Fuel leak

[Kelvin]

Replaced the battery in the S1 today. I started it up to check all was well and after a few seconds there was a strong smell of fuel. Killed the engine and popped the lid and fuel everywhere and running onto the garage floor. Primed the fuel pump to see where it's coming from and it's spraying out of the connection between the fuel filter outlet hose and the fuel line that forms part of the Honda conversion kit. Given that the car has been sat for the best part of two years with only occasional use, is it likely the rubber within the braided hose has perished? Just thinking that I probably ought to replace the 4/5 hoses that make up the Honda fuel line if this is the case.

I also noticed a lot of corrosion on the metal part of feed fuel pipe that runs into the bottom of the fuel filter from the petrol tank. Can this part just be replaced or does it need to be the whole pipe that needs to be replaced?

Edited to add: Just found a thread on SELOC. Seems to be a common problem. I'll take all the fuel lines and connectors off and take them up to Earl's @ Silverstone and get them to make up replacements.

Ta
Kelvin.

[tut]

N1 has stood for five years Kelv, many problems rearing their ugly heads down at Murrays, so will get Craig to check the fuel lines out.

tut

[Kelvin]

Five years! Poor car. If they are the braided hoses tut it's probably best to replace them all even if they aren't leaking. A full set will cost around 120 quid apparently.

Took me bloody ages to swap the battery too as I had to grind the heads off the bottom two bolts of the securing bracket to get the battery out.

[tut]

Yep, but I only had one nut strip off so ignored it.

tut

[vet111s]

Would be interested to hear what you do with the metal pipe from tank to pump. MMC were concerned about replacing my filter last year because of the same problem.

Ali

[campbell]

I aborted trying to change my fuel filter last year as it was all seized on both ends. Believe if you damage the fuel-pump-side of the filter union, a new pump is needed cos the isn't available independently Although I think Rich H said something about making one up

[robin]

The pipe from fuel pump to filter is a separate part and doesn't come with the fuel pump according to the parts diagram anyway; but it does look expensive (150 on deroure). It does look to me like you could cut through the metal pipe, make a new short metal pipe with the right flare/nut on it to fit the fuel filter, then join the two metal pipes together with a suitable length of rubber hose?

Cheers,
Robin

[BiggestNizzy]

Mine broke and the garage got someone in to fix it (I am guessing someone like pirtek)

[Kelvin]

Mine broke and the garage got someone in to fix it (I am guessing someone like pirtek)

What does the fix look like? Did they have something made up to replace the metal pipe or fix in a similar fashion to how Robin describes.

[BiggestNizzy]

I will take a picture, to be honest I never even looked at it

[Kelvin]

I will take a picture, to be honest I never even looked at it

Ta.

[Kelvin]

I took it all to bits today and every one of the pipes had either perished or split near or at where they push fit onto the connectors. They were also falling apart as I tried to tease them free. Definitely worth having them replaced I reckon tut.

By the looks of them I'd say mine have been like this for a long time. Probably the reason I used to get the occasional whiff of petrol as well. Just as well it happened in the garage and not the M1 like the time my braided brake pipe went.

[Kelvin]

Just back from Earls in Silverstone. I've had the new fuel pipes made up using their straightforward rubber hose rather than the braided stuff that was on it. None of the pipes rest against anything so little danger of chafing. They said the quality of the original hose was quite poor and not supplied by them although the hose finishers were their branded jubilee clips in a protective cover. Total cost 23 quid compared to the 130 quid some folk have spent replacing their pipes although maybe they changed all the connectors too.

[Rich H]

As long as you use fuel injection hose (Normal fuel hose can't take the presure) then replace the hard rotten steel with rubber.
Just cut the rotten steel back to a solid bit, preferably near some sort of support, deburr and flare the end a little with a brake flare tool, slip the hose on a decent distance (2") and use proper fuel line hose clips not jubilee clips. Common repair on Porsche fuel delivery lines and they run at 5 bar.

[Sanjøy]

Started looking at my own fuel leak tonight but got shouted at after the alarm went off for the third time as I tried to juice the battery to get it up on the ramps so retired.

Had a good poke about the engine bay and looks dry. Undertray on the passengerside just under the fuel tank is wet.

Will look to get it up on the ramps and remove the access panel for a looky. No obvious impact damage in the undertray so probably corrosion.

About to be massively strapped for time as #2 was due last Monday, reckon it would be covered by P&L?

Tia

S