Leaking fuel (need advice)

New Copper washer gaskets on each side of the banjo fitting should fix the leak, but it might be leaking at the joint between the check valve and the fuel pump.so replace that Copper washer gasket, too.

 

You are like oracle of the 308/328 world…maybe others and I just don’t know yet. True godsend…and this wasn’t even my problem.

 

Did you just swap in the new accumulator last year with the other stuff in place? That connector pipe is somewhat fussy in fit, and I suspect that if you hadn't removed the pipe from the pump and reinstalled with new copper washers on the banjo fitting, it could have been tweaked/stressed and loosened up the banjo joint over time. I agree with Steve, I'd disassemble everything and replace all copper washers there and make sure the pipe fit between the pump and the accumulator is relaxed and not under stress when everything is put back into the mounting sled.

The fuel hose from the tank to the pump on my 328 was hard/brittle and had lost all flexibility. The ends where it attached to the tank and pump were all gummed up with white residue (presumably ethanol damage).

 

Good thing you're changing that fuel tank to pump hose - at this age of the car, EVERY rubber and plastic fuel line should be changed if they haven't already been done. Original rubber/plastic fuel hoses will all be hard and brittle and can start leaking randomly.

Gordon

 

If the banjo fitting of the pipe tries to rotate when loosening nut #78 = indicates that the check valve is not tight into the fuel pump. You'll need to hold the banjo fitting with another tool (like some type of pliers) when loosening nut #78 to prevent putting any torque on the connector pipe.

 

Thats a very common leak. Its a product of having stress in the pipe put there during assembly and the stress loosening the check valve from the pump.

Also the pipes get broken, bent, kinked regularly during assembly.
Tighten the valve in the pump first, and keeping the pipe as correctly clocked as possible tighten the pipe on the accumulator.
Then with the pump not tightened in its clamp so it can turn, tighten the cap nut on the pump trying to keep the pump from turning. Then tighten the pump clamp.
You do not want to bend the pipe and you do not want to assemble with and stresses on the pipe or it will happen again.

 

When loosening I do it with a quick blast from an air gun. It will shock the cap nut loose. It is just not possible to hold the check valve tight enough to avoid its turning when wrenches are used. The pump design just prevents getting a good hold with a wrench. I also advocate removal from accumulator first, removing pump from mounting plate and with a rag holding the pipe and not the pump. In my experience it has the best chance of getting it apart without damaging the pipe.

 

It should be fairly easy to keep the pump/accu from rotating when tightening the nuts. Just make sure the surfaces facing the copper washers are flat with no radial hair lines or dents. The threads should be flawless too. Try to sand the surfaces carefully flat against the surrounding surface, but not more.

I dont really trust copper washers are annealed properly. Anneal them with a torch until glowing red. Let cool slowly. Sand them flat on both sides with fine sanding paper. Usually I just put a piece of sandpaper on a flat surface and use my fingers moving the washer in circular motion until flat. Use a black pen on the washer to see when the washer is flat and has no radial hairlines. Some may say this is overkill, but it is easy, cheap and will make the assembly really easy.