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I was getting my '87 moved to her new indoor home over the weekend. Car was running great and then died at a stop light. Got her moved out of traffic and noticed she was dripping gas near the right rear wheel. Didn't panic surmising she had run out of gas since I knew I didn't have much in at the time. Went and got a couple gallons and she fired right back up and finished the move. I was guessing that I just had a loose clamp back in the sump tank, fuel pump, fuel filter connections since it looked like the gas was dripping from the area of the drain ports back there. Today I took the shielding off and started the car to look for the leak point but everything was dry in the trunk but....gas was dripping underneath. Now I am thinking it might be a hose or clamp on the line running from the trunk forward. Will have to take the right rear wheel off to investigate further.
Any initial 'usual suspects' I should be looking for when I get the wheel off?
On another note I will be getting delivery of the '88 Hess and Eisenhardt convertible in about 10 days. My plan is to take the car apart for parts. I want the engine, the Delenaire III and a couple other items. Everything else is for sale. One guy in europe already has asked for the fuel tank floats.
The fuel feed lines go over the rear axle and since they're rubber in places they do perish with time. There's a feed line on one side and a return on the other.
Thanks so much. That definitely helps me understand what I'll be looking at when I get under there. Guessing it won't be too bad to fix. Fingers crossed.
In the mean time I'll start working on putting the speedo unit back in the dash. Lots of little screws. I do have some electrical gremlin lighting issues (Blinker lights, high beam, fog lamps, wipers) to solve before I can be road safety worthy again.
I've got the car jacked up with the tire off and secure with bricks and wood positioned under the differential plate as well as a jack stand as a second safety measure.
I can see the pipes coming from the trunk compartment and then they route over the top shocks and behind a metal plate before re-emerging and routing along the frame and onwards to the engine. Tomorrow I'll have someone come over to start the car while I look for the source of the leak. I am not seeing any rubber hose so am ruling dry rot cracking out for now. More to follow.
PS.... the parts cars, 88 XJS Hess and Eisenhardt convertible arrives next week. Disassembly will begin shortly thereafter.
I'm absolutely sure you're right. I am absolutely sure taking the cradle out will a huge job in my garage.
Plus it's only about 800 degrees F here in central Virginia in mid July with humidity thick enough to walk on.
Brad
The over - axle fuel pipes are two piece. They connect to a brass fitting that takes the fuel out of the boot front bottom corner. Then they go vertically up. Part of this vertical section is a rubber, and this is the piece that fails. If you have already taken the wheel off you can see it - easier if you clean it all up.
Now the metal part of the pipe can fail too, mine did. What looks like a fine smoke is apparent under pressure, and it is in fact fuel mist from microscopic perforations in the metal part caused by salt rust etc.
If your problem is solely the rubber part, it can be changed in situ. I have done this is the car park of a shop chain called Halfords - the Uk equivalent of your US places such as Pep Boys etc. You cut off the rubber part and replace it with a length of new high pressure hose and two jubilee clips.
If you decide to renew the entire section, it undoes at the boot corner and again forward of the rear axle - just two compression fittings. This is what it looks like: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Jagua...wAAOSwDZ1bBn~9
Alright. Naturally Doug, Grant and Greg were correct.
Fuel leak is coming from the rubber hose on the larger pipe connected to the brass elbow fitting coming out of the trunk/boot compartment. I'll try to attach a photo.
Fuel was running from the top down the pipe and then dripping on the exhaust pipe. After I got things wiped down including the rubber coating over the brass fitting I could see and feel the rubber hose with the fuel leaking from it. This was the larger pipe so I am assuming it is the fuel feed pipe.
I am hoping I can get a wrench on the nuts to unfasten them and then work the pipe out to replace the pressure hose. The nut on the bras fitting will be easy enough. The one in front of the wheel well will have to be done blind. I don't have enough room to wiggle under there to actually see it but can feel it easy enough. Bot nuts are soaking in liquid wrench now.
Yeah, never doubt the collective wisdom on this forum. I've learned a lifetime of info here. Bar none, the most constructive board I have ever been part of.
Well done. The metal part, where it goes over the axle cage, is secured to he car with a crappy plastic P clip which has undoubtedly broken, or will break, as soon as you start to pull the pipe out. The pipe will wiggle out, forwards, with a bit of effort and rotation, aided by you helping it out from the boot side.
That axle stand does not look very securely placed under the cage in your photo!Do make sure it is solid before going under again.
The jack stand is the 3rd back up, it has since been re-positioned. The car is up on a floor jack. Under the differential plate is a set of cinder blocks topped by 2 x 6's.
The nuts on the pipes are being very stubborn. I don't want to twist flex the pipes. They'll come loose at some point. This will get fixed soon without creating more problems.
Fuel hose was the culprit. Inside was severely cracked. Pipes are in very good condition so no need to replace them. New EFI hose and clamps installed. Different size hose than on the fuel rail to injectors. Re-attach the connectors tomorrow. Very hot here today.
Found my Kirby Palm book. It suggests replacing the return line as well on the LH side. Similar procedure. Makes sense. Looks like I'll be switching sides once I get the supply side line re-connected tomorrow. Glad it failed as it did rather than on some road trip. Fixed it on my terms rather than some mechanics.
Fuel leak
