T3: The fastback makes the long journey to the house

[Jake Kooser <jake_k@ibm.net>]

   Hey gang, I went down to Homestead and picked up my fastback today.
I didn't recieve the gas tank kit from Eastwood yet, but I stopped at
the body shop and picked up the gas tank from the squareback on the way
down there.  Clever me, thinking "I've got a clean gas tank, I'll just
use it until the kit arrives".  Tank, tools, and 5-gallon can of gas in
trunk, Vince (other roommate) and I head off to retrieve the prize.
Stopped on the way to get some fuel line, just in case.  Put the tank in
with the fuel line we just got, dumped the gas in - no problem.  Had to
jump start the car - battery seemed okay, red & green lights on, fuel
pump on, relays clicking like they should, but starter wouldn't work.
It fired right up with jumpers on, and we let it warm up for about 10
minutes before we headed out.  The DPO said "it's got a rusty tank, I've
got to change the fuel filter about every 30 miles or so".  That's a
direct quote, and very important to the rest of this story.  We made it
about 10 miles up the road (vince's speedo said 12) and I'm heading up
this small hill when the car just starts running like crap.  I barely
make it over the hill and pull over to the side to see what's up.
Checked everything I could think of on the injection - cleaned the
throttle valve switch, checked the manifold pressure sensor, checked and
distributor and fuel injector points, did crude timing and points
adjustments, checked air cleaner, scratched head, thought, looked, wiped
grease off of, all to no avail.  Never questioned fuel supply, just
delivery, when Vince recommends pulling a fuel line off and checking
pressure.  Pulled the hose off #4 injector in the loop, and gas just
kind of dribbled out, like glug,,,,glug,,,,glug.  I put all the hoses
back in order, thinking that the fuel pressure was somehow wayyyy low.
When I started trying to adjust the fuel pressure regulator, I noticed
that there was only one hose, the one from the injector loop on it.  I
found the outlet (back to the tank, for you non-FI types) buried behind
the front (FIF) engine tin, split wide open, but fortunately with a hose
clamp still on it.  Vince split for gas, I fixed the hoses, and we sped
off for home after putting our second 5 gallons in the tank.  I made it
about another 14 miles or so, when I smelled gas again.  I didn't think
that the hose had split again, but drove the last few blocks to the
house very aware of the new smell.  When I got there, I found that one
of the hoses in the return circuit below the tank had split open along
the way.  I started replacing the hoses tonight, and will finish in the
morning.
   What really amazes me out of this, is I didn't smell any gas during
the first 10 miles, when it should have been just pouring out of that
open line.  Any thoughts?  Here's another good one, how many fuel
filters did the PO replace, thinking it was a filter problem?
Hmmmm......

Jake Kooser