recipe!

That being said, the only think I can see wrong with that installation is that the body of the filter is rubbing against the manifold. There is the potential to rub or crack a hole in the filter. A little self-adhesive weatherstrip foam would fix that problem.

I live dangerously, in the opinion of some, with the filter between the pump and carburetor. My reasoning is that all my fuel nipples are good (I pulled them out years ago, knurled them, and replaced them using fuel-proof epoxy). The in-line filter is the third filter that the fuel encounters, after the in-tank screen and the fuel pump screen, so why not let the filter do its job of filtering the finest particles after the other filters do their respective jobs.

The stock fuel pressure is 2.8PSI, which isn't exactly fire-hose pressure. If you pull on the ends of the filter you'll put far more stress on the plastic body and seam than the fuel pressure ever would and I've never been able to pull one of those plastic filters apart.

I put proper smooth hose clamps clamps on every connection, even the tank side of the pump. I just like things to be secure.

Putting the filter on the tank side of the pump invites vapor lock problems which are often a nightmare to diagnose. It doesn't take too much of a drop in pressure below atmospheric to put a bubble of vapor in the line and stop the pump from functioning. I'm not saying not to do it, just be aware of the implications if you have a mysterious problem down the road.

[Wildthings]

The whole fuel system is one gigantic fire hazard and the fuel filter placement is only a very small part of it. All my non VW carburated cars have no rubber fuel line above the engine, they are all metal lines from a fuel pump mounted low on the block to the carburetor. There is just a single piece of rubber hose low on the block to allow for engine movement.

A fuel tank that can feed fuel to a fire by gravity is just appalling, but it is what Bays and Splitys came with. The best solution would be to run all metal lines within the engine compartment, but alternately the use of fire resistant hose and a metal fuel filter would be a plus.

I like the idea of replacing the original nipple on the carb with a 1/16 pipe nipple. Where can these nipples be obtained?

[Randy in Maine]

Also important is to safety wire the little snozzle on the carb....

[shiningstar76]

The only problem I see is the 009. The last thing you want in a bus is an aggressive advance curve.
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KK4NTP
96 Tacoma
86 4Runner
My bus caught on fire and is now on the other coast with someone who gave me money for it.

[GeorgeL]

[Mal evolent]

[Desertbusman]