Series 3 Fuel plumbing

Still making progress with my '79 SWB 2.1/4 petrol rebuild. But a few problems remain before I start refitting the bodywork.

Biggest issue at the moment is petrol p155ing everywhere!

A PO has fitted a fuel filter from a V8/I6 on the bulkhead. Not a bad idea in theory, but the bu99er is leaking! I've just bought a new filter kit to get a new sealing ring, and it's still leaking. So I'm thinking about bypassing it, and maybe use the cheapo clear plastic one that came with the new carb.

My question is where does the fuel pipe usually get routed from the fuel pump to the carb? Does it run through the aperture above the water pump, alongside the loom for the alternator? It looks like I need part 587686 for this.

The current plumbing takes the pipe up and back to the filter on the bulkhead, above the throttle linkage, and then back along the other side of the engine to a right angle joint to the short length of rubber hose into the carb. I don't want to hack about the current pipes as I'd like to resolve the problem and put it back how it is at a later date, but it's just bugged me too much at the moment.

Thanks.

Mine runs around the front of the engine

Marmaduke said:

Mine runs around the front of the engine

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I was just looking under your bonnet on the break light thread!
Does it run over the top of the rocker cover, or right around the front through 'the hole' - I assume the latter?
Looks like the pipe is supposed to have 2 clips on it. Any suggestions on where they fit would be useful.

Your better off without your fuel pipe over the engine as the heat makes the fuel evaporate causing vapor lock.

Blackburn said:

Your better off without your fuel pipe over the engine as the heat makes the fuel evaporate causing vapor lock.

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Yeah, a very good point. Although if it's routed through the hole above the water pump, it's surrounded by a hot block and water plumbing. There's nowhere else it can run without risking getting damaged by the fan or heated by the radiator, is there? Could go under the engine...

This is making me think I just need to get to the bottom of why the filter is leaking, and leave it routed around the back of the engine. It shouldn't be this difficult to make a petrol-tight seal against a rubber gasket, should it?! I wonder if the rim of the filter holder is corroded, although the amount of fuel coming out, it's not a small hole.

IT goes as you say from the lift pump to the front of engine, then crossing above the thermostat housing [ mine had a P clamp to one of the bolts.]
Dump the big filter, it is not needed. The in line filter is fine.
Vapor lock only happens at the carb where the fuel, well vaporises.

I would fix the filter, its a good mod. Perhaps its the wrong gasket material?

I would hope it was the correct gasket material, as it was provided as part of a JS660L filter and seal replacement kit.

The new hose arrived, so that's now running around the front of the engine, over the top of the thermostat, but under the elbow to the water header rail. Does this look about right? I can't quite see which bolt the P-clip is supposed to fit under, though. The big one on the thermostat housing? The position of it as supplied would put it on the fan cowling, which might not be so bad and I could add a fixing there, but I'm sure that's not where it's supposed to be.



I removed the V8 filter today, and it looks like I somehow got a small cut in the gasket, which must be where it was leaking from. I've not seen the gaskets sold on their own (nor a part number from the parts catalog), so looks like I'll need to buy another filter and kit to get one.

One thing I've noticed is that the rubber gaskets I've removed all seem to be too big. Googling suggests that rubber absorbs oil/petrol, so they get bigger once they've been exposed to such fluids. Is this reversible, such that they will shrink again if left to dry (or some other solvent), or once they've gown, is the only solution to replace them?