Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

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anotherbluebus
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Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by anotherbluebus » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:26 pm

My son was driving his bus this evening. Called from the side of the road. The bus acting like it's out of gas. He's near the bottom of a steep hill sort of out in the country & I'm thinking he killed & flooded it. Not far away, so I grab the gas can (just in case) and head out. I get there, smell raw gas and check the engine compartment first. Thank goodness. The fuel line had come off the side of the carburetor. Not only that, the fitting was still attached to the hose. What's the right way to fix this? I have a fresh batch of JB Weld, but not sure if it should be used for this. Particulars: '69 bus with bone stock 1600.

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hambone
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Re: Carb close call... now what?

Post by hambone » Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:21 pm

Knurl the brass fitting up rough with pliers, vice grips whatever. Rub a bit of super glue cyanocrylate stuff around, then tap it into place with a small hammer. Good to go.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
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SlowLane
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Re: Carb close call... now what?

Post by SlowLane » Fri Sep 30, 2011 10:59 pm

Then safety-wire it in place. Look up Bob Hoover's sermon on the pitfalls of installling an aftermarket fuel filter between the pump and the carb: http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/2006 ... lters.html
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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Amskeptic
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Re: Carb close call... now what?

Post by Amskeptic » Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:58 am

SlowLane wrote:Then safety-wire it in place. Look up Bob Hoover's sermon on the pitfalls of installling an aftermarket fuel filter between the pump and the carb: http://bobhooversblog.blogspot.com/2006 ... lters.html
As importantly, note that the brass fitting gets loose in the carb due to manhandling the hose when trying to get it off.
A) People overclamp the clamp.
B) The hose gets majorly stuck on the brass nipple.
C) Then people jerk and twist the hose and that tears the brass out of the potmetal.

We should be putting on only correct 5mm hose and either not clamping it or only clamping it lightly. Then, if the hose has to come off, a light twist only to break it free, or slice with a razor blade and replace.

Once a repair is necessary, knurl the brass with visegrips, clean the hole in the carb and the nipple with a good grease-stripper cleaner and superglue as Hambone mentioned, clamp lightly, and tie with wire that is anchored under a nearby carb screw, like SlowLane mentioned. Don't be overtightening stuff ... it will not help prevent fuel leaks caused by a myriad of other prior screw-ups

I am so glad a fire did not ensue.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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SlowLane
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Re: Carb close call... now what?

Post by SlowLane » Sun Oct 02, 2011 11:37 am

Once again, Colin provides the Full Answer, Compleat With Rationale, In Easily Digestible Format.

I'm not being facetious. Hats off to you, sir. You are the consummate educator.
'81 Canadian Westfalia (2.0L, manual), now Californiated

"They say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance."
- Terry Pratchett

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hambone
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by hambone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 6:03 pm

Just worked on a Type1 dual port TODAY with a loose brass fitting into the carb. It could be spun around like a loose fuel hose.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Amskeptic
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:40 pm

hambone wrote:Just worked on a Type1 dual port TODAY with a loose brass fitting into the carb. It could be spun around like a loose fuel hose.
What can you tell us to edify the readership as to your repair technique of this dangerous issue?
This is not a show-and-tell blog.
Forum Manny
(did I hit the "strong personality" thang just right?)
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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hambone
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by hambone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 9:55 pm

Show and tell blog? What the hell, this was a reminder of a dangerous issue. This bus would have caught on fire within a year.

From 2011 above
Knurl the brass fitting up rough with pliers, vice grips whatever. Rub a bit of super glue cyanocrylate stuff around, then tap it into place with a small hammer. Good to go.

-Realtime Ron
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Amskeptic
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:00 pm

hambone wrote:Show and tell blog? What the hell, this was a reminder of a dangerous issue. This bus would have caught on fire within a year.

From 2011 above
Knurl the brass fitting up rough with pliers, vice grips whatever. Rub a bit of super glue cyanocrylate stuff around, then tap it into place with a small hammer. Good to go.

-Realtime Ron
So you are saying that it was a public courtesy "bump".
Colin :bom:

(if it was really loose, I would not rely on our knurling and cyanocrylic sauce. Are there any "oversize" brass nipples that might require a move up to 5/16"s hose? This bus, is it a customer's? Then you want to be solidly certain. And you do not want to crunch the fuel clamp onto the hose that is gripping the nipple. Damndest thing here, is we know that the 5mm hose knew exactly what to do with the provided nipple. What happens if you have to put in an oversize nipple? Then, it is a guess . . .

Ron, do you think you can thread and tap a threaded fitting with a suitable fuel hose nipple?
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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hambone
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by hambone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:08 pm

Did I do something wrong? What am I missing here?

I have had good luck with this on many different Solexes over the years, with good long lasting results.
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

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Amskeptic
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:14 pm

hambone wrote:Did I do something wrong? What am I missing here?

I have had good luck with this on many different Solexes over the years, with good long lasting results.
How loose was it in the carburetor? I have never used a carburetor that had an actually "loose" brass nipple. I have had carbs where I was most likely the first person to rip it loose of the pot metal, and in those instances, yes, a first repair of knurling and loctite type sauce seemed to work (with a baling wire wrap around the fuel hose clamp and over to another carburetor screw to make extra-cautious certain.
But if I was dealing with something that was clearly loose, then do not think a nice tap that makes it stick in the back of the bore is going to hold up through temperatures and vibrations and knuckleheads ripping at hoses.
Colin
BobD - 78 Bus . . . 112,730 miles
Chloe - 70 bus . . . 217,593 miles
Naranja - 77 Westy . . . 142,970 miles
Pluck - 1973 Squareback . . . . . . 55,600 miles
Alexus - 91 Lexus LS400 . . . 96,675 miles

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hambone
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by hambone » Wed Feb 06, 2013 10:22 pm

I DID make a knurly mess of the brass fitting, and it took considerable tapping to get it to seat.
It's a fairly new carb even...I will safety wire too.
That Gorrilla Glue Cyano is pretty powerful stuff. Purportedly contains RUBBER!!!!!!!
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
it balances on your head just like a mattress balances on a bottle of wine
your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat

72Hardtop
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Location: Seattle, WA./HB. Ca./Shizuoka, Japan
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Re: Carburetor Brass Fuel Nipple Fire Danger

Post by 72Hardtop » Fri Jun 02, 2017 11:20 pm

The following is perfect for such task:

http://na.henkel-adhesives.com/industri ... -13227.htm
1972 Westy tintop
2056cc T-4 - 7.8:1 CR
Weber 40mm Duals - 47.5idles, 125mains, F11 tubes, 190 Air corr., 28mm Vents
96mm AA Biral P/C's w/Hastings rings
42x36mm Heads (AMC- Headflow Masters) w/Porsche swivel adjusters
71mm Stroke
Web Cam 73 w/matched Web lifters
S&S 4-1 exhaust w/Walker 17862 quiet-pack
Pertronix SVDA w/Pertronix module & Flamethrower 40K coil (7* initial 28* total @3200+)
NGK BP6ET plugs
002 3 rib trans
Hankook 185R14's

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