bad fuel pump

Today I noticed that my garage smelled of gas and after looking around realized the Beetle is leaking. I opened the rear decklid and I found some gas on the breatplate and then noticed the fuel pump flange was shiny wet. I then started the engine so that I could see it running and noticed the fuel was dripping down from the fuel pump itself. What would cause a year and a half old pump to fail? I am assuming that the pump has to go, is there other parts I should replace? Could other damage have resulted like oil in the fuel?

Reply to
Ben Boyle
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do you mena fuel in the oil? If so, then yes it is a distinct possibility. Smell the dipstick (make sure no-one is watching...lol) If it smells gassy, or is above its normal level...change immediately.

...Gareth

Reply to
Gary Tateosian

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Braukuche

Reply to
Ben Boyle

You started the engine to check for a fuel leak ????????

Reply to
Juper Wort

Yeah - and if you have trouble seeing where it's leaking, light a match, hahahahaha!

Reply to
Oldbie

Ben, I had a similar situation on mine just recently. Turned out the outlet fuel hose was cracked and leaking. I changed all the fuel line on the car at once!......................You might spend a couple of minutes on the possibilty anyway.

Hope this saves you time or money,..........hell even both would be cool huh.

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Reply to
Ben Boyle

Sometimes its the brass pipes that lead into and out of the pump. I don't know the best fix for them. You might try pulling on them with plyers. Grab the rubber hose over the pipe so that your plyers don't score the brass, and don't crush it.

One fix, would be to pull out the pipes, and use an epoxy to glue them back in. I just did this to a vacume line on my Chevy Truck.

Also while you are doing fuel line stuff, install Bob Hoovers excellent fuel line bulkhead connector modification. This will prevent about 90% of all bug fires. I looked on the web, where Bob's sermons last existed, and they were gone. }:=8( see the smiley cow is not smiling...

I made this mod to my 70 bug, and have greater peace of mind. The steel fuel line passing through the hole in the firewall should have a rubber gromet keeping the fuel line from being sawn open by the sheet metal, but that grommet deteriates, and the steel line rubbing on the sharp edge opens up, and dumps fuel on the number three exaust pipe, and causes fires that cannot be put out.

What you do, is go to the hardware store, and buy a threaded barrel, which is that part of a household table lamp that holds the electrical fixture, it is a 5/8 inch barrel with threads on the outside. Get two nuts, lock washers, and two fender washers that fit. Find some steel tube that fits the fuel line, long enough that it sticks out about one inch on both sides of the barrel. Glue the tube inside the barrel with fuel proof RTV, make sure the RTV does not get inside the thin pipe. Use the nuts, washers and fenders to mount the barrel in the fuel line hole in the firewall of the engine compartment. Be sure to use lots of the RTV on the threads of the barrel, as Bob says that the screws will loosen if you omit the RTV here.

Make sure you install new fuel line, and get new hose clamps, as they only cost about 35 cents. I keep a few spars in my tool kit.

Reply to
Michael Kelly

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