Go Back   The Ford Barn > General Discussion > Model A (1928-31)

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 12-20-2020, 01:07 PM   #1
SteveR.
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Aledo, TX
Posts: 63
Default Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Woke up this morning to a house that smelled like gas because I forgot to turn off the fuel valve on the "A". Decided to try to fix it right, it has been an ongoing issue for months, and didn't go away with a newly overhauled carb. The fuel line had essentially been shrunk over the years from repeated tightening of the nut on the ferrule. The ferrule fit very loosely on the fuel line. I took an old flared punch of my Granddad's, probably 60 years old, inserted the punch in the end of the fuel line and gave it several good taps from a small hammer. This flared the end of the fuel line slightly so that the ferrule has something to press on, and now the ferrule sticks at the end of the line. Tightened the nut/ferrule up and turned the gas on and the leak is fixed, not even a hint of a leak with the head pressure of a full tank. No sealants or tape or anything else on the fitting were needed. I suspect this is a much better fix than a lot of the band-aid fixes out there such as tape and sealant, most people don't realize the aluminum line has been shrunk over time.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg carb.jpg (11.7 KB, 198 views)
SteveR. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2020, 02:16 PM   #2
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

How is it you have aluminum fuel lines? No wonder you had a problem. Aluminum is too soft for a brass feral.
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
Old 12-20-2020, 04:18 PM   #3
nkaminar
Senior Member
 
nkaminar's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Western North Carolina
Posts: 3,812
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Should be steel line. The original gas line is rolled with a seam running the length of the line. This can develop a leak along the seam. This happened to me in 1960 when I drove to Sequoia National Park in my 1930 coupe. I got a gas station to replace the line with a solid steel one. Copper can fatigue and break or develop a leak because of compression of the line when fastening, like what happened to Steve R.
__________________
A is for apple, green as the sky.
Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die.
Forget the brakes, they really don't work.
The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk.
My car grows red hair, and flies through the air.
Driving's a blast, a blast from the past.
nkaminar is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-20-2020, 07:11 PM   #4
Chuck Sea/Tac
Senior Member
 
Chuck Sea/Tac's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Between Seattle & Tacoma
Posts: 2,351
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

You can go to the parts store and buy a steel brake line, and bend it yourself. You would need an imp, and the correct carb fitting.
Chuck Sea/Tac is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-21-2020, 10:50 PM   #5
SteveR.
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Aledo, TX
Posts: 63
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

My mistake, I put a magnet on it and the line is steel, not aluminum.
SteveR. is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-22-2020, 12:20 PM   #6
Purdy Swoft
Senior Member
 
Purdy Swoft's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alabama
Posts: 8,099
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)
i also use steel brake lines to make the gas lines that I use for my dual updraft setups . Copper is easier to bend into shape but steel tubing is more durable .
Purdy Swoft is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2020, 04:12 PM   #7
Ak Sourdough
Senior Member
 
Ak Sourdough's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 126
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Really? Not one pat on the back for fixing his leak, everyone has to correct him or bitch about something.



Good job SteveR.
__________________
I still have an excellent rememberer, trouble is my forgetter is so much better that it often overrides the rememberer.
Ak Sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2020, 08:24 PM   #8
fried okra
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Daniel Island,SouthCarolina/Knoxville, Tennessee/Sanibel Island,Florida
Posts: 279
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Just checkin', should not be a problem opening the fuel sediment bowl when the fuel line to the tank is shut off I guess?
fried okra is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-23-2020, 08:51 PM   #9
katy
Senior Member
 
katy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Red Deer, Alberta
Posts: 5,004
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Shouldn't be a problem unless it hasn't been apart since Christ was a cowboy, then it might be a struggle to get it apart.
__________________
If you don't hear a rumor by 10 AM, start one!.
Got my education out behind the barn!
katy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2020, 11:23 AM   #10
Russ/40
Senior Member
 
Russ/40's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Santee, California
Posts: 3,505
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

OK, congratulations, the best part of your accomplishment, is you examined the situation and understood why you had the problem. That's how experience makes us better wrenches. Thanks for sharing, as others have learned from your effort.
Russ/40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2020, 12:33 PM   #11
Big hammer
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 3,114
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ak Sourdough View Post
Really? Not one pat on the back for fixing his leak, everyone has to correct him or bitch about something.



Good job SteveR.
We really need a like button!!!
__________________
Don't force it with a little hammer tap, tap, tap
get a bigger hammer tap done
Big hammer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2020, 02:08 PM   #12
Ak Sourdough
Senior Member
 
Ak Sourdough's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 126
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

I agree, a like button would be a big benefit.
__________________
I still have an excellent rememberer, trouble is my forgetter is so much better that it often overrides the rememberer.
Ak Sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-25-2020, 03:17 PM   #13
California Travieso
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Moreno Valley, CA
Posts: 940
Send a message via Yahoo to California Travieso
Default Re: Easy fix for carburetor fuel line leak

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ak Sourdough View Post
I agree, a like button would be a big benefit.
X3

David
California Travieso is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:49 AM.