Thanks ethanol!

[dyeager535]

No idea how long this has been a problem, I suspect a couple of years:

Fuel rails hot to the touch, startup started to take a bit longer, serious hot restart fuel problems, engine starts breaking up under load at specific RPM's, all getting slowly and slowly worse.

Pretty impressive IMO that it would even run with that much of a split, let alone have 25PSI. About half of what it SHOULD have had, but still impressive.

Remains to be seen if this cures ALL my problems, but I suspect it will. Will finish painting the just-stripped fuel tank (apparently the sceptre's aren't galvanized on the outside??) tonight and install the tank/test Monday.

Pump has been in there ~10 years, all AC Delco parts. We will see how the new, hecho in china Delco pump/hose holds up. At least I know I have a good spare now.

 

[kennyw]

Hmm. Guess it's another item to check when I try to chase down the lack of power in my '89.

 

[dyeager535]

No idea what this fuel line's construction was like when I installed it originally. It now is closer to dense foam than rubber hose, and had swelled enough to push the rubber through the little slots on the hose clamps to make about 1/8" "tags".

Interestingly, got to thinking about it, if this were a TBI rig running a TPI pump (which is apparently a common "upgrade" over the stock TBI pumps) you'd never notice a problem, short of the slightly increased start times.

Has anyone ever seen a sectioned portion of the stock braided flex sections used on the TBI trucks? I am really concerned that this will be the next problem, and based on proximity to the hot exhaust and pressure, when/if it becomes a problem, fire is going to be extremely likely. I am under the impression that at least some of the braided GM hoses may be teflon lined.

I am not willing to sacrifice any of my good flex sections to find out, but I now wish I had grabbed one of the hundreds of twisted off/cut flex lines I've seen looking through trucks being parted out.

 

[FenderChest]

Has anyone ever seen a sectioned portion of the stock braided flex sections used on the TBI trucks? I am really concerned that this will be the next problem, and based on proximity to the hot exhaust and pressure, when/if it becomes a problem, fire is going to be extremely likely. I am under the impression that at least some of the braided GM hoses may be teflon lined.

My 88 TBI has Teflon.

 

[dyeager535]

Am I interpreting the pics correctly that the stock line got a hole in it, nothing but rubber, and you bought some -AN stuff that is teflon lined?

Without going to -AN, I'm not sure what solution exists for the flex lines. Perhaps some hose shop could take the stock fittings and crimp them to ethanol resistant hose? Looks to me like the stock fittings just slip inside the hose and a sleeve is crimped around the outside?

 

[FenderChest]

Am I interpreting the pics correctly that the stock line got a hole in it, nothing but rubber, and you bought some -AN stuff that is teflon lined?

Without going to -AN, I'm not sure what solution exists for the flex lines. Perhaps some hose shop could take the stock fittings and crimp them to ethanol resistant hose? Looks to me like the stock fittings just slip inside the hose and a sleeve is crimped around the outside?

The old ones are also Teflon - S/S braided.

Yes the old ones chaffed a hole and had some kinks in the hard section.

The few hose shops here didn't have the correct fittings/equipment that small etc...


The new ones are also Teflon. Almost forced to have custom AN lines made


As far as the an fittings go......If I had to do it over again, I would get them from Jegs. Cheaper !

 

[FenderChest]

Stabbed/Poked my fingers a thousand times .....but I hope this is a better view ?????

I put a match to the end of the line ....No smoke like rubber....Just melted like nylon rope would .


Fender

 

[dyeager535]

Thanks for sacrificing your finger for the good of the many! That allays some of my fears about those hoses. But unless someone makes replacements, only option is to take care of them, or replace them with -AN.

Thanks again!