Replacing fuel filter: how much fuel is supposed to spill?

[Georg67]

Hi everyone!

My MY 89 Excel SE seems to have a fuel starvation issue. Run the tank quite low today; after refilling, the car broke down just some minutes later on the motorway with the typical symptoms of fuel starvation. Started up again after some seconds and worked fine. But the procedure repeated twice on the way home.

Starting with the easy fix, I tried to replace the fuel filter. When opening the fuel filter assembly, fuel started Spilling. I did expect that; but after some minutes it was still spilling; about a pint has left the system already and it kept spilling. So I closed the assembly again.

Have I done a mistake? How much fuel is supposed to Spill when taking out the fuel filter?

Thanks for your help!!

Georg

[Hawaiis0]

I havent done it myself, but I've seen a 4 litre ice cream tub in use by a known operator of fine withstanding.

You may want to remove the tops of the carbs off to look for some dirt in there. Just 4 screws, be careful of the floats

[CHRISYD]

when you remove the bowl on the filter, the only fuel that "should" leak out is between filter and carbs (providing the flowlock valve is working) On my éclat, there was also a small filter in the carb itself but not sure if later carbs have it (it was where the fuel pipes fit onto the carb)

[Georg67]

Thanks for your quick replies and help!

Looked again at the whole fuel system set-up; it might also be an issue with that principle of communicating pipes. The fuel filter assembly is located on the height of the bottom of the tank; the fuel level in the tank is higher than in the fuel filter assembly. By opening the assembly first, it might actually drain the tank until the fuel level in the tank has reached the level of the fuel filter. This is at least how it works with my homebuild pond filters

So I took another approach at the second time: took off the fuel pipe (from pump to filter) at the top; only very little fuel spilled. Communicating pipe thus interrupted. Afterwards I opened the bowl of the fuel filter assembly;hardly any spill of fuel; guess, flow lock valve also shutt off the back-flow from the carbs. So, no mess this time!

Fuel filter was covered with some red-brown sludge; replaced it and hopefully issue is solved. Too late for test run today. If not successfull, I need to look at the curbs to see whether some sludge got there as well. Have the lastest version of the Dell Orto (DHLA 45 P); need to find out, whether they have some kind of incoming fuel filter.

[amarshall]

Where is your fuel pump mounted? IIRC, it should be higher than the filter and almost at the height of the top of the tank.

Since the flow goes from tank to pump to filter to flowlock, the only fuel spillage should be from the filter housing the pipes from pump to filter and filter to flowlock.

[Georg67]

Where is your fuel pump mounted? IIRC, it should be higher than the filter and almost at the height of the top of the tank.

Yep, that´s the place!

Just did my test run; she runs fine again! Big relief and a happy owner!

[bash]

There seems to be two fuel pump positions in my experience, mines in the spare wheel well right at the back of the drivers side and the filter is higher and at the drivers side of the fuel tank. The later one that we are working on at the moment has the filter in a similar position but the pump is above it. My next specialist area is how to nail a jelly to the ceiling.

Bash

[CHRISYD]

There seems to be two fuel pump positions in my experience, mines in the spare wheel well right at the back of the drivers side and the filter is higher and at the drivers side of the fuel tank. The later one that we are working on at the moment has the filter in a similar position but the pump is above it. My next specialist area is how to nail a jelly to the ceiling.

Bash

good luck with the last job! Post pics if you do it!

[bash]

I took hobbies like that up because its easier than posting pictures on the forum now so until Ive mastered juggling soot underwater Im not going to attempt posting any pictures, 'a mans got to know his limitations' ( Clint Eastwood).

Bash

[Pete Boole]

Go on punk, post some photos (could be Clint Eastwood )

Pete