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Subject:Advice on Leak in Fuel Return Line
From:Steve Williams
Date:Sun, 18 Nov 2018 20:16:16 -0800

I'd welcome some advice on a new leak.

My '84 Westy was parked for two months.  I started it today to prepare
for a Thanksgiving trip.  I opened the engine compartment to check for
mice and to watch for leaks and so on.

https://sbw.org/sbwsty/

Within a few minutes of starting the engine, I noted fuel leaking from
the return line just forward of where it passes through the grommet at
the front of the engine compartment.  On closer inspection, I could see
the fuel was leaking where the flexible line from the pressure regulator
joins the hard plastic line that runs forward to the tank.  The flexible
line slides over the plastic line and is secured with a hose clamp.

Is that the usual setup, with the hard line running forward to the tank
from there?  The hard plastic line looks kinda old, which is frustrating
because I had the fuel tank replaced just before my last trip in
September.  I wish I had thought to tell the shop to replace the ENTIRE
return line.  (The fuel supply line, filter, pump, and pressure
regulator were replaced.)

I loosened the hose clamp and pulled the lines apart.  The plastic line
looks a bit squished near the end.  I slid the lines back together and
tried to position the hose clamp over a non-squished part of the plastic
line and tightened it down good.

I ran the engine a bit more, and it looks like the leak has stopped.
I'll check it again before I leave on my trip.

I know older rubber lines sometimes will leak when they've dried out,
then stop leaking when they get saturated with fuel.  This line doesn't
look very old.  The surface isn't checked or cracked.  Easy enough to
replace it.  I doubt the shop replaced the lines when they put the new
regulator in.

What's your advice?  OK to travel, if it's not leaking when I check it
again?  Should I replace the line when it's convenient?  Any other
action I should take?

Thanks!

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