OT Petrol pipe to petrol tank

[dave]

SWMBO's Amica car was smelling of petrol and I tracked it down to a split in the petrol pipe that goes from the filler to the tank itself. It's a corrugated pipe some 40 mm diam and fixed to the tank with a jubilee clip. The dealer can't get a new pipe for at least two weeks (!) . I've tried ebay and several sites and scrapyards but no go. Is there any way I can make up such a pipe? It's less than a metre long but I'm not sure what kind of tube is safe to use - neoprene perhaps? Or where to get such a thing. Thanks for any help.

[Tim+]

Given the potential safety and insurance implications I wouldn't risk bodging this with any sort of home made tube. I would just run the car with less than half a tank of fuel until the new part arrives.

Tim

[dave]

Yes, have been doing that but put the car into garage to replace the pipe and they cut it off! Nice one. Then they told me about the 2 weeks to get the part. + now they tell me *they* are trying to "sort something out" aka their bodge rather than mine. Of course the car is still on their forecourt after 1 week, no pipe ordered and no car. Amazing how something simple can escalate like this.

[fred]

There are specialist suppliers of fuel feed pipe. We had occasion to use one some time back. I'd do a Google search on it.

Incidentally 40mm diameter (1 5/8")sound very large. Are you sure you got that right

[Jethro_uk]

Have they supplied a courtesy car ?

A few years ago, we had a Zafira. A few weeks from new, it started leaking steering fluid. Apparently it needed a new rack. Took 3 weeks to get fixed. But we didn't care, since we had their courtesy car :)

I have heard of some parts taking 5-6 weeks to be supplied. Because no one anywhere keeps any stock anymore, if you're unlucky enough to fall into the continental August, all the factories are shut.

[dave]

Yes - 42 mm OD. It's the pipe *to* the tank, not the fuel delivery pipe to the engine. That's why I thought to fabricate something of the correct material - if I knew what it was.

[Dave Liquorice]

Neither would I but I'd wrap some self amalgamating tape around it as temporary fix. That might not be very easy in situ, it would be a lot easier if the pipe could be removed, taped and replaced.

Bit moot now that the garage has effectively imobilsed the car. I trust you have a courtesy car from them or are they paying taxi fares?

For the filler I'd say that is about right, enough space to let the fuel in and the air out without risk of blowback.

[newshound]

+1, also silicone hose in various diameters for "home brew" car cooling systems. Google or eBay. I assume it's 40 mm diameter because it goes from the filler to the tank, rather than being a petrol "supply" pipe.

[Nightjar]

The problem I found when searching for something to suit was that it seems a bit small for a filler hose e.g.:

[newshound]

Since it's not continually soaked in petrol, it's not all that critical. For "soaking" applications, nitrile is probably the usual (cheapest) or fluorocarbon (viton) will be fine. I think silicones should be OK too.

Nylon is also showing on this list, ISTR that fibre reinforced nylon was the standard replacement in my motorcycling days.

[Brian Gaff]

Can you not make a temp repair, perhaps i with some kind of body repair material, or is the split simply too long.

Brian

[DerbyBorn]

"Brian Gaff" wrote in news:mc7npq$76r$1@dont- email.me:

Most cars seem to need the tank to be airtight. Mine certainly hisses out air when I remove the cap and my daughter's will show the engine management light if she hasn't fitted the cap correctly.

[dave]

Thanks - yes 40mm is a bit small - will ask them if they have anything. I must practice googling!

[dave]

Yes there is a low pressure in there - I found this:- "Onboard refueling vapor recovery (ORVR) is a vehicle emission control system that captures fuel vapors from the vehicle gas tank during refueling. The gas tank and fill pipe are designed so that when refueling the vehicle, fuel vapors in the gas tank travel to an activated carbon packed canister, which adsorbs the vapor. When the engine is in operation, it draws the gasoline vapors into the engine intake manifold to be used as fuel. "

[Tim+]

This seller seems to do a lot of land rover filler hoses. Might be worth dropping him a line to ask about the internal diameter. You may find one that will fit if shortened.

Tim

[dave]

It's a sod to get at - and it's right on the junction to the tank. Garage bloke said he can't stretch the pipe to fit as it's too brittle. I think he's probably right.

Here's the problem hose

Thanks all for the suggestions.

[DerbyBorn]

dave wrote in news:f5reeadhu6gsfaqvma9hcc1ojpst51hj8v@

4ax.com:

Tank seam looks dodgy. My wife's Kalos has a leak from this seam.

[Adrian]

Yep, looking at that pic, I don't think it's the filler neck that was leaking...

[newshound]

+1, the red rust on the seam and around the clip suggests the seam weld might have been jacked open by corrosion.

[dave]

I thought that too - but the garage have taken the pipe off and said it (the pipe) was the problem. Is possible it's running along the seam I suppose.