TR2/3/3A TR-3B Fuel Line Question

[Vaark01]

I can't find anyone selling the short fuel line with fastener that goes from the fuel tank line into the fuel pump. Gas is on the bottom of the line leading to the fuel pump and I can't tighten it to stop the seeping..

I talked with Moss and that line is the one part they don't sell.

Does anyone know where I can find one, along with what is needed to attach and tighten it on the fuel pump?

Thanks.

Paul

 

[sail]

Possibly 10-454 kit on bottom right: https://www.victoriabritish.com/icatalog/tc/full.aspx?Page=137 . I used similar on my 4A.

 

[TR3driver]

I believe that on the later cars (without the shutoff valve), it's just a length of plain fuel line hose between the hard line to the tank and the hard line to the pump. 5/16" od IIRC, available at FLAPS or P/N 115784 @ TRF. Originally no clamps, but I suggest adding them (I believe even TRA accepts them as a non-penalty "safety" item).

The hard line to the pump is ordinary 5/16" od fuel (or brake) line, terne coated steel. Should be readily available at FLAPS. About 8" or so IIRC, with a gradual bend of about 30 degrees. TRF has the nut listed 60142, but I managed to find one at FLAPS.

The tricky part is the sleeve. The original sleeves had a different profile than modern sleeves do, and the ones I've bought from both TRF & Moss in the past were not right. Modern sleeves are tapered at both ends, while the original was flat on the end next to the nut and only tapered on the end that goes into the pump. The extra taper slides up inside the nut and effectively makes the sleeve so short that it will not seal properly before the nut bottoms into the threads in the pump. Overtightening the nut (in an attempt to stop the leak) can actually break the pump casting! That's been some years ago, so it's possible they have had sleeves made in the correct pattern, but I doubt it. Custom made parts would cost a lot more than $.50.

Several approaches you can try to deal with that. On my (previous) TR3A, I carefully filed the last thread off of the nut, so it could go deeper into the pump and compress a modern sleeve (readily available at Home Depot, etc). Another approach is to wrap teflon tape, or valve packing, around the line between the nut & sleeve. Perhaps the most elegant solution is written up here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2H2NJt34OffODA0ZmI4YTItNDhiZC00YmMzLTllOTUtZWVjN2U5MTUzZjA3

 

[Geo Hahn]

It won't look correct -- but I drove for years with a pump that had a brass barbed fitting threaded into it there. Probably had a taper thread. The car came to me like that so I cannot say if it was a common hardware store item (though I suspect it was).

 

[TR3driver]

It won't look correct -- but I drove for years with a pump that had a brass barbed fitting threaded into it there. Probably had a taper thread. The car came to me like that so I cannot say if it was a common hardware store item (though I suspect it was).

My current TR3 had the same thing when I got it. The threads don't actually match, but the NPT threads on the brass fitting apparently jammed into the pump threads well enough to not leak.

 

[Vaark01]

Thanks for the great advice and help everyone. I plan to work on the fix this week.

Paul

 

[CJD]

I took mine to a hydraulic shop and had them duplicate the braided steel line.

 

[Kleykamp]

Interesting, Mine has a flare on the fuel pump end of the 5/16 steel pipe and has no brass sleeve. The threaded fitting tightens down on the flare and I have no problems. Just recently changed the fuel line rubber hose because of cracks in the old one. My car is a '61.