And speaking of gas leak stories.....

Years ago, when I was younger and foolish(er), I had a 63' bug.
(amongst others) After a night of, er, foolishness, I got in and drove
home around 3 AM. Coming up the home stretch hill to home, the Bahama
Blue just cut out. So I popped er' in first, cranked it to the side of
the road with starter, and discovered a completely severed hose to
carb. Well, without thinking of where the gas had spewed, (likely on
the hot exhaust...... it was cold out though) I got out the old knife,
cut off what I could of the braided line, popped it back on and drove
home.

You'd think that memory of overall stupidity was enough to make me
check and/or change my FI lines when I bought my 81 Westy, but........

After reading stories like John's and seeing pics of burning or burned
out Vanagons, I got on it right away. (though I think it was after a
maiden journey 10 day trip down left coast....)

If just for that one thing, I am thankful for this list.

Neil.

On 4/7/07, John Rodgers <inua@charter.net> wrote:
> Doug,
> I believe a Newbie gets on the list and talks about their new
> acquisition, I tell'em to change those fuel lines.
>
> I wwent rolling down the highway just after filling up the gas tank one
> day on my 88 GL and had only gone a couple of hundred yards down the
> highway when I noticed the fuel gage needle plummeting towards bottom
> like a stone in the river. At first I couldn't figure what was goning
> on, then for some reason glanced in the rear view mirror, and saw this
> three foot wide swath following me down the highway. Even then it
> registered a a major water leak for a few seconds until I realized the
> coolant level light was not blinking, the it finally registered - wide
> wet swath folling the van down the highway, no blinking coolant light,
> falling fuel gage needle -- BOING!!!! The light bulb went off in my
> brain -- Fuel leak big time.  Shut the engine off immediately, coasted a
> bit until I could get off the highway. I let it sit until the engine was
> dry and all fumes had disipated. Had my traveling buddy turn the key to
> pressurize the system and got an instant stream spewing out of a split
> hose. . Fortuanately I had stopped in front of a little country place
> that was part gas station and part hardware store. Bought a few things
> to patch her up ad away we went. No more problems. but I changed out the
> hoses in the next couple of days.
>
> I support fuel line inspections as a routine part of maintenance.
>
> Regards,
>
> John Rodgers
> 88 GL Driver
> > Folks,
> >
> > Just finished another set of F.I. hoses, this time the '81 got 'em.
> > When did YOU check your fuel lines last???
> > Don't make Ben put those pictures of "Burned Buses" back up on his
> > website, do them today!
> > (you wouldn't believe the old, cracked hoses I removed!)
> > And just finished in time for dinner!
> >
> > Doug in CT
> >
> >
>

--
Neil Nicholson. 1981 Air Cooled Westfalia.

http://web.mac.com/tubaneil