It’s an 88 and I will definitely let you know where I find the fuel leak.
Thanks Bob - hopefully your findings will help those of us also with fuel smell.
a couple of guys in our Club that race their modded XJS are adamant that every single rubber fuel hose must be replaced, or there will be a fire
1 Like
Yes, especially the ones on the the fuel rail!
And don’t forget the ones directly above the IRS on both sides!
1 Like
When strapped in a race car there are two things I am adamant about. Not ending up on my roof and not becoming a giant Roman candle.
The closest I’ve come to either what when a teammate put a jack under the exhaust on the first Lemon I built, a B13 Nissan Sentra. I kept going around corners wondering why the car in front of me was “running rich.” Finally came into the paddock to find boiled fuel spewing out of the fuel tank vent, sloshing all around the trunk. The exhaust had gotten pushed into the gas tank and heated all the fuel. I learned my lesson about not ignoring fuel smells.
Hey, I will buy the travel computer interface (left side in trunk, little black module DAC4864) to help fund your project…
Have you thought of using a smoke machine to detect the leak(s)? Pete
So my niece is a neuroblastoma survivor. It’s a very rare childhood cancer. Since her diagnosis our family has been very active in a charity called Emily’s Power for a Cure. I’ve done marathons, a couple Ironman events, and used our lemons race team as fundraisers.
My thinking was that if there are parts off this car that people want, cover shipping and make a donation to Emily’s Power for a Cure https://www.emilyspowerforacure.com/www/donate
Maybe tag it Emily’s Power for a Cure Racing when you make the donation just so I can kind of see how we did. Assuming this wouldn’t be against the rules.
2 Likes
Sounds great. Let me know that you have it (please verify part number) and what shipping is and we can figure it out from there. Mounts on the drain trough left side.
Hello Pete - yes thought about using sniffer, but not able to find one locally so hoping to learn from others where they find the different fuel leaks - Tex 2/1/2020 1400hrs EST
Tex Terry II, of your 1988 XJ-S has the original factory fuel hoses they are 32 years old now and well overdue for replacement.
Search the archives for things like “fuel fumes” or “fuel smells” and you find hundreds of posts on the main sources including: old fuel hoses, rusted fuel tanks, weeping fuel pumps and more.
Paul
Hello Paul - I have a 1991 XJS V12 Classic Coupe and yes I have been reading about the fuel rail hoses warranting replacement - plan on doing as soon as I am able to get up and around - thanks for the reminder - but still concerned about the fuel smell also coming from the boot - Tex Terry II, 1991 XJS V12 Classic Coupe, 1986 XJS Coupe - 2/1/2020 1508hrs EST.
My fuel smell ended up being rusted fuel tank so had to replace it.
The points of interest are:
- Fuel hoses and lines in trunk
- Fuel hoses on fuel rail/injectors (12 total - these usually cause famous fires)
- Fuel lines to/from FPRs and fuel rail (4 total)
- Fuel hoses over rear suspension
When needing to buy actual fuel hose, make sure to use high pressure injector hose. The new Gates Barricade is an excellent choice.
Pulled the hood today for easier access. The previous owner had disassembled several things. Since the car had been sitting over a year I pulled the plugs, put a little marvel mystery oil in each cylinder, and bumped the motor over a few times after pulling the fuel relay.
I also got about 5 gallons of fuel out of the tank by the siphoning. And I was pleasantly surprised to pull trim and carpet in the back to find what appears to be a new gas tank, new fuel lines, and a new fuel filter.
Somebody had been trying to fix those fuel smells!
It’s even BRG, isn’t it?
Just a thought, and a wild one at that: If you see a new fuel tank, etc., the odds that fuel leaked into the carpeting/foam back there are rather high, and the fuel smell once implanted is rather difficult to remove. I’m not saying it could be that easy, but it is relatively easy to check.
Quick and dirty way of neutralising fuel smells;
First, soak up the gas with old towels or clean rags as quickly as possible. Then, use a mixture of equal parts baking soda, white vinegar and hot water to neutralize the odor . Rub it in then wipe with a clean rag. If the smell lingers, car detailing experts say a few sprays of Febreze can help get rid of the smell .
changed the oil on the car today. Oil really smelled like gas. Maybe a leaky injector? Maybe previous owner cranked it quite awhile with the wires to the distributor pickup broken and really flooded the motor?
While under the car I noted some of the hard lines that run under the drivers side are pretty rough and rusty. I assume the smaller ones are brake lines?
Also pulled the distributor to give it a good once over, replace the distributor pickup, vacuum advance, and check/lube the centrifugal advance. I noticed a fair amount of vertical play in the shaft. I assume that’s normal?
Thanks in advance for the help!
1 Like