Sealing up the carb fuel feed manifold

E-Type
1

Getting the carb fuel feed manifold to seal up is always an adventure,done it many times…this time it was unusually difficult to get everything just so and dry…finally ended up using a combination of the fiber washers and O rings …somethies on both sides of the banjo…there must be a better way,I have some new aluminum washers coming as O rings in this application are not my favorite solution…anyone got suggestions? …

2

I just use the fiber washers that come with the carb kits. Sometimes when checking float levels, I won’t have new washers at hand and just reuse the old fiber washers. It’s just not a problem. There has to be something else about your setup that’s not right.

3

It’s probably got bent and needs to be re-aligned. First thing I’d check is that the front and centre banjos are in the same plane and that the rear one is 90 deg away. It might need to be removed completely and maybe straightened in a vice then offered up and checked a couple of times. I did one that way just now.
I’ve never had a problem with the stock red fibre gaskets.

4

I have found that setting it all up a bit loose and tightning a bit at a time seems to help…funny thing is that this was not taken off entirely… just in sequence as i removed the lids…

5

Hi Pete,

Here is how I solved the problem on my XK150S (triple SUs): SU fiber washers and banjo bolt tightening - #9 by clivejer.

Believe me, doing this on an E-Type will be child’s play comparatively; the XK inlet end is also on a banjo so you need to line up 4 connections, and the whole lot is stuffed into a space a mouse would find claustrophobic.

Good luck,
Clive.

6

That had some good tips in it…thanks

7

I always put in the bowl banjos when the bowl tops were just slightly loose: gently snug up the banjos, then tighten bowl bolts.

8

Pete,

  1. Make sure the three fittings line up almost perfectly with the carbs. The sealing faces must be parallel to the faces on the carbs. This means bending the pipes if they are off.
  2. Make sure the sealing faces on the carbs and the banjos are smooth and free of scratches and dents. The two faces on the banjos must also be parallel to each other. This likely means carefully sanding them with 400 grit paper to get them right.
  3. Use fiber washers, and soak them in gasoline for a week before installing them, to soften them up a bit.
  4. Use a thin coat of fuel-proof sealant on the fiber washers. I like the old, translucent blue Hylomar.
9

Great tips thanks …

10

soaking the fiber washers actually worked!!

1 Like
11

I’ve only ever used the fiber. What I learned along the way is that they will always leak slightly when new, but once the fibers are fuel saturated it’s possible to make them tighter without stripping the threads. It softens the washer so it can compress more. I just wrap a paper towel around them knowing they’ll drip at first.