Fuel Lines

[Employee#268]

1996 Grand AM, 3.1L

I am getting a gasoline odor inside the car, which upon inspection of the rubber fuel lines connecting to the fuel rail, it appears that 1 or both of them are damaged and leaking.

1) Are these dealer-only parts?

2) Any special tools to disconnect and reinstall the hoses? It seems to have some sort of metal spring compression-type fitting on one end.

3) How do I disconnect the fuel lines at the fuel rail?

4) Can all of this be done without removing anything major? (ie: intake manifold, etc.)

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[rixGAphx]

Don't know about YOUR '96 3.1, but mine doesn't have any rubber hoses at the fuel rail.

There's a pair of hard metal tubes, about 1/4" diameter, bracketed atop the bellhousing just beneath the EGR valve.

One of the tubes continues forward a bit and screws into the bottom of the fuel pressure regulator.
The other doesn't come as far forward, it just bends up and is bent 90* toward the passenger side to screw into the 'return' end of the rear fuel rail.

In the same vicinity of these metal fuel tubes, on the underside of the throttle body, are a pair of rubber COOLANT lines, 3/8" diameter x ~2", which circulate coolant from plenum to TB; perhaps it is these two rubber coolant lines to which you refer??

Or some dumba$$ went thru this system once before and replaced your nice, high-pressure metal fuel tubes with generic rubber :eek:
In which case, a leak or two would be expected and requires major attention.

Good luck.
-Rick

[Jaysin]

yah fuel lines should be steel, stainless steel perferibly

[HeyDace]

Further down under the brake booster the lines are high pressure braided rubber 6-8" in length they are crimped onto the steel lines and sometimes will leak at the crimps. The lines are dealer. I don't know of any aftermarket replacements available. They come in full lenth sections (bow to stern) and I imagine are pretty expensive.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by HeyDace
Further down under the brake booster the lines are high pressure braided rubber 6-8" in length they are crimped onto the steel lines and sometimes will leak at the crimps. The lines are dealer. I don't know of any aftermarket replacements available. They come in full lenth sections (bow to stern) and I imagine are pretty expensive.
Yeah, I know about the rubber line segments, that basically isolate the engine vibrations/movement from the lines that are fixed to the body.
I agree his leak might be there.

But since E226 stated "..rubber fuel lines connecting to the fuel rail...", I figured he was looking right at the fuel rails and seeing some jerry-rigged set-up (or the plenum-to-TB coolant hoses).

Rather than factory-replacements for tube-hose combos (such as powersteering or AC or these fuel lines), you can usually take the old metal assembly to a local hose rebuilder and get good-as-new 're-manufactured' units.
Every town of any size has a tube rebuilder, whose main bread-n-butter is construction and agricultural machinery.

-Rick

[Employee#268]

Thanks for the replies...

Yes, these are the lines that HeyDace described. Sorry if I caused some confusion...I assumed they were attached at the fuel rail, but I haven't inspected them that closely yet. I'm trying to figure out if this is something I can do myself. I do all the maintenance and nearly all the repairs on our vehicles. The biggest thing that would hold me back is the need for specialty tools.

I called a local dealer and the parts are available, $50 for one, $45 for the other, so I can't imagine at at that price, they run the full length of the car.

The steel lines travel from the fuel tank into the engine compartment near the brake booster and strut tower. The crimped connections on that end seem to be a quick-disconnect type, similar to the one at the fuel filter, only larger.

Those quick-disconnects look like they require a special tool, and the threaded ends look difficult to gain access to.

I'll take a closer look this evening and see where to go with it.

Thanks, everyone.

[tenspeed]

I bought a set of injectors, fuel rail and lines off of ebay for my 2.4L. You may be able to get the same sort of deal at the junk yard.

See if you can buy the lines (rubber and steel) along with the fuel rail and pressure regulator. The quick disconnects look like they need a special tool like you said. I would think you have to remove the rail to get to the threaded ends.

You may be able to wrap the damaged area with a thin piece of rubber like from a inner tube and hold it with a hose clamp. That would cut down on the gas smell until you get replacement hoses.

[rixGAphx]

The 'special' tools are only a LITTLE special:

$12 for a set of six 'universal' plastic washer-thingies, or ~$8 each for two metal scissor-type units.

Both from Checker/AutoZone/etc.

Good luck.
-Rick

[HeyDace]

"I called a local dealer and the parts are available, $50 for one, $45 for the other, so I can't imagine at at that price, they run the full length of the car."

Wow, good price. At that price going to a construction/agricultural shop would not be economic. Also, I've had P/S lines rebuilt before with not so good a luck. If the lines won't separate, cut them with a tubing cutter and use compression fittings. These work great on fule lines but never use them for brake or hydraulic lines, thats a no-no.

[tenspeed]

These work great on fuel lines but never use them for brake or hydraulic lines, thats a no-no. [/B]

I was told by a shop the same thing when I suggested replacing a rotted section of a brake line. I later watched the mechanic use a coupling to mate the front and rear sections of my new front to rear brake line. Then the shop charged me an extra $45 because they used some sort of vacuum brake fluid sucker.

When you're broke down on the road, you're over the barrel. You can't very well drive to another shop with no brakes and they won't give you your car till you pay.

I worked with the compression fittings in the Navy. I used to pressure test nuclear reactors after welding was completed. The swedge-lock fittings held over 3000 pounds of pressure. You do have to follow the directions of installation.

[rixGAphx]

Originally posted by tenspeed
....in the Navy. I used to pressure test nuclear reactors...
Tenspeed? Nuclear reactors??

OMG!!!!





j/k :D

[HeyDace]

:lol:

While it is true that the fittings will hold pressure. The no-no lies in a liability lawsuit. It is not OEM and therefore is a substandard repair.
Another liability is not replacing those backing plate adjuster hole plugs (the black rubber things). Water can intrude and render braking ineffective. So says the smart azz Lawyer.

[tenspeed]

Originally posted by rixGAphx
Tenspeed? Nuclear reactors?? OMG!!!! j/k :D

DOH! Sort of like Homer Simpson without all the donuts. I also qualified as a reactor operator with the AEC. EM2 SS

I got the testing gig as my shore duty after 5 years of sea duty.

And you only thought I was a hot body and a pretty face....