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Re: [T3] 71 squareback spewing gas


On 4 May 2005 at 9:30, josephine fleming wrote:

> Does one have to have a lift to do work on the fuel pump?  We have had 
> the fuel pump replaced twice on this car and every time the car comes 
> back it still throws gasoline around when the engine is running.  It is 
> the worst this time.   There is no leak when the car is off.  I have 
> lifted the car via driving up on the curb and can't see a thing.  From 
> the top I can't see a thing.  Where is this fuel pump hiding and how do 
> you get to it?  Is the fuel pump a common problem?  Is there some trick 
> to installing one that eliminates leaking? 

The fuel pump is mounted to the back side of the front axle beam. You can just 
barely slip under there with the car on the ground, but I much prefer to put 
the front end up on jack stands to work here.

The fuel pump itself is almost never the cause of the leak. There are 2 common 
possibilities:

1) The overflow hose, next to the fuel filler pipe, is cracked and that's 
spilling gas out whenever you turn left with a full gas tank. The original 
hoses are all cracked by now and the replacements are hard to find. You can 
make a repair out of some standard large fuel hose, however. Don't use water 
hose, it will not stand up to gasoline.

2) The fuel hoses that connect the gas tank, the fuel pump, and the car all age 
and will eventually crack. Those up front will last about 10 years because they 
don't get as hot as the ones in the engine compartment. If you replace any 
hoses in front, you should replace all of the front ones, because replacing 
some will disturb others and cause new leaks. Use 5/16" fuel hose.

If your repair shop has replaced your pump twice, I think you need a new shop. 
They are taking you for a ride, at your expense.

-- 
Jim Adney
jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI 53711-3054
USA

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