Fuel pressure too high? Leaking gas and Stranded.

[moremorevan]

Hi, I’m returning from a long trip and had to stop when I heard some clunking noises coming from under the front of the van. Had a bit of loss of acceleration too. Pulled over and checked the engine and found my drivers side fuel line had sprung a leak and was also leaking at the connection to my aluminum fuel rail. Vans parked now and I’m not driving it, but I’m trying to get home. I’m in Medford headed to Portland. Read different things saying the clunking could be the gas tank making noises if there’s a vacuum or pressure related problem. Maybe the clanking and the fuel lines are unrelated, I don’t know. Any help to get back home would be much appreciated. I have some parts and tools.

Thanks
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89 westfalia

[danfromsyr]

fix the fuel leaks,
remove your gas cap for a short drive.. it won't be vacuum bound then.

you'll need to give us more details on the clunking..

i think it's unrelated and you need to check your exhaust to chassis clearance, motor mounts, or CV joints/axles

[moremorevan]

The clunking sound was odd. It’s not a ticking or repetitive sound more like an occasional clunk under the front. What would be causing the vacuum problem? I had one fuel line spring a pin hole leak and another one is leaking at the connection to the fuel rail.
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89 westfalia

[IdahoDoug]

I think the clanking and whatever's happening at the rear with the engine are unrelated. Check the suspension and steering bolts and for old rubber bushings coming apart or missing as the clunk source. The gas cap removal is a good call if you suspect you have vacuum building in the fuel tank. Just cover it with a cloth to keep debris out and drive home.

I'll also stretch and say the fuel line leaks are also unrelated to a loss of power. There is still going to be plenty of fuel flow to the injectors to operate at normal power with a leak like you describe.

So replace the fuel line section from the center of the engine to the driver's fuel rail and drive home. You'll need specific fuel line clamps which most auto parts stores will have in stock.
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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

[moremorevan]

Thanks. I going to replace the fuel line and take the seal off the gas cap and see if it keeps leaking. I’m thinking the clunking noise might be the metal fuel tank making noises from the vacuum seal and trying to collapse.
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89 westfalia

[Steve M.]

Well the gas tank is not exactly under the front .
So if you are hearing a noise under the front that's maybe something else.
Was there any work done to front suspension at all?
I always think of human errors, my own included, and the last thing that was touched.

Can you pinpoint when the clunking happens?
Bumps in the road could indicate a shock absorber nut being loose. The nut at the top of the front shocks even when tightened "tight" can come loose after a while

Most loose suspension parts are held in place by the weight of the vehicle
So if you could jack the front end SAFELY and move the steering by hand at a wheel you may hear something or feel something or see some part shift as you move the steering
components.
If you grab a tire at top and bottom, 12 & 6 o'clock, and feel any slight movement it would be a wheel bearing loose or worn. It's not going to make a clunking sound as you drive though.

Defining the road condition/surface and whether you going straight or turning would help a lot in armchair diagnosis.

Get those fuel hoses replaced and take a hard look at the other hoses because the odds are they are all the same age.
Have you got a fire extinguisher?
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[E1]

For the OP, this is one of those threads where you may get more confused the more you read. All great insights to consider, though.

If me, I'd want to know the regulator was bad before replacing hose and carrying on. I'd FedEx a regulator in and replace the line (and then all the lines ASAP!!!), and would personally pay someone with far more experience than I -- given the potential outcome of more failing hoses!

Clarify, I know nothing about what happens to a fuel tank in relation to a failing regulator. I would suspect a "buckling" tank would be a one-time occurance, or at least once per cycle of tank expansion or contraction per warmup and cooldown cycle. I'd also suspect this sound to emulate someone sitting on a weak hood and getting off again, releasing the dent back to normal.

What you've described sounds like something else entirely. A loose shock should make a constant rattle, the rougher the road the worse and more constant. It sounds more like ball joints in your description -- or maybe a loose sway bar end?

