Persistent Fuel Leak - Sediment Bowl Inlet
- Thread starter Ziggster
- Start date
petehoovie
Well-known member
So, I’ve come full-circle on my Ford fuel fitting fiasco. I Google “Holley 94 fuel fitting” and this thread I posted here on the Barn 5 yrs ago pops up. Holy hell!
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291986
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=291986
A couple thoughts…
1) if the ferrule isn’t “swaging” onto the fuel line, maybe try tightening it into a junk carb or fuel pump body, so you can get it really tight to get the needed crimp. Then you don’t have to worry about damaging a good carb or fuel pump body.
2) I had leaks at both the pump discharge and carb inlet on my restored 59a when first trying to start it a few months ago. I carefully used teflon tape and leaks were stopped.
Good luck on those annoying leaks! I had fuel, oil and coolant leaks on my startup. Very frustrating. Been working on old Fords for 50+ years, and never had so many leaks at startup.
1) if the ferrule isn’t “swaging” onto the fuel line, maybe try tightening it into a junk carb or fuel pump body, so you can get it really tight to get the needed crimp. Then you don’t have to worry about damaging a good carb or fuel pump body.
2) I had leaks at both the pump discharge and carb inlet on my restored 59a when first trying to start it a few months ago. I carefully used teflon tape and leaks were stopped.
Good luck on those annoying leaks! I had fuel, oil and coolant leaks on my startup. Very frustrating. Been working on old Fords for 50+ years, and never had so many leaks at startup.
Yeah, who knows what folks have done to these fittings over the years. Judging by the fact that the 45 degree flare fitting worked at the sediment bowl inlet, I’m hoping the same with using a 45 degree flare fitting at the pump outlet. Only issue is that I’ll have cut that fitting in half, then drill and tap it to 1/8” NPT so I can add a 1/4” male flare fitting at the other end. Will then flare the tube and add a flare nut to mate to the 1/4” male flare. What a horror of horrors!
Also had three coolant leaks when I pressurized my coolant system. All were at hose clamps though, so that was easy.
Also had three coolant leaks when I pressurized my coolant system. All were at hose clamps though, so that was easy.
petehoovie
Well-known member
Installed the new fitting with the flared tube. No longer leaking at the fuel pump outlet, but now leaking at the tube flare. The nut didn’t feel right while tightening (felt like it was getting stuck) before it bottomed out. Flare seems ok at a quick glance. The fuel line is pretty mangled now after “massaging” it to fit again. Ended up going to the outside of the coolant elbow. Removed tube and re-installed the flare nut. Feels same. All this leaking fuel has already damaged the psint on the block beside the intake. Will wait a bit to see if it still leaks. This is beyond insane…
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petehoovie
Well-known member
The flare connection is still weeping a bit. Will need to cut off the flare I made on the tube, and make a new flare. At least it’s no longer leaking at the fuel pump hsg connection.
The only thing that I can conclude is that for whatever reason, all my fuel connections are likely made for a 45 degree type fitting since all them leaked using the ferrule and nut.
The only thing that I can conclude is that for whatever reason, all my fuel connections are likely made for a 45 degree type fitting since all them leaked using the ferrule and nut.
I've been watching this thread develop and thought I would make a couple of comments about your struggles since I was there once myself. I would be very leery of using a copper supply line as long as the one you're using because of the tendency of copper tubing to fatigue break from vibration at connection points. Ford never used copper fuel line, probably for that reason. Also, I was dealing with a similar fuel leak I couldn't seem to get a handle on while working with a copper fuel line. I realized that the copper line must be distorting in some way while attempting to seat (collapse) the brass ball ferrule onto the copper line. I trashed the copper line and replaced it with steel line from the fuel pump to the carb and everything fit up, sealed up and the leaks went away.
After cutting off the old flare and making a new flare, I just couldn’t line up the two fitting any longer with the carb and fuel pump. So, decided to recycle the fuel line I had going from the filter to the sediment bowl. Much better, although I’m not honestly happy with the Ridgid flaring tool. Too “loosey goosey” for my liking. First pic is the second attempt at the flare on the “original” tube”.
Wait and see now I guess…
Wait and see now I guess…
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petehoovie
Well-known member
hueyhoolihan
Well-known member
That's the spirit! ...no more Mr. Nice Guy! ha