I can tell you, a guy I knew in high school lost a very nice VW beetle to a fire like that, but if you have ANY older car, you should change those fuel lines often. I have a 1974 Ford F-100 with a 390 V8. The fuel filter and lines sit on top of the motor and if it leaks, it's only a few inches from the exhaust manifold where it could get heated quick. Rubber fuel lines tend to be something that a lot of older cars burn up from. My mechanic who owns and works on older cars replaces my lines on my truck often so that I never have to worry.
Thanks for posting. No engine fires for me but the beetle has been sitting in the sun for a few days and stinks of fuel vapor from the engine bay, so this gives me a non-obvious place to check. Carb is EMPI so that's good to know about the screw in nipple. Smell is NOT from the tank area. Fixed all that when I first got the car, and all lines are new.
Always put the filter on the suction side of the pump away from the coil and distributor. Putting the filter on the pressure side is just taking more of an unnecessary risk. (2 more hose clamp connections to fail and the plastic body of the filter itself is more likely to fail than a direct fuel hose connection to the carburetor).
scdevon : can't understand why people buy those cheap .89 cent plastic filters to begin with???, what's really funny is when that plastic .89 cent filter is feeding a set of $1500.00 carbs.
they are a no no in our corvairs .. we dont have any rubber hoses ..i need to put one on my 62 an 66 ..they sit a lot now best place for one on them is to replase the hose from the body to the back of the engine..i bought metal ones.. i had 3 vws but i dont remember if they had a filter there
Charles Tait : Your correct. Whats the point in sucking in dirty contaminated fuel "INTO THE PRIMARY" HMMMM, maybe he wants to get stranded in the middle of nowhere and almost there with a failed fuel pump. Lol!!!
Hello. Question : did you file the alternator a bit so the carburator won't scratch it? Or am I wrong. I ask because I want to put a 34 pict German Solex on a 30mm manifold and the adaptor moved it but not enough and it graces the alternator. Thanks!
Mike...vintage carburetors can be fitted with what is called a "barbed" fitting. The original brass tube is removed. The now-empty orifice is drilled to size, then tapped to receive a screw-in barbed fitting. A sealant can be applied to the threads prior to installation. This fitting puts to rest any fears of loosening--ever! The same can be done to the outlet tube of the original style fuel pumps. Please do not discard an original German carburetor unless it is totally trashed or otherwise useless. They can be restored to original condition and will give superior service to modern reproduction carbs. See volkzbitz.com jay
Mike...check the WebSite which I posted at the end of my message--you will love to read how Tim Robson is saving our vintage German carburetors! Amazing! I agree that placement of the filter in the engine compartment is not the fire hazard people have made it to be. Old fuel hose is a real threat--especially with the advent of ethanol. I agree that the #1 fire hazard is the inlet tube of the carb loosening and falling out. Fuel pump pressure will spray gasoline which momentarily is going to ignite. Kudos to your efforts to alert the VW Community to this danger! Checking fuel pump pressure often reveals excessive pressure which is going only to hasten the splitting of old fuel hose. Excessive fuel pump pressure also will defeat the carburetor float valve, causing over-flow of gasoline and poor starting. (people often confuse this with "vapor lock"). jay
J. K. Salser, great information! Thanks for sharing. I have a 1963 type 1 that I bought from my cousin in 1975; runs like a champ. Had a minor fuel fire in the engine bay years ago. Scared the daylight outta me. Fortunately a motorist stopped immediately and put it out with his fire extinguisher. Always carry one now, in case I need to repay the favor.
Hello, DanielinLaTuna --Your Beetle is a wonderful year! I am so happy to hear that someone was alert enough to save your Beetle. The addition of a fire extinguisher to your on-board equipment was a great idea. May you, indeed, return the favor. Keep enjoying your VW! jay
In the fuel filter on my vw, after driving a ways, I have seen the gas in the filter bubbling. Would it be air bubbles or actually boiling do you think?
sometimes they crack .... wow. Of course those plastic POS crack. Get it out of your engine compartment and way from heat (which will melt it) and spark which will toast your car. wow. get the damn thing out of your engine compartment. I bet your insurance company wouldn't be happy with you giving this advise.
The glass ones come apart I would never use those. I did see engine fire from the glass ones. Mini cars from this era had plastic fuel filters in the engine compartment Toyota Datsun Chevy many others no fire issues
