Fuel line connection repair
#1
Fuel line connection repair
Getting under my 95 SC2 for the first time in ages in an attempt to get it back on the road and into the hands of someone who will care for it, a fresh perspective led me to discover the following as the "likely" origin of the fuel leak.
There are three lines headed to the top of the fuel tank. Two seem to be slightly larger than the third. They seem to be the stiff nylon type as they lead to the fuel pump. All free have the male end piece of a connector with two plastic tangs on it inserted in the end of the lines as they come forward by the left rear tire.
Two of these lines have female retainer clips attached to much thicker flexible rubbery fuel line that runs towards the front of the vehicle. I assume these are the fuel supply and fuel return lines as this vehicle has a fuel system return setup.
The third line running to the front of the car has no connector on it and is the same hard plastic as the line running to the fuel pump. It is smaller in diameter. What on this third line be for? Vacuum for EVAP test? Pretty sure s cars had evap systems back in 93 and this is a 95.
Might it be the line leading to the purge valve purge valve up front? The gas leak is a fine spray but I have no idea which connector it's coming from yet because I coveniently ran the car out of gas end attempts to prime and start failed. Of course I had no gas with me and looked like I had just walked out of a coal mine. In the picture that hose piece still smell like gas and is swelled. I cut the ends off to take to the store to figure out thefreaking size I need.
If it is leading to the purge valve, it's going there as a liquid which means the vapor liquid separator if there is one it's not doing its job. My latest crazy theory is that if that is The Purge line, is that the purge valve is stuck open, and it's pulling liquid forward it instead of gas, the canister is full of gas, and that is part of why titles like crap because the vacuum is so high at idle. Once I get off idle, the vacuum drops and the gas in the canister isn't getting pulled into the intake, the air fuel mix is correct, and all is well. This car does not code for anything except EGR faults. The joys of OBD1.
I've seen dorman line couplers and wonder if one would work for this type of application if I removed the male ****** end one side.
I'm not sure if my theory would be proved if I just left the connection open while the car was running. If nothing else it should suck all the gas out of the canister and then suddenly start running properly at idle if the vacuum is actually that strong. Yes I can buy a new canister but I don't want to fill it with gas right away if there is a problem with the separator. But I do believe my wack-*** theory might just account for why it has been idling like crap for the last 15 years.
I can only come up with these black *** theories based on what I have learned while on this forum because now they can be 75% possible as opposed to the 10% possible scenarios I used to come up with.
All contributions welcome.
Rubber line patch still attached. There is a second line similar to the one on the left that is behind these two and just can't be seen
Section of hose removed. The bottom white piece is actually inserted into the line running to the fuel tank. As in the picture is upside down. Down is to the fuel tank up is to the front of the car.
Picture of the actual line. GM 6264. Haven't looked it up but obviously fuel line and not repairable which is why it has been repaired sort of. Production date 1994. I like to keep my vehicles original. Didn't have calipers with me can tell if this is quarter-inch 5/16 or I don't know. Is fuel line measured by ID? I would think it would be as od is pointless if you are trying to connect the ends of two somethings
There are three lines headed to the top of the fuel tank. Two seem to be slightly larger than the third. They seem to be the stiff nylon type as they lead to the fuel pump. All free have the male end piece of a connector with two plastic tangs on it inserted in the end of the lines as they come forward by the left rear tire.
Two of these lines have female retainer clips attached to much thicker flexible rubbery fuel line that runs towards the front of the vehicle. I assume these are the fuel supply and fuel return lines as this vehicle has a fuel system return setup.
The third line running to the front of the car has no connector on it and is the same hard plastic as the line running to the fuel pump. It is smaller in diameter. What on this third line be for? Vacuum for EVAP test? Pretty sure s cars had evap systems back in 93 and this is a 95.
Might it be the line leading to the purge valve purge valve up front? The gas leak is a fine spray but I have no idea which connector it's coming from yet because I coveniently ran the car out of gas end attempts to prime and start failed. Of course I had no gas with me and looked like I had just walked out of a coal mine. In the picture that hose piece still smell like gas and is swelled. I cut the ends off to take to the store to figure out thefreaking size I need.
If it is leading to the purge valve, it's going there as a liquid which means the vapor liquid separator if there is one it's not doing its job. My latest crazy theory is that if that is The Purge line, is that the purge valve is stuck open, and it's pulling liquid forward it instead of gas, the canister is full of gas, and that is part of why titles like crap because the vacuum is so high at idle. Once I get off idle, the vacuum drops and the gas in the canister isn't getting pulled into the intake, the air fuel mix is correct, and all is well. This car does not code for anything except EGR faults. The joys of OBD1.
I've seen dorman line couplers and wonder if one would work for this type of application if I removed the male ****** end one side.
I'm not sure if my theory would be proved if I just left the connection open while the car was running. If nothing else it should suck all the gas out of the canister and then suddenly start running properly at idle if the vacuum is actually that strong. Yes I can buy a new canister but I don't want to fill it with gas right away if there is a problem with the separator. But I do believe my wack-*** theory might just account for why it has been idling like crap for the last 15 years.
I can only come up with these black *** theories based on what I have learned while on this forum because now they can be 75% possible as opposed to the 10% possible scenarios I used to come up with.
All contributions welcome.
Rubber line patch still attached. There is a second line similar to the one on the left that is behind these two and just can't be seen
Section of hose removed. The bottom white piece is actually inserted into the line running to the fuel tank. As in the picture is upside down. Down is to the fuel tank up is to the front of the car.
Picture of the actual line. GM 6264. Haven't looked it up but obviously fuel line and not repairable which is why it has been repaired sort of. Production date 1994. I like to keep my vehicles original. Didn't have calipers with me can tell if this is quarter-inch 5/16 or I don't know. Is fuel line measured by ID? I would think it would be as od is pointless if you are trying to connect the ends of two somethings
#2
I know the EVAP system is not supposed to affect performance but that is under normal conditions. If the canister is full of gas and the purge valve is open I would think that would affect performance
#3
The lines with retainers would be supply and return. The third line with slip connectors is evap. Is there fuel in the evap line or is vacuum present? I fine spray from one of the other lines might just need an o-ring.
#4
Can't answer right now because there is no gas in the tank. So EVAP won't pull until 1/4 tank and I don't want to put a quarter tank in to find out right now as I have to work on the vehicle on the ground. Specifically Stone and dirt also known as wet dirt into which the tires have slightly sunk from sitting there so long.
I will open both of those lines, fuel and return and a change both o rings proactively. about a month before it started leaking I had accidentally ran out of gas and waited about a month before I could get back down to the car and put more gas in it so I think one of those o-rings dried out. The surge line rubber connector piece did smell of gasoline but of course vapor or liquid would cause that to happen. It's been about 6 months since the vehicle had gas in it so any vacuum would likely have dissipated by now
Thank you
I will open both of those lines, fuel and return and a change both o rings proactively. about a month before it started leaking I had accidentally ran out of gas and waited about a month before I could get back down to the car and put more gas in it so I think one of those o-rings dried out. The surge line rubber connector piece did smell of gasoline but of course vapor or liquid would cause that to happen. It's been about 6 months since the vehicle had gas in it so any vacuum would likely have dissipated by now
Thank you
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