Re: The fastback makes the long journey to the house

[stans4@ibm.net (Stan Schaefer)]

Are you sure the hose was FI rated?  Most of the regular "Bug" type
fuel line is only good for 10 psi or so.  It's amazing how much force
is on that return line, I was running my SB when I first got it from a
1 gal can, no tank in the front yet, just sticking old hoses into the
can neck.  The return line broke at the bend in the neck and I had a 4
foot-high gas geyser.  After that, I bought all new FI hose from end
to end.  I also keep a 10 foot length in the trunk now with spare
clamps.

On Fri, 03 Apr 1998 00:10:16 -0500, you wrote:

>   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
>