Thread: Split Fuel pipe -salutory lesson

What with a DIY head gasket/new cam/top end overhaul etc job interrupted by being away for several weeks, the dear ol' P38 having done several trips of late to the airport (18km each way) as gentle running in, was short of fuel. So this morning having delivered the box trailer to a Landy Bro who is towing it to FNQ for me, I decided to fill up with 95 Oct given that it was 'relatively' cheap...

Paid the bill and came back to find a puddle of juice on the apron under the rear door... I washed it away then drove the 'long way' home where the full extent of the problem became obvious...

what I hadn't realised was that while the vehicle was in dock for several months, the short length of fuel hose connecting the filler tube to the tank had perished, dried out and was full of longitudinal splits which were weeping fuel.

According to RAVE, one needs to reduce the level in a full tank by about 10L before removing the hose. By this afternoon the hose had swollen somewhat and while one gets an occasional whiff of fuel there was no puddle under the vehicle at any time since this morning at the servo. Thankfully it's parked on the other side of the street (no houses there) and it's been windy most of the day...rain is forecast this evening. A new part ESR3219 is due by o'night bag first thing in the morning.

I've never had this happen on any other car previously, but it's a timely reminder that stuff does perish and needs to be renewed...thinking brake caliper seals, steering pump seals etc etc...yet to be done

The good thing is that the engine is beautifully quiet and somehwat more responsive

Same happened on my V-Strom bike last week but on the connection between the throttle bodies. I hadn't ridden the bike since July. What a pain to get to it! Remove fairings, remove tank (those are the easy bits), remove airfilter housing (that's the pig with its hoses, air ducts, and sensor connectors).