I am quickly become very familiar with my 308, but not by choice... After I took her for the "headlight" test ride (separate thread) I noticed a fuel smell when I came back in my garage after 10 minutes. Closer inspection under the car showed a small puddle under the car and fuel dripping from the right (passenger side), just in front of the rear wheel. After uttering some profanity (which I will not repeat in writing), I found the source of the leak (the return hose to the passenger side tank). So last night I read every thread I could find here on Fchat and decided to repair her first thing today. I started this morning at 10AM (a little sleepy from watching the Chinese F1 race at 3AM this morning) and just got done at 4PM, so it took me a while (I never rush on my F car.) The hardest part was to remove and reinstall the fuel hose on the lower (fuel tank) side. It connects on top of the tank (by the fire wall) behind the AC compressor and it is REALLY tight to get your hands in there (I loosened the tank strap to create some more space). I now have cut and scraped hands, but she is all back together and running fine. No more leaks anywhere. I did not order a fuel line kit, but just bought several feet of 5/16" fuel line at Autozone, which worked fine for me. I also used it to replaced all the evaporative hoses, which were far easier to do than the fuel return line itself. The "intimidation factor" is quickly wearing off now that I have been in and under my car a few times. She reminds me of the Alfa's I have worked on and once you forget that she is an exotic Ferrari, the work quickly become like working on any other italian car. It's a fun hobby and I love the satisfaction each time after I have fixed her or improved her. Thank you all for the excellent posts and examples on this forum! GJV
Well done, you It is great to finally start seeing the beautiful simplicity of these cars. I'm glad to read that you took care of the fuel lines right away. I don't have leaks, but I do need to take care of those hoses.
GJV, I am glad to hear you find the leak in time. What was the cause of the leak, a bad clamp, hose degradation? From your post it appears that you only replaced that fuel line. If that hose was leaking you can bet others won't be far behind. I would recommend replacing all fuel line related hoses for peace of mind. There are a few good threads on the subject with hose lengths and sizes noted. I know what you mean by tight spaces and scraped knuckles. I had a few when I replaced my lines as well. FYI, It is an easier job when you remove the rear lid, in the event you didn't.
That hose is a pretty common problem. Replaced mine a few years ago. The nipple come out of the tank straight up and the hose has to make a 90 degree turn right under the frame. Not much room. Usually, over time the edge of the nipple rubs through the hose. It is a poor design. The nipple should have a 90 degree bend in it so the hose would be straight. No sign of "chemical" degradation in my case. Just friction at work. Bet that was the problem here.
Yes, it did just that. It rubbed agains the metal end of the AC line and went all the way through. I actually made my new hose a little longer than the original one, so I could route it in such a way that it wouldn't touch any thing else. I enjoyed getting to know my car better today GJV
I'm starting to dig into the car to do all the hoses. In my inspection of the fuel-return line, I see this routing (see pictures). The hose doesn't appear to be rubbing against the AC line on the right or top, but it is rather close on the left side of the hose: About 1mm gap, no more and I can just make out a faint scuff on the hose where it might rub under certain circumstances. Try as I might, I cannot find the TSB you're referring to which describes the new routing... With my compliments, perhaps a smidge of your wisdom David? If I were to guess, I'd say use a longer hose and go over the AC lines all together... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Jeff, the hose look fine. You can leave in place. To prevent rubbing, use zip ties to hold in place and consider using an old hose or rubber between the hose and the zip ties.
GJV, as noted, if one hose has gone bad, others won't be far behind. It is really important to change all the fuel lines, especially the "forgotten" ones down low on the driver's side around the fuel pump, as well as the two large cross-over hoses on the pipes between the tanks just forward of the front exhaust. Also, the hose from the filler neck to the driver's side tank is a known problem, and should be changed while you are at it. My suggestion would be to drive the car and run the fuel down as low as possible in the tanks. You can then remove the outlet hose on the fuel pump and use the pump to drain the remaining gas into a container. Just remember that there will still be some gas in both tanks, so be very careful. Best to do it outside, if possible, and make sure you have fire extinguishers at the ready, just in case. No Ferrarista immolation, please!! There are plenty of threads on how to change the hoses and sources for the hoses you will need. IMHO, you are fine with good quality hose from NAPA or other good auto parts store. Just buy the best quality hose you can. The filler neck and cross-over hoses are usually the problem, as most auto stores don't carry those sizes of fuel hose. But you can find them at a good marine supply store. Let us know how it goes and welcome to the club!!!!
