Thunderbird could have been a Firebird

[Guest]

A few weeks ago as I packed for an out of town trip I noticed a gasoline smell in the house. Went to the garage and the smell was very strong. I opened the doors to let in some fresh air and lifted the hood on the Tbird. Yup the rubber hose at the inlet to the fuel pump was not in good shape and dripping. Fixed that and checked after a couple hours to find that the brass fittings were also leaking a little. Used some teflon tape on all the threaded parts and everything looked dry as a bone. The next morning the gasoline smell was just as bad and maybe even worse. Under the hood was all dry. I looked under the car to see a huge puddle of gasoline under the fuel tank and a fast drip from the drain plug. This is not good because my gas furnice is right next to the Tbird. The plug had a crack all the way around it and had been patched by a previous owner. The patch compound had lost it seal around the plug and was leaking bad. I drained 15 gallons of petrol out of the car and made sure it was totally empty as I was to catch a flight the next morning. I have a feeling the old bird was trying to keep me from leaving. This could have been a disaster if I hadnt noticed when I did. I got my eye on an ebay tank right now.
My older brother sold a very nice 54 Olds convertable to a guy and the car was lost the following year in a garage fire that also took his house and two other vintage cars. These are old cars and its worth doing a good inspection every now and then.
Happy holidays!

[YellowRose]

Thunderbird could have been a Firebird

Yup, Victor, that old gal was trying to let ya know there was a problem and she did! I had a similar problem earlier this year. At one point, I had carpeting in my garage. I developed a leak in the line to the carb, either before or after the gauge I have in the line to monitor fuel pump pressure. I fixed the leak, but the smell of gas would not go away. I keep checking things to try to determine where it was leaking at now... I finally took the car out of the garage, got down on my hands and knees, and smelled my carpeting. Yup, it smelled like gas.. I pulled it up and got rid of it. Now she sits on bare concrete.

I am certainly glad you found this leak situation and was able to fix it before you left. Like you, my water heater, though elevated about 3 feet off the floor, is about 10-15 feet from the front of Yellow Rose when in the garage... You could have been coming back to a really bad situation..

[tbird430]

WOW!! That is a scarey story.


-Jon in TX.

[Guest]

I too just today discovered I had a similar problem with a potential gas spill/fire hazard. My gas line has been clogged now for several weeks, so no gas was getting to the pump and glass filter bowl. So I disconnected the 6" rubber hose that runs from the pump to the solid fuel line. Upon inspection of the 6" hose I found it to be garbage with a big rotten hole in it. Had I not had a plugged fuel line, the gas would have all leaked out by gravity thru the hole in the rubber hose and all over the floor.

I used compressed air and back blew the fuel line and heard it surge in the tank. The gas then started to flow nicely out of the fuel line. But have now had to put a cap plug on the fuel line until I find a replacement 6" rubber flex hose.

Actually the 6" rubber hose is what is called push-lock fuel hose. It is like a chinese finger puzzle and locks onto the brass barbed hose fittings. I called Auto Value and they sell the push-lock brand fuel hose, so I just have to get to the St. Cloud Auto Value and buy another 6" chunk of hose. I have inserted pictures below.

[simplyconnected]

Jed, that is common fuel line, pushed onto the brass ends. If you cut the hose off the ends, you will see that it is nothing special. The brass ends are barbed. Fuel pressure is so low (negative-suction), they don't need clamps.

My hose went too. I believe it was an original '59. Mine disintegrated when I dropped the engine back in. I'm glad it happened then. - Dave

[Guest]

Jed, that is common fuel line, pushed onto the brass ends.... - Dave

Thanks Dave, I will put some new hose on those ends tomorrow and then will be in business. - Jed

[Dakota Boy]

I bring home large sheets of corrugated cardboard from work and keep them under my car to reveal any weird drips.

My coolant leak has been remedied.

Now I need to figure out why the C-6 trans is weeping...