Fuel leak
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Tom F OHIO
Well-known member
Fitting with ferrule must be bad. The best thing to do would be to replace the gas line with new fittings on the ends. Once the ferrules are out of shape they will not seal properly.
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
A distorted ferrule usually can be sealed by soldering it, you need good flux, it is like soldering a plumbing fitting, you don't want much solder but you want it to suck in, the solder will conform to slight damage to the seat in the carb , but you should look in there to see if it has rust pitting that is deep.
Overtightening can crush the pipe.
Overtightening can crush the pipe.
glenn in camino
Well-known member
Don't tighten too much. I once cracked a cast iron filter bowl by tightening the gas line too much.
Tom Endy
Well-known member
I get cited by the Model A police every time I suggest this, but if you want to seal off a fuel leak at either end of the fuel line, wrap it with white nylon plumbers tape. It will seal the leak off.
The argument is that it will get inside the carburetor and plug the jets. This won't happen because the tape is only around the ferrule, which is outside the fuel line and the carburetor. Over years of use and installation of different carburetors the ferrules get whacked out of shape and does not seal against the taper in the boss at either end of the fuel line. The tape will seal it off.
I test out rebuilt Zenith carburetors on my Vic and each time I remove a carburetor I also remove the fuel line and wrap both ends with new tape as shown in the photos.
It certainly works for me.
Tom Endy
The argument is that it will get inside the carburetor and plug the jets. This won't happen because the tape is only around the ferrule, which is outside the fuel line and the carburetor. Over years of use and installation of different carburetors the ferrules get whacked out of shape and does not seal against the taper in the boss at either end of the fuel line. The tape will seal it off.
I test out rebuilt Zenith carburetors on my Vic and each time I remove a carburetor I also remove the fuel line and wrap both ends with new tape as shown in the photos.
It certainly works for me.
Tom Endy
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Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
The fuel line after the ferrule may extend too far not allowing a good fit in the carb.
glenn in camino
Well-known member
The threads don't make the seal. The ferrule does.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
Glen is right on . If the ferrule is not fitting tightly the fuel line can easily be pulled out of the fitting or may even slip out of the fitting from vibration. Could be a fire hazard. Wrapping plumbers teflon tape arround the ferrule MAY stop the leak but the ferrule will still be loose and run the risk of the fuel line slipping out of the fitting.
Purdy Swoft
Well-known member
I use to keep a bar of soap in my tool box and scrape the threads of the fittings over the bar. The soap would stop gas leaks around the threads. Bratton sells a handy sealer that comes in a container with a handy little brush applicator. I now use it on fuel fitting threads. The best that I remember its called high tack, of course it won't help a loose ferrule.