Zetec Fuel Line Hose

[richgilb]

My Zetec sprung a leak at the point where the braided fuel hose clips onto the injectors. It then sprung a leak in exactly the same place on the other side. I wonder if any of the other Zetec owners know whether this is down to an inferior hose and / or whether the jubilee type clips Spyder uses are cutting into the hose and so should perhaps be replaced with a less sharp clip. The hoses looked badly perished but the leaks were just at the clip point on both sides.

It has been installed for 5 years now, so I guess I have to expect some wear and tear but somehow I don't think this would have happened if the engine had ended up in a Mondeo.

Cheers,
Rich

[gerrym]

Rich, do you mean the fuel rail hose(s)?

Gerry

[richgilb]

Hmm, Not sure, but they are at the top of what looks like the injector unit (easy to access - I cut one and refit it in a minute), one sends fuel into the unit from the nose side of the car, the other sends fuel out to the bulkhead side.....

[gerrym]

Rich, sound like the fuel rail hoses. The actual injectors are fitted into the fuel rail and seal via a O ring.

To replace the fuel hoses, speak to Think Automotive. For what it's worth, I personnally don't use slip-on hoses for pressurised petrol (I specc'd a fuel rail with JIC fittings). You might also want to think about fuel hose with a woven nomex cover to provide fire resistance. Again Think Automotive can help. The woven braided cover will stop the hose clip directly digging into the elastomer as well.

Also, don't go down the route of using silly cosmetic woven metal braided covers for your fuel hoses.

Regards

Gerry

[richgilb]

Cheers,
Rich.

Will now delete this post for fear of being ridiculed by twincam owners!

[john.p.clegg]

Rich

High pressure petrol leaks and fibreglass bodies are not a good mix,maybe have a look at retro fitting a good set of Dellortos?

John
_________________
The Best Lotuses Have a Zetec Engine In Them (and a fire extinguisher)

[john.p.clegg]

Just two minutes too late

Great minds think alike,Fools seldom differ...

John

[GrUmPyBoDgEr]

Rich, sound like the fuel rail hoses. The actual injectors are fitted into the fuel rail and seal via a O ring.

To replace the fuel hoses, speak to Think Automotive. For what it's worth, I personnally don't use slip-on hoses for pressurised petrol (I specc'd a fuel rail with JIC fittings). You might also want to think about fuel hose with a woven nomex cover to provide fire resistance. Again Think Automotive can help. The woven braided cover will stop the hose clip directly digging into the elastomer as well.

Also, don't go down the route of using silly cosmetic woven metal braided covers for your fuel hoses.

Regards

Gerry

2nd'ed although I don't know the hoses quoted.
Fuel runs at more than 3 bar in those hoses & one specially made up with quality fittings should be the only solution.
JIC fittings with S/St. braided nylon hose is what I used on my low pressure 45 DCOE set up
The thought of "Jubilee clips" is a bit frightening

Cheers
John

[bcmc33]

The thought of "Jubilee clips" is a bit frightening

So what's wrong with "Jubilee clips"?

Better to use "O" clips I would agree - but far less convenient.

Regarding high pressure pumps - I've used a Mondeo pump, and Ford uses only plastic hoses pushed over the connections.

[gerrym]

Brian, agree that Mondeo setup is less than satisfactory on paper. However OEMs can afford a testing programme, so that every little detail (such as routing, support etc) works as a whole. The "plastic" that they work is probably highly specified, the velocities will be controlled to minimise static discharge and wall breakdown, leaks, fire. On "experimental" systems such as modified Elans, we are better going the route used by the racers and customizers, even if it is probably over-engineered. Bearing in mind there is no recall system in place...

Gerry

[bcmc33]

Your quite correct, Gerry,

My feed and return is in copper, and apart from the pump connections, I've used compression joints with soldered olives to connect to -6 Goodridge's fittings.

[EMA7K]

Rich

I had the same problem two months after car was built in 2007. It was the hose going onto the fuel rail, it just came loose. Tightening the clip helped a bit but I was worried of cutting into the hose. In the end I replaced with braided steel lines and had no trouble since.

Gareth