Disaster narrowly averted ...

[Julian B]

Armed with a new battery I started the Haflinger in order to warm up the oil prior to replacing the oil filter & putting in some fresh oil. Started well, and I ran it at medium revs for perhaps 4-5 minutes. I was in the cab throughout in case it stalled.

After a while I thought that I would just check the engine and found _loads_ of petrol pi$$ing out of loads of pin holes in the two braided fuel lines. A puddle of petrol in the engine bay, loads on the floor (lid up, rear door & cross member removed), and even on top of the load area.

Frightened the proverbial out of me. Stopped the engine, found the workshop fire extinguisher and started to suck up the petrol with paper towels etc.

The fuel lines were new in 2008, but they obviously don't like being left (empty) for an extended period.

Lesson learned - don't assume all is well even if the engine "sounds" fine!

Had it gone up in flames, it would have been adieu to the Haflinger, and also to my 1956 Citroen Traction Avant.

[heinkeljb]

Wow!
Good job you went to have a look at the engine. Hole actually might have been exacerbated by the dreaded E5 and now E10. The ethanol like rubber...!

Some brand new ones - See if you can find a company that sells fuel hose for racing cars - those should be made to resist the ethanol.

I know Haflinger have gone up in smoke but probably more due to petrol leaks from the Carb dribbling down on the the Carb heating pipe..... Always carry a good fire extinguisher in an easy to get to place.

John

[Julian B]

The fuel was 5 years old***, complete with a pinch of "lead replacement additive", so I think it was more likely a case of the rubber perishing due to being empty? Certainly the fuel filter bowl was empty. But I will now get some E10 approved hose - I might even go the whole hog and replace the pipe(s) right back to the tank.


*** I was quite surprised it even started !

[AustHaflinger]

I think it is the quality of the rubber in the hose - I have rubber fuel hose that is 50 years old and is still fine yet some hose I bought a few years ago perished deteriorated within a very short time.

Glad you caught it though

[heinkeljb]

Isn't the fuel line metal most of the length from the tank to the engine firewall? It is on my 1973 MKII. That would mean only having to replace the bits in the engine compartment.

John

[Julian B]

IIRC my "new" fuel line is rubber from the tank to the fuel filter, then two lengths of braided within the engine bay. I have just received 5m of E10 approved rubber hose so will replace all three sections. With cable ties it is easy to keep the last two sections well away from hot metal parts, so should be OK ...

[AustHaflinger]

As John has highlighted the fuel line should be basically be metal from the tank to engine bay - I guess yours has rusted out at some stage. I would seriously consider getting a metal line made up - would be safer. Also, except with hi pressure systems or where the a rubber hose could be damaged, I would consider not using braided hose - it is too hard to tell the condition of the rubber hose under it.

Garry

[Julian B]

Looking back through some old photos, I see that the entire fuel line was merely see-through plastic pipes when I bought it (2004). IIRC they had gone hard - not good at all. When I first removed the engine (2007) I upgraded the two sections within the engine bay to the braided pipes, and then when I did the restoration in 2013 I upgraded the long pipe back to the tank with "proper" rubber hose.

I have just bought two lengths of E10 approved rubber hose for the engine bay, but I am now concerned about heat - possibly me being overly sensitive? - but wonder whether I should wrap the pipe that goes above the RHS exhaust pipe with something like this?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Titanium-Motor ... 548&sr=8-3

Thoughts?

[AustHaflinger]

Julian - the piping below where you have highlighted is not actually exhaust - while connected to the exhaust pipe is is just the riser for the carb heat and as such does not get really hot. Your layout is basically the same as mine and that area does not get hot at all - I also have an inline filter there in that location as I am not happy that the standard sediment catch bowl does a good job in filtering the fuel.

So I would just leave that fuel line exposed as that area is really no hotter than anywhere else in the engine bay.

Garry

[heinkeljb]

Julian, If you are worried about the heat on the hose, why not re-route it goes round behind the Dynastart relay next to the engine firewall and then towards the fuel filter.

The paper filter in the standard glass bowl filter does a pretty good job, but probably isn't as fine as a good modern fuel filter.

John

[Julian B]

Thanks both - will make those amendments later today.

[Julian B]

Fuel lines within the engine bay have now been re-routed, and an auxiliary in-line fuel filter installed. Much better.

Took it out for a quick jolly - great to see it back in its rightful setting again; all seems OK short of finding & fixing a leak in the exhaust & sorting out the brakes, which while they do work, the machine veers strongly to the right. I tried "riding" the brakes under power to try to bed them back in, but that didn't work. All four hubs were cool to the touch, so more investigations required.

[heinkeljb]

Much cleaner looking!

Have you tried adjusting the brakes using the cams? It might be worth backing the cams right off, taking the drums off and running a piece of emery cloth round the inside of the drums to take off any embedded rust which might be glazing the drums. Then obviously, you will have to re-adjust cams to get the brake shoes just touching the drums - feeling consistent on all four wheels.

Are you going to the Treffen at Dersingham this weekend?

John

[Julian B]

Hi John,

I'm not going to Dersingham - the Haf is not yet ready. Are you?

I have now jacked up the LHS & removed the drums and pads etc; none of the 4 "pistons" budge at all, with some _slight_ corrosion showing on the front. I have tried to "rotate" them to free them up, using a large screwdriver in the slot, but won't budge. The axles rotate fine, so it is definitely the brake cylinders and not an adjustment problem.

What would be the best way to free them up, or am I best replacing them as they will be pitted anyway?

[heinkeljb]

Best way would be to take off the rubber cups around the wheel cylinder / pistons so you can see the actual piston where it goes into the wheel cylinder. Then tie some wire round the wheel cylinder pistons so that they can move outwards by a few millimetres, then put pressure on the brake pedal. That way, internal brake fluid pressure on the back of the pistons forces them out, but the wire does not let them "escape". Now you should be able to rotate them and clean up the corrosion that will be showing on the pistons.

If the pistons still do not want to move then unfortunately, you will have to take the wheel cylinder off the hub. Take out the bleed nipple. Put the wheel cylinder in a vice and using a hammer and punch, knock one piston back into the bore and eventually it will knock the other side out.

Depending on the level of corrosion you find, it might be better, "safer", to buy new wheel cylinders as although you can hone the bores, you will have to buy new seals and clean the pistons without making them "flat" or " scoring" them in places as you are likely to do with just using emery cloth to clean them.

John

[heinkeljb]

Yes, I'll be driving Lurch to Ely on Friday, "A" and "B" roads all the way! Takes a while, but with stops every couple of hours, it's not too bad.

John