Fuel leak - first start of spring

[darkryd]

Hi everyone - I assume everyone is getting their gns out of storage. I know for sure is Canadians are.

I had the gn in heated storage all winter. No puddles under the car before start up. After a minute or two fuel started to drip left rear on top of the muffler. The muffler was hot so I shut it down quickly. I plan to tow it tomorrow. A bit of a tow though, 80kms.

Any ideas on what this could be? I assume the fuel pump since it's never been changed. How would I go about troubleshooting? Do I need to remove the tank ? I tried to get underneath to find the leak. I think I saw the fuel lines across diagonal the bottom of the trunk. Seemed to be fuel on those lines.

Any help or guidance is much appreciated. I did a search in advance but I didn't see anything specific to my problem.

Cheers
Mike

 

[earlbrown]

The fuel pump is inside the tank. the fuel filter (and the connections) are right at the back of the DS door tucked in the frame rail.

And if you still have the stock fuel pump, change that and do ALL the rest of the preventative maintenance before you even think about driving the car.

 

[darkryd]

thanks for the tips. Once I get the car back home today, after the tow, i'll be able to get a better look at it. I'm looking at the Walbro fuel pump with hotwire kit. http://www.gbodyparts.com/product_info.php?cPath=46_21_49&products_id=1213

Any other recommendations for fuel pumps? Other parts that I should think of replacing at the same time?

earlbrown, what other preventative maintenance are you suggesting?

 

[salvageV6]

There are 3 short rubber fuel injection hoses, feed, return, and vent, above the gas tank that go from the gas sender outlet pipes to the hard lines in the car above the rear end on the passenger side of the car.

One is probably leaking, most likely the feed line.

3 different size fuel injection rated hoses.

Sometimes just tightening the clamps will stop a leak but to do that you have to move the tank down so it's best to just replace them and double clamp the feed and return if the factory clamps are shot which they very well could be.

3/8" , 5/16" and 1/4" are the 3 sizes and were preformed into S shape from the factory not sure if anyone has duplicated them yet in a kit....

I just buy a couple of feet of each type or pre-packaged 18" lengths of fuel injection rated hose and try to duplicate what the factory
did.
Don't forget the new clamps for each hose too.

If it isn't leaking there, then nevermind.

 

[darkryd]

Got the GN towed on a flatbed today. I did a bit of research on another turbobuick thread (http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/towing-gn-with-a-tow-dolly.307877/#post-2392697) and learned the GN can't be towed with the back wheels on the ground. I made sure to specify a flatbed! Good thing I did because the dispatch didn't know any better.


Not enough time to get under the car today. Will have to be next weekend's project. Not sure if i have the same issue as parkey34 (http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/threads/fuel-leak-issue.410734/#post-3394001) or whether i have a bad clamp(s), old hose, old fuel pump, tank hole... all of the above. Strangely enough, after getting the car towed and back in the driveway I started it up and the fuel leak seems to have stopped. I took it around the block as well, still no fuel leak. Odd. Regardless, since it was leaking so much on Friday I'm still going to be looking for a leak and upgrading a few parts (pump, hoses etc.)

salvageV6, thanks for the very specific info on the fuel line hoses and clamps. That was gold! I was in Crappy Tire (Canadian Tire for you Americanos) when I got your reply and was able to pick them up right then and there. Thank You!


Mike

 

[salvageV6]

Make sure that hose is rated for fuel injection pressure at least 100 psi., on the feed line anyway.

There's fuel line hose for low psi. mechanical pump cars, and higher pressure rated hose for electric fuel injection pump driven lines.

 

[darkryd]

Hey salvageV6, thanks again for your advice. You're right, those hoses are not fuel injection rated. I've only been able to find 5/16ths that is fuel injection pressure rated. Is that the feed line? Talking to the parts store, they said the return lines don't need to be fuel injection rated. Seems aligned with what you're saying.

Should I empty the tank (siphon) before I do all this work?

 

[GNRick]

Highway Stars sells the correct hoses, pre-cut and at a fair price if you were to buy them at the parts store. I bought mine from them.

 

[John Larkin]

You can get the right hoses at Napa. Ask for multi-fuel fuel injection hoses. It is more expensive but not much. Get 1.5 feet of each size (3/8, 5/16 and 1/4 and you'll have more than enough to do above the axle and above the tank.