Re: [T3] gas mileage fix

["Jim Showker" <jshowker@comcast.net>]

>This IS the overflow hose, isn't it; I can't imagine
> what else you could be clamping under there.

Nah, not the overflow tube, the big tube/hose that hooks to the gas tank
from the filler .  Probly 2" in diameter.  It looks like the original high
quality VW clamp.  The neoprene rubber, or whatever it is is just smaller,
either from being 36 years old, or from being clamped for 36 years.  The
duct tape is only acting as a spacer, to enlarge the tube/hose so that the
clamp can clamp.  should last as long as the hose.

Jim Showker


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Adney" <jadney@vwtype3.org>
To: <type3@vwtype3.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 7:26 PM
Subject: Re: [T3] gas mileage fix


> On 20 Sep 2005 at 18:07, Jim Showker wrote:
>
> > Early in the summer we got my son's '69 with EFI working well.  Got
great
> > gas mileage on the fwy.  However mileage around town was only 17-18 mpg.
We
> > puzzled about this for a long time, til one day I was riding with him
and he
> > was taking a left hand corner pretty hard, and afterwards I smelled gas.
We
> > traced it down and gas was leaking out the rubber to metal boot
underneath
> > the fender.
>
> To this point, I was thinking that your story was pretty typical. It's
common
> to find that hose broken and leaking.
>
> > The rubber tube that comes out of the trunk is attached to the fill tube
> > with a clamp.  The clamp was as tite as it would go and was not actually
> > clamping the tubing.  Probly cause the dimensions of the rubber had
shrunk
> > over 36 years.  I wrapped duct tape around the rubber tube where the
clamp
> > went, to make it bigger.  Several wraps around and the clamp then
functioned
> > properly.
>
> I'd recommend that you take a moment sometime and just get the correct
size
> clamp. I don't know how long the duct tape will hold up, althought Red
Green
> would be proud of you. This IS the overflow hose, isn't it; I can't
imagine
> what else you could be clamping under there.
>
> > No more gas leak on left turns, now, 23-24 mpg in town.
>
> ;-)
>
> > This is especially interesting, cause the guy that sold us the car had
> > basically given up, after all kinds of weird fixes (like adding pots in
> > place of temp sensors), because he could not figure out why the mileage
was
> > bad.  He figured the efi was messed up and running rich.
>
> Isn't it amazing how we ALL tend to jump to the worst possible
conclusions.
>
> > So if your gas mileage seems unexplainably bad, check it out.
>
> Yes, strong gas smells are always a problem.
>
> -- 

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