Corroded Fuel Pipes

[cheshiref1]

Hi all,

When i purchased the Teranno just over a month or so ago, it had a small fuel leak from the rear. Nothing major that a bucket didnt sort out when on the drive and in no way detrimental to the fuel consumption when driving......

I decided to check it out today, thinking it may be the tank corroded. But no, it appears to be the fuel pipes. I think it is just the fuel feed pipe, but cannot really tell. I assume as there is more pressure on this line than the return it will be this one!? BUT - they are both bad.

So, 3 questions for you experts :wink:

1. Is it an easy job to replace? I can see that it is a 1-piece item from front to rear and access looks ok, but has anyone any experience?

2. Where can i source the pipes from? Nissan only i assume. Shall i bend over and get the Vaseline ready....

3. OR shall i simply cut the corroded area that is weeping and replace with rubber and new clips???

Be good to hear your thoughts!

Cheers. 8)

 

[Guest]

norm is to replace with rubber if i'm correct, i know a few members have had this problem and sure there is a post in the forums detailing this.

 

[tommo]

Hi
i purchased mine from Nissan and the where only £18 for one and £22 for the other as thay are pre bent thay are a real pig to get in. If i was to do it again i would ether use rubber pipe or bend my own as it would be easier to fit.

 

[Sampraz]

Hi There.

I replaced my fuel lines (both feed and return) with 8mm copper pipe. I know that the feed is supposed to be a slightly larger diameter than the return, but I've had no running problems so far. I used a couple of short lengths of new rubber pipe either end to connect to the tank and the rigid pipes in the engine compartment.

The previous owner had done as you suggested in point 3 and just cut out a section of the pipe and repaced with rubber. It probably worked fine for a while, but a few months after I bought the vehicle, it started to leak fuel further up the pipe. I guess it depends on how much effort / expense you want to put into it, and how long you plan to keep the vehicle.

I found it relatively easy to just bend the copper pipe into shape by hand as I went along, fitting it into the existing clips. There arent too many very tight angles so it isn't too bad a job. The worst bits are at the front of the vehicle where the pipes bend upwards towards the engine compartment and the bit over the rear axle. You should be able to manage it OK though without pipe benders etc, although it would obviously be a bit easier if you had a pipe bender to hand. You just need to be careful not to kink the pipe - especially if using copper as it is fairly soft.

I cut the pipes to roughly the right length, using the old pipes as a template. I left about a foot longer on each pipe and then just cut the excess off once fitted to make sure they weren't too short after they were clipped in.

I know a few people on here have also used plastic pipe or rubber as a replacement, which would probably be easier to shape / fit into the clips. I went for copper thinking that it might be slightly more durable in that it wouldn't perish as rubber might over time. If you get decent quality fuel rated pipe, it really shouldn't matter what material you go for as it should last for a good few years anyway.

You say the corroded fuel lines aren't affecting the running of your vehicle at the moment, but it's worth mentioning that my T2 started to run very rough (cutting out / stalling at low revs) once the fuel feed pipe was corroded bad enough as it started drawing in air. Once I replaced the pipes, it was 100% again, so probably best to get this sorted before it gets any worse.

Good luck with it anyway, however you decide to approach it....

 

[t-jay]

i had same problem about 12 months ago, replaced corroded section with rubber pipes. haven't had any problems since :smile:

 

[Guest]

Hi
seems quite a common problem. I to have a slight leak from the same area, and the pipes are corroded quite badly. going to investigate it further early next week when my work shift allows. hope it is just the pipes and not the tank. This came to light last weak when the clutch pipe was rusted so badly, i lost clutch pedal totally,and it blocked the master cylinder. Replaced the pipe with copper and a new cylinder. glad to say all working ok now. Was planning to use 8mm copper pipe on the fuel lines. do you think that will be ok?
Wayne

 

[andrewk]

3. OR shall i simply cut the corroded area that is weeping and replace with rubber and new clips???

That is exactly what the Isuzu main dealer did when my Trooper developed a similar leak

Cheers
Andrew

 

[cheshiref1]

well just a quick thank you for the above posts!!

I read through them all, weighed up my options and had a very good scout around under the car. In the end, i decided that the pipes running the length of the car were not in too bad condition at all, so i opted for new Fuel Hose from the tank to the original fuel lines, cutting out the corroded sections.

Repair was £16 in parts and 2 hours of my time crawling around under the teranno with a stinking hangover. Job well done in the end and runs like a dream now (i think it was dragging some air in somewhere).

OK - its not going to last another 10 years, but hey-ho, it does the job.

On inspection of the removed pipes, the sidewall of the feed pipe was weeping only very slightly, but the return pipe had a half mm hole in it!! The holes were both in exactly the same place - just where the pipes sit above the fuel tank. They must get covered in mud there and never dry-out. So all cleaned up and after a 150 miles drive yesterday, all tested ok!!

Thanks again. Great site 8)

 

[billyweld]

fuel pipes

i spliced mine and replaced the rotten bit with rubber seems to work ok been on 12 months eventually will replace with rubber or plastic
billyweld

 

[Guest]

I just found a fuel leak, dripping down on the rear offside in front of the wheel. So I popped in here first to see if there were any known fuel leaky issues. Bingo!! , coming here first works every time.