I am getting angry >> Fuel Line...again

[Robert D]

So last year I had the stainless steel fuel line from where it meets the frame hard line up to the TBI begin to leak...onto the exhaust pipe... So, I towed it to a Firestone shop and had them replace both of the lines, cost me ~200 to do. BUT, I thought they wouldn't bother me again for a long while....NOPE.

Today, on the way home from work I smell gasoline. I pulled over, looked under the truck and see gas everywhere, evaporating off of the exhaust, the transmission....everything. HOW does a brand new hose turn to this in only one year? Is there something I've done to destroy these hoses? They have GM parts tags still on them and appear to be new. However, where the flexible stainless hoses meet the hard pipe up near the TBI, there appears to be metal hose clamps and the hard hoses near the TBI don't look new...could the Firestone mechanic have done crimped the stainless hose to the pipe incorrectly? The hoses look like the photo in this post: http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=197016&highlight=fuel+line

I'm prepared to take it into a different shop on Saturday to have them fix the lines....again....but I'll avoid the Firestone shop. Reading the receipt they have a 6-month and 6,000 mile warranty on work, so I'm outside of the 6-month period...I need to just go sleep on it, I want to light a match and toss it under the truck at this point.

 

[dyeager535]

Doesn't sound like it was done right. You don't use hose clamps on crimped connectors.

 

[Robert D]

Sorry, I meant crimped connectors. So is it standard to use a crimped connector between the hard pipe and the stainless steel? If so, perhaps the hose needs to be re-crimped?

 

[vortec]

yes. the crimped connectors are standard. my 94 is plumbed with metal from the pump, then crimped to rubber, then crimped to another section of metal that continues to the throttle body. check your connections in the back of the tb. the metal is prett soft and if the fitting has been cranked down too tightly or left loose, the mating surface for the flaired hose could be smashed or worn. it is a pain to align the lines jsut right to get them in, and i've seen more than one vehicle that had them hastily forced instead of properly seated, then carefully tightened.

 

[Robert D]

So I guess mine has stainless steel lines where yours have rubber. I'll take a look at the back of the tb to see where the leak is coming from. I'm just fed up at this point, however, I need a DD to get to work...now that I actually make some decent money I'm thinking of asking the bank for a loan....