Re: [alfa] 164 fuel leaks and fire hazard & Maintenance

[Bernie Bennett <bennetts77833@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All:

My 164, took some months to figure out and stop the fuel rail leak 
thing, we drove it to the Santa Fe Alfa Convention, were in the cold 
mornings the problem re-appeared. Was not a problem in summer when temps 
did not get cold; but Santa Fe caused gas to flow (not drip) from the 
fittings, no fire. Once engine warmed up leak stopped until next total 
cool down in frosty mornings. Problem turned out to be when maintenance 
was done (hoses replaced because of age) it was not know the correct 
size/type fuel line was critical. Once the hoses were replaced with 
correct size the problem went away. I'd say the problem was not poor 
Alfa design but improper maintenance.

On the topic at hand, fire from fuel line under car igniting when 
leaking on exhaust system, that almost happened to us in an Alfa Sport 
Sedan we bought used which had about 80,000 miles and many years. Again 
on a Alfa convention trip, we noticed a fuel smell one morning and 
traced it to a dripping fuel line underneath the car. Did not continue 
to drive the car; but immediately had it fixed. Moral of the story, Old 
cars need new fuel lines, Alfettas, 164's probably other cars too!

Nicky Avery wrote:


> Michael and everyone else,
>
> > How a modern car can leave the design stage with such an awful fuel 
> > system
> > is beyond my understanding. I have had fuel vapour or raw fuel 
> > seepage from
> > my Alfa for the majority of the time I have owned it.
> How many 164s do you know of that have burned as a result of fuel leaks?
> I'm not asking to be argumentative but, if the burn rate is higher than
> generally known/assumed, we all need to be aware of it. We've all had
> the leaks from the rail - often the result of using the wrong diameter
> hose - and smells of vapor in the pass. compartment but smelling gas and
> losing your car in a spectacular brew-up like Derek's are not the same
> thing.
>
> Nicky
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