I know you want to get home, and likely need to for whatever reason. I do know there's a good-sounding shop in Ashland, at least that was my impression when almost needing them coming through once.

Spoiler Question: Have AAA?
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[danfromsyr]

just a fyi, it's REALLY REALLY difficult for a vanagon fuel system to seal so well that it creates a vacuum that inhibits fuel flow.. there are MANY places the system leaks air/water/fuel as the rubber seals age.
compared to a conventional fuel tank system in a regular vehicle.

#goosechase.. but removing the fuel cap resolves all that concern..

[kublerwagen]

Fix the fuel leaks. Triple check that no fuel is leaking anyplace.

From there you can look at other problems. You can scoot under and look at the gas tank. It seems pretty unlikely that it is deforming, but if it is you would be able to tell.

As mentioned, it is more in the forward middle than the “front”. If the clunking noises only happen when moving then I would suspect suspension. If they happen when it is not moving get out and wander around to find out where they are coming from. If you have oil pressure and aren’t leaking fuel then you are probably fine to do that test. (I’m just some dude from the web though).

But do not start spending money on this till you know what’s wrong, beyond proper fuel line stuff.

[moremorevan]

To wrap things up, here's what it ended up being.

- The noise in the front was the drivers side wheel bearing that was completely shot, messed up the spindle some.

- the completely unrelated fuel leak that I luckily looked back and saw, were critters that chewed on the lines. I guess a thing that happens pretty frequently when camping in Cali.

We noticed this in Medford trying to get back to Portland on a Friday night. Shops were busy for the next few weeks, plus I really didn't want to leave it down there and have to come back.

Tow quotes came in between $850 - $1500.

Auto transports were days out and still $500 - $1000

We ended up renting a Uhaul truck with an auto transport trailer for $300

All is good, van is fixed and back on the road.

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89 westfalia

[jlrftype7]

[E1]

Awesome this is over for you.

Congratulations.
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Marshj]

It is amazing how stressful things can be and then the solution comes rather simply. congrats!

Giving us all a bit of confidence for more trips!

[jimf909]

[Abscate]

AAA is cost inefficient unless you have a family pool of 3-4 members.

It’s a security blanket sell.

They use the same people to tow that you call if you don’t have AAA , in the era of phones and google it’s easy to get a tow

On a long trip in new territory, you can take ten minutes and note down tow services along the way at home and carry with you,
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.ssS!

[Steve M.]

The Uhaul option is one of my active thoughts for a breakdown scenario, using insurance or AAA to reach a Uhaul dealer if way out of AAA range and a roadtrip killer breakdown.
Fortunately haven't acted out this scenario yet.
_________________
This free advice is worth exactly what you paid for it.

There are seven days in a week. Someday is not one of them.

[E1]

Same here for the same reasons.

To Abscate's comment, AAA gets more cost-efficient with a few factors:
-- Miles driven/year
-- How remote those miles are
-- Towing cost/mile (CA is about $10/mile!)
-- Odds of breakdown/vehicle condition

A valid point, though, in that it's like any other insurance in being a "waste" of money until needed/used.
_________________
‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[dobryan]

I love my AAA. With 7 cars in the family it is no problem to use some of the services....

A few years ago I had a 300 mile tow from NY state home to MD. That was $900 and paid for several years of membership right there. (Actually AAA paid for the first 200 miles at $4.50 per mile. I negotiated with the tow operator for a 300 mile tow at $3.00 per mile, so the AAA reimbursement to me was a net no cost.) YMMV.
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

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[E1]

That's right, cut those deals, Dave! 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
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‘84 Westy, 2.1L with Digijet, 5.43 R+P, GT Gears
"Adding power makes you faster on the straights.
Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere."
— Colin Chapman

[Abscate]

Be aware that a tow operator can refuse to cross state lines. Technically, as an AAA tower, they 'have to do it' but you can imagine, the guy with the tow vehicle keys wins the argument.

Ive never experienced this, but have 5 people in NY who have had this happen.
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.ssS!