Car been sat idle? Check your fuel hoses!
Discussion
This high-ethanol fuel we are lumbered with nowadays plays havoc with rubber fuel hose. Back in 2016 I replaced all my original hoses with what was sold as the correct specification for ethanol. Nothing much wrong with the old ones but better safe than sorry...
My car has been sat doing nothing for the best part of (another) two years and when I fired it up over the xmas break I had noticed that some of the hose stubs on the injectors were looking a bit perished; I'll keep an eye on that, I thought.
Went to get the car out today to test an ECU. One of my mods was to put an over-ride switch on the fuel pump relay so I can prime the fuel rail prior to cranking the engine. Ignition on, pressed the switch and waited for the tell-tale sound of petrol returning to the tanks.
Sudden stink of petrol. Open the bonnet and the link pipe between the two halves of the fuel rail at the back of the plenum was spraying like a teenage girl in a perfume shop. It was fine three months ago! OK, so it wasn't THAT fine...
So yet again I'll be pulling the injectors out and finding some 'correct specification' pipe, only this time it won't be from hoses'r'us on Ebay...
My car has been sat doing nothing for the best part of (another) two years and when I fired it up over the xmas break I had noticed that some of the hose stubs on the injectors were looking a bit perished; I'll keep an eye on that, I thought.
Went to get the car out today to test an ECU. One of my mods was to put an over-ride switch on the fuel pump relay so I can prime the fuel rail prior to cranking the engine. Ignition on, pressed the switch and waited for the tell-tale sound of petrol returning to the tanks.
Sudden stink of petrol. Open the bonnet and the link pipe between the two halves of the fuel rail at the back of the plenum was spraying like a teenage girl in a perfume shop. It was fine three months ago! OK, so it wasn't THAT fine...
So yet again I'll be pulling the injectors out and finding some 'correct specification' pipe, only this time it won't be from hoses'r'us on Ebay...
Edited by Wedg1e on Sunday 16th March 01:12
My preventative maintenance method of sending you a duff ECU, prevented the car from burning to the ground then 
Guess I should check mine, as it has been off the road for a year and I am nearly prepared for a first drive come April.
This after the plenum and lots of top bits of the engine have been off more times than I care to remember in that time.
I did replace some engine bay hoses with stuff from Halfords as it was on offer at the time, although underneath is a point to check.
Guess I should check mine, as it has been off the road for a year and I am nearly prepared for a first drive come April.
This after the plenum and lots of top bits of the engine have been off more times than I care to remember in that time.
I did replace some engine bay hoses with stuff from Halfords as it was on offer at the time, although underneath is a point to check.
I use super unleaded all the time in my Wedge. I replaced all the hoses too but I couldn't fine E10 suitable hose for the bigger pipes like the balance pipe between the tanks and the swirl pot so I keep a close eye on those. I did replace one hose this year which was the one from the fuel pump to the filter. it has to be bent around a tight radius and cracks were appearing on the outer edge after only a year. Probably stress cracks though rather than ethanol related. I ap planning to replace the longer parts with either metal or plastic pipe at some point as I currently have rubber hose throughout.
sixor8 said:
I may sound like I'm casting aspertions, but are you using E95 (your plain unleaded)?
This is up to 10% ethanol, I'd recommend sticking to super unleaded. Although I'm guilty of buying too for the Griff, not all garages sell the super variety.
Yeah, I'm a cheapskate. Plus the car recorded over 250bhp on a rolling road running on Teco 95RON so I couldn't quite see I'd need to go any faster This is up to 10% ethanol, I'd recommend sticking to super unleaded. Although I'm guilty of buying too for the Griff, not all garages sell the super variety.
If I have to re-hose it every 5 years it'll (a) still be cheaper and (b) not give the idiots in government any more of my money to fritter away.
Anyway, in another 3 years it should be tax/MOT exempt, at which point I expect its value to go through the roof (the way it's been supposed to every year since I bought my first Tasmin in '95, according to the man on the internet)...
BlueWedgy said:
My preventative maintenance method of sending you a duff ECU, prevented the car from burning to the ground then
Guess I should check mine, as it has been off the road for a year and I am nearly prepared for a first drive come April.
This after the plenum and lots of top bits of the engine have been off more times than I care to remember in that time.
I did replace some engine bay hoses with stuff from Halfords as it was on offer at the time, although underneath is a point to check.
Aye, it was a good plan Guess I should check mine, as it has been off the road for a year and I am nearly prepared for a first drive come April.
This after the plenum and lots of top bits of the engine have been off more times than I care to remember in that time.
I did replace some engine bay hoses with stuff from Halfords as it was on offer at the time, although underneath is a point to check.
