generator gas line

[The General]

Hi Don,

Sorry to say that the problem is in your last 12"
After all these years he hose is so degraded it will either collapse or leak air into the hose instead of fuel. Dropping the tank is the only way.
Disconnect the fat fuel hose, from the fill-up inlet to the tank and syphon all fuel out of tank.

AND

Steve

[mgscott4]

I second that. I had the same problem on my 2002 Fleetwood Flair in 2010. On mine, there was a 4" ruber piece connected to the tank nipple at the top of the tank and a hard line back almost to the generator with a 2 foot rubber line to the fuel pump filter. The 4" piece on top of the tank had a crack. I could blow bubbles in the tank but could not get enough suction from the pump. I had to lower the tank. I used cloth wrapped aircraft rubber fuel line all the way from the tank to the generator pump.

Lowering the tank was not so bad. 2 floor jacks and lower the front drivers side corner until I could reach the top fitting. I had to remove the fill hose from the tank and plugged the opening to not spill fuel out. I only had about 10 gallons in it at the time. Did not have disconnect the engine fuel line or wiring harness because I only lowered the tank a few inches. Make shure you get the rubber on the tank straps in place so it doesn't rub metal on metal.

[dieselclacker]

I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank.

Dieselclacker

[The General]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank. Dieselclacker

Dieselclacker,

Your solution is truly creative and practical.

Bravo

Steve

[pkmesser]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank. Dieselclacker

Dieselclacker, I like your idea, (I've had two motorhomes before with the same problem. One of them, I dropped the tank myself, the other, Fleetwood covered.)
How did you know how far down into the tank your line has gone? One thought I have, would be to put a heavier brass fitting on the end of the inserted fuel line, to weight it down. There is probably other good ideas out there too. Don't necessarily blame pack rats, manufacturers have been buying cheap fuel line from Mexico, 3-4 years it looks like it had been out in the desert for 50, the RV place that did the one for me that Fleetwood paid for, said they got a lot of them in, and it was all the same Mexican fuel line.
What is the best line to buy? This is a big enough problem if you have to drop the tank, you sure don't want to skimp on the replacement line.

I have thought about buying an external fuel pump to carry in the event the internal chassis one fails. This could be the way to hook it up too. I am low milage yet, but won't be that way forever.

[DonBren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank. Dieselclacker

A very clever idea, I might try it as a permanent fix, thanks all for the comments, Don.

[speed racer]

The line doesn't go down in the tank it goes to a fitting on top of the tank and a metal tube goes 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the tank.

[dieselclacker]

I used the black 1/4 inch line that is used to connect up oil pressure gauges, don't know what it is made of, but gasoline does not affect it. As for knowing depth in tank, more or less just a guess, I blew thru the line by mouth, I knew the approximate level of fuel that was in the tank at the time, and inserted it a few more inches after I detected the fuel level. I suspect the inserted line curls a rather than going in straight down. I have ran the generator engine with the fuel tank showing below 1/4 tank.

Speedracer, I didn't insert the new line via the original pickup line, I went thru the tank vent line.

Dieselclacker

[DonBren]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank. Dieselclacker

I am considering your temporary turned permanent method to my problem. I did purchase about 10 feet of coated 1/4 inch gas line, hoping it would slide into the half inch Y and vent line. I am having a little problem locating a Y connection you mentioned. I did not search too much but did look in some home improvement stores. Is this something you made or did you actually purchase it somewhere, and also curious as to what type of material it is made from.

[max49]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker I had the same problem about 4 years ago and took a different approach. I fashioned a y fitting clamped into the 1/2 inch vent hose for the tank, and then inserted a 1/4 inch nylon fuel line like a catheter through the vent line and into the tank. I did this as a temporary repair, but it has worked so well that I have not bothered to drop the tank and do the proper fix. I think a pack rat chewed into the line on top of the tank. Dieselclacker

Another thinking "outside the box" Brilliant idea! I wish we could stickie these for when the rest of us need it . Very clever DC

[dieselclacker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonBren I am considering your temporary turned permanent method to my problem. I did purchase about 10 feet of coated 1/4 inch gas line, hoping it would slide into the half inch Y and vent line. I am having a little problem locating a Y connection you mentioned. I did not search too much but did look in some home improvement stores. Is this something you made or did you actually purchase it somewhere, and also curious as to what type of material it is made from.

DonBren,

I made the Y connection from a 4 inch piece of 1/2 outside diameter plastic tubing. I had an old piece laying around the garage that originally was the vacuum line for a brake booster. I drilled a hole the same size as the diameter of the fuel line tubing (1/4 inch) on a slight angle. I cut thru the 1/2 inch tank vent line about 18-24 inches back from where it enters the top of the tank. I then inserted the fuel line tubing thru the drilled 1/4 inch hole in the plastic tubing, and out the end of it. I then inserted the 1/4 tubing into the vent line, and into the fuel tank. After determining the desired position from the tank bottom by blowing thru the inserted fuel line, O then slid the 1/2 tubing down the 1/4 inch fuel line until it could be inserted and clamped into the vent line. I then inserted and clamped the opposite end of the plastic tubing into the other end of the vent hose.
I intended this to be a temporary fitting also, but have never gotten around to making one out of metal. I intend to eventually use some 1/2 copper tubing and maybe a 1/4 inch compression union.

A word of caution here, gasoline can and will leak where the 1/4 inch hole is drilled into the 1/2 tubing. It will only leak a small amount when you fill your tank, and top it off which fills the vent line. I used some goop to seal the connection.
I'm not much of a wordsmith, so feel free to ask if something is not clear to you.

Dieselclacker

[max49]

I like pictures. JK, kinda. U. Have a 1/4" ID Line inside a 1/2" ID vent line? There's still enough room in there for the tank to vent?

[dieselclacker]

Quote:

Originally Posted by max49 I like pictures. JK, kinda. U. Have a 1/4" ID Line inside a 1/2" ID vent line? There's still enough room in there for the tank to vent?

Plenty of room Max, it vents very well.

Dieselclacker


P.S. Max, Hellwig suspensions made a transverse leaf spring kit for the front of P-30 chassis motorhomes, don't know if they ever made one for the wider P-32. The kit tied the two lower A arms together via a transverse leaf spring. It really stiffened up the suspension, lifted the front end, and took a lot of the sway away from the stock suspension. I installed it on the two P-30 chassis that I owned, and liked the way it made the coach handle. I checked thier catalogue, and it is not listed. Just something to ponder, I heard you mention that your coach suspension was too soft on another thread.

Dieselclacker

[DriVer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dieselclacker Plenty of room Max, it vents very well. Dieselclacker P.S. Max, Hellwig suspensions made a transverse leaf spring kit for the front of P-30 chassis motorhomes, don't know if they ever made one for the wider P-32. The kit tied the two lower A arms together via a transverse leaf spring. It really stiffened up the suspension, lifted the front end, and took a lot of the sway away from the stock suspension. I installed it on the two P-30 chassis that I owned, and liked the way it made the coach handle. I checked their catalog, and it is not listed. Just something to ponder, I heard you mention that your coach suspension was too soft on another thread.

Believe it or not .. you can call Mike Bronzini at Redlands and he might be able to advise you as to what would be a good suspension option for the P series. He's been there and done that several dozens of times. I understand that the coil springs (remove air cylinders) make a big difference in how the machine handles.