‘84 308 Euro QV Won’t start - replace accumulator, lessons learned

The ‘84 308 Euro had to sit for 6 months but started right up so we drove it 30 miles to breakfast at the Donut Hole near Seaside. That’s a hint if your in the Panama City/Fort Walton Beach/Destin area. But it took much cranking after sitting for an hour. Got home, put it on the lift and realized my accumulator was peeing.
Lessons:
1. Remove the entire fuel pump & accumulator assembly with the bracket, do not attempt to separate the fuel pump and accumulator while in the car. You will bend the bracket & destroy the connecting pipe - expensive and difficult to find.
2. Euro’s do not have a hose return on the accumulator tell-tale pipe. On US models this is plumbed back to the gas tank so a failure of the accumulator is less obvious and symptoms that are common to other fuel system failures may send you in the wrong direction.
3. Suggest Verell Boaen at Unobtanium Supply for a pump to accumulator replacement hose.
4. I was frustrated trying to find an accumulator, got an exact duplicate (brand, appearance, fit) from Rock Auto and for a better price and quick delivery.
5. I had to bleed my accumulator by removing the out hose that goes to the fuel filter and run the pump. Evidently I had an air lock in the new accumulator.
6. To run the pump continuously at least on an ‘84 Euro, move the air cleaner box out of the way to get access to the fuel pump plug on the distribution manifold and unplug that electical connection then turn on your ignition but do not start the engine.
7. If you have a 308, a four post lift will pay for itself a dozen times a year.

 

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Flash32: Good idea:
The pump to accumulator hose: Unobtanium Supply K-JETFPACC-Kit, $34.87 plus tax and shipping. I made contact by emailing Verell at [email protected]

The accumulator: Rock Auto BOSCH 0438170004, $190.79 plus tax and shipping. I did this order on line https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ferrari,1984,308+gts,3.0l+v8,1299809,fuel+&+air,fuel+accumulator,6048

 

As an anal engineer I normally take things apart to understand how they work. Here is a picture of the accumulator cut open. This is a large and very strong spring. I did have cracks in the diaphragm that allowed fuel to leak thru and out the pee tube.

 

Diaphragm likely could (if you can find one) but the can is put together by a heavy crimp that I cut off with a wheel and you would have to squeeze the can against a strong spring while you install a new crimp and maintain a seal on the body. I doubt you could repair the accumulator for less than what a new one costs. Now that we know several other cars use the same accumulator, I suspect you can find it for even less that the $190 I paid. I wonder how many have torn into other aspects of their fuel systems when it was just the accumulator, particularly US models that have the tell tale pee tube plumbed back to the gas tank?