. Shame your ECU still isn't right, car sounds like a washing machine full of Ann Widdecombe's bedroom implements. According to the 'scope the injector pulses are about twice as wide as they should be, I switched off 5 injectors and it was still running.... sort of. If anyone has a Rolls-Royce Merlin that needs fuelling, Ray has an ECU for you.Wedg1e said:
sixor8 said:
I may sound like I'm casting aspertions, but are you using E95 (your plain unleaded)?
This is up to 10% ethanol, I'd recommend sticking to super unleaded. Although I'm guilty of buying too for the Griff, not all garages sell the super variety.
Yeah, I'm a cheapskate. Plus the car recorded over 250bhp on a rolling road running on Teco 95RON so I couldn't quite see I'd need to go any faster This is up to 10% ethanol, I'd recommend sticking to super unleaded. Although I'm guilty of buying too for the Griff, not all garages sell the super variety.
If I have to re-hose it every 5 years it'll (a) still be cheaper and (b) not give the idiots in government any more of my money to fritter away.
Anyway, in another 3 years it should be tax/MOT exempt, at which point I expect its value to go through the roof (the way it's been supposed to every year since I bought my first Tasmin in '95, according to the man on the internet)...
Used these last year on my current Chim.
Still look new. Not used E10 mind. Mainly esso super.
https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/rubber-fuel-h...
Still look new. Not used E10 mind. Mainly esso super.
https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/p/rubber-fuel-h...
keynsham said:
.... I am pretty sure though from my own experience that E10 will destroy non-E10 compatible rubber hose in a matter of months and not years. Old R6 hose ethanol permitivity is 600 g/m²/day compared to R9 hose which is 15 g/m²/day. So non E10 fuel hose absorbs ethanol 40 times more readily (Figures I Googled!)
I replaced mine last year with some R9 spec stuff from a large national retailer, a continental car spares place no less. Branded as a semiprecious object that's formed in oyster shells. It's already cracking on the exterior on my fuel return line and I would expect elsewhere. I've just bought some Codan branded stuff from Daemon Tweaks in the hope that they stock better stuff. I hate redoing work!mrzigazaga said:
Surely older cars should not be using E10?...i use E5 in the V6 with a lead substitute every 4-5th fill..E5 should be fine with the V8...albeit £1.65 per litre in the London...
You need XR4i cylinder heads; by that point Ford were fitting hardened valve seats that could cope with UL.When I realised the V6 in my Tas had broken rings on several bores (too many thrash-merchants before me, obviously) it was cheaper (then) to buy a complete engine that have it rebored, new pistons etc.
The first engine that arrived from the pie and key people was actually a 2.3L, I had to deliver it back to them or I'd have never seen a refund.
Another place turned up an ex-XR4i unit (I think it was £60, I bet they're a bit more than that now!) and it ran absolutely fine on supermarket fuel with no additives.
As I recall the heads were marked with a D or E code if the valve seats were UL-ready... or it was stamped on the block, something like that. I'm old nowadays and the grey matter isn't what it was...
indigochim said:
I replaced mine last year with some R9 spec stuff from a large national retailer, a continental car spares place no less. Branded as a semiprecious object that's formed in oyster shells. It's already cracking on the exterior on my fuel return line and I would expect elsewhere. I've just bought some Codan branded stuff from Daemon Tweaks in the hope that they stock better stuff. I hate redoing work!
Aye, that's what's going on with mine. The outside of the hose has more cracks than a government fiscal strategy.I touched on this here:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As the outside is cracking, has anyone sliced a hose open to see if there are any degraded bits shedding into the fuel system?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
As the outside is cracking, has anyone sliced a hose open to see if there are any degraded bits shedding into the fuel system?
New and aftermarket rubber parts are apparently made with less natural rubber and more man made rubbish which seems to have a massive impact on the life. I have VW camper van and rubber parts I have replaced with aftermarket replacements after 35 years of life, usually only last a few years before cracking is evident. Also I remember reading that some R9 hose is just R6 that has been remarked by dodgy retailers to sell it on. I don't know how true that is but if you buy from a recognised retailer such as Cohline then you should be fine. Pipe suitable for marine applications is usually a better grade too.
Back in the day from memory Nitral was fuel compliant, but was not so Ozone friendly.
I remember chasing Vauxhall Cavaliers up and down the assembly line, changing the side repeater lamp to wing gasket out for a EPDM version. Same with Ford New Holland Tractors rear lamps in the carpark.
In short perhaps EPDM (synthetic rubber), may be modern fuel compliant? certainly was for fully leaded and lead-free varieties. Temperature may be an issue for the engine bay?
Just a thought....
I remember chasing Vauxhall Cavaliers up and down the assembly line, changing the side repeater lamp to wing gasket out for a EPDM version. Same with Ford New Holland Tractors rear lamps in the carpark.
In short perhaps EPDM (synthetic rubber), may be modern fuel compliant? certainly was for fully leaded and lead-free varieties. Temperature may be an issue for the engine bay?
Just a thought....
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