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periodic tightening of fuel hose clamps
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 10:38 PM
by Bimmerguy2002
I spoke with Mike W about this as after i did my b35 swap a few years ago, they were all loose a few months later after using new line. I made a 3 hour drive yesterday which sucked up a full tank of gas, i looked under the hood today, saw my feed line was soaked, the clamp wasnt even tight, i DID tighten them all about a year ago and they were somehow loose again.
I am using the tiny bmw clamps, not the tamper proof but the one with the flat tip access.
What is the deal here? EVERY clamp was loose, fuel rail feed and return, the FPR ones, and a tiny one on the b35 rail.
Whats the DEAL with airline food?
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 10:50 PM
by mooseheadm5
The hose shrinks a little. It's pretty normal to have to retighten them.
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 10:54 PM
by Bimmerguy2002
mooseheadm5 wrote:The hose shrinks a little. It's pretty normal to have to retighten them.
this isnt an issue for me, but what about someone who pays a mechanic to replace the fuel lines and wonders why they are losing fuel?
How often should one check these? Again its not an issue since i do everything myself.
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 10:58 PM
by mooseheadm5
At some point, they stop loosening, so after a couple of tightening cycles you can leave them alone.
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 11:24 PM
by 1st 5er
It's back under the hood soon.
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 11:34 PM
by a
The ultimate solution is torsion clamps. Cheap ol' spring clamps. I dont even think they sell the tool for them any more.
Posted: Feb 22, 2012 11:46 PM
by LandCruzer94
Hmm, I know what I'm doing tomorrow afternoon.
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 11:09 AM
by ahab
I've found a lighter is the best way to check in those places which are hard to see.
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 11:14 AM
by Mike W.
a wrote:The ultimate solution is torsion clamps. Cheap ol' spring clamps. I dont even think they sell the tool for them any more.
OH god, you mean these things?
I hate those things on radiator hoses. Cheap, hard to work with and non adjustable.
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 2:35 PM
by C.R. Krieger
a wrote:The ultimate solution is torsion clamps. Cheap ol' spring clamps. I dont even think they sell the tool for them any more.
I have one. It's just a pair of pliers with reliefs cut into the jaws. Wouldn't be hard to make your own out of cheap pliers. If you worked on '60s Mopars, you NEEDED one!
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 3:48 PM
by Mike W.
C.R. Krieger wrote:a wrote:The ultimate solution is torsion clamps. Cheap ol' spring clamps. I dont even think they sell the tool for them any more.
I have one. It's just a pair of pliers with reliefs cut into the jaws. Wouldn't be hard to make your own out of cheap pliers. If you worked on '60s Mopars, you NEEDED one!
I always
hated those things. Designed by a sadist.
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 4:30 PM
by slammin_e28
I hate these things:
Posted: Feb 23, 2012 5:13 PM
by Mike W.
slammin_e28 wrote:I hate these things:
Not my favorite, but those I can deal with. Not the old style though. They did lead to creative cursing though.
Posted: Feb 24, 2012 9:49 PM
by Xenocide
slammin_e28 wrote:I hate these things:
The subaru I just finished cursing at used nothing but those. Just about every one of em has been replaced by a BMW clamp now
They do a pretty good job, they just cut into the hoses and can separate when you're taking them off.
Posted: Apr 27, 2012 10:46 AM
by Bimmerguy2002
Ok so i smelled gas, THREE of the BMW brand clamps were slightly loose again. Is it already time for new fuel line after only a couple of years? This is OEM (new) BMW fuel line to boot.
My car was driven 3 hours and was hemorrhaging gas and used a full tank
Posted: Apr 27, 2012 10:50 AM
by AlpinaE24
I just replaced all the soft lines on my e34 yesterday. The ones in the engine bay were original from 1990!
To whatever german thought it was a great idea to use the tamper proof/one time hose clamps I have two words.
Fuck you.
Posted: Apr 27, 2012 10:51 AM
by AlpinaE24
Bimmerguy2002 wrote:Ok so i smelled gas, THREE of the BMW brand clamps were slightly loose again. Is it already time for new fuel line after only a couple of years? This is OEM (new) BMW fuel line to boot.
My car was driven 3 hours and was hemorrhaging gas and used a full tank
That's a fun way to literally piss money away
Posted: Apr 27, 2012 11:03 AM
by Bimmerguy2002
no kidding.
Those clamps are pure evil
When i first got my car, the hose was half cracks, and half hose