Fuel leak at top of pump

[Dan6457]

Another day of delorean ownership heartache.

I popped off the rubber cover on the fuel pump today to double check all is well before finally putting the covers back on under the bonnet. I find the fuel pump boot full of fuel up to the wires for the pump.

So out comes the pump, off with the barb and check valve and refitted them with fresh copper washers. Then back into the tank with new fuel hoses from the pump to the fuel lines. Start the engine and ran it for about 10 mins. I then checked in the boot and although it appears dry you can feel wet all round the fittings on the top of the pump.

Does anyone have any tips on how to seal these buggers up as I am quickly loosing my patients with this. :evil:

Dan

[Tourettes Tony]

my advise is check it for any grit between the seals and make sure everything is nice and tight, give it a day to settle as mine was the same. Or start smoking and claim on your insurance :lol: TT

[steve.s]

hi

i went to great lengths to sort this.

make sure of course you use new copper washers.

now a had specialTauto's bent banjo which had a hose hoseclipped on

after a few minutes engine cut out and petrol pouring over the tank and under the car....a panic moment!.

so in the end i ordered a banjo with 45 degree exit, which then has a compression screw fitting onto the fuel line. Worked a treat, and there is no way it will blow the fuel line off.
company is speedflow.co.uk and very helpfull.
they supply all hoses etc, crimped if required.

hope this helps.

Regards

Steve
vin 1621

to me all D's need this as the pump exit is a major week point and potential catastrophy

[Rissy]

Due to a bit of an electrical issue, causing me to cut out on the motorway twice yesterday, I located the problem to be one of the wires to the fuel pump, and a dodgy earth. I don't think the earth was really causing me to cut out, only the pump power wire.

Anyway, When I took the top fuel pump boot off to get at the wires, to disconnect them and repair them, I noticed that, although not submerged, the bottom of the visible part of the pump was wet with fuel, and was obviously splashing on the terminals for the wires etc.

Looks as though it's been like this a while. The leak, although only small, appears to be coming in through the hole where one of the pipes (not sure if it's the feed or the return) goes from the inner area next to the pump/connections and the tank. It appears the snugness of this pipe/hole isn't as snug as one would hope...

So, my question is, is this truly dangerous as hell, and should get fixed a.s.a.p (since there is a mix of fuel vapour/fuel fluid and electrical connections to what is essentially an electric motor in there) or is it found to be quite a common find, and no recorded incidents from such a situation??

Advice please...

[The Hoopers]

This is a problem that is very difficult to resolve. We have had the problem for a number of years.
Steve Wynne has recognised the issue and has just launched a completely new arrangement which has the pump, lines, support ring, baffle and fuel level sender sealed in one complete unit which does away with the problem of the wires coming out of the boot. I have just purchased the new unit ( it isn't cheap, US$400) and will be fitting it when I get back home to the UK at the beginning of July. It looks a very professional bit of kit and just drops into the existing hole in the top of the tank. The clamp is a real meaty affair a long way from the old jubilee clip arrangement.
Looking at Houston's web site they do not appear to be offering this kit yet so the Delorean Car Show at Orlando may have been the launch.
I will let everyone know how I get on with fitting it and its performance.

Mike

[Rissy]

Thanks Mike.

Needless to say then that if people are having this issue all over the place, and because we've not had any recorded occurrences of vehicles exploding as a result, that it's considered "safe" to continue using the car, as it is, but have in mind to fix when able to afford.....? Like I say, it seems that LEX has also been like this for some time. I'm wondering if it's only leaking in when the tank is filled right to the top.....?

[The Hoopers]

Rissy,

My car only leaks when I fill it to the brim. For quite a while I have only been filling it three quarters full to negate the leak. Trouble is it is a nuisance as one has to keep stopping for fuel.
I will take some photos of the new unit before I install it and post them on the forum.
Mike

[Guinney1971]

will the new fuel sender also be more accurate then the old 'remanufactured improved' ones?

Is the new sender a 'linear' read out or a 'stepped one' using microswitches like the old one
(Phill's wording) - if its stepped one, has it got more contact points to make it more accurate?

I hate my sender, I might as well not have one its so utterly random.

[stunned_monkey]

The supply line is the one coming off the top of the pump and is under 5 bar pressure. The return line is the one going back through the side of the boot and is under low pressure.

There are two leak sources - one is the union on the top of the pump which can be a bugger to seal but should be chased until it does. Chris, if your hoses are hard black ones, they're the originals I got from DMC back when I was putting lex back on the road in 2001. I now use high pressure rubber hose as it's much easier to seal.

The other leak source is where the return line goes back through the side of the boot. origially there would have been a metal spring clip there but I've long since replaced that with a simple zip-tie, tightened down with narrow nosed pliers as it gives a much tighter grip around that pipe and consequently a more reliable seal. Chris, I don't know if I ever did that on Lex.

Fuel won't burn without an ignition source and air. Even with the terminals on top of the pump, they have no reason to spark and with the cover fitted, no ready source of air. The fuel actually flows through the electric motor inside the fuel pump.

[Rissy]

I'm pretty sure my leak is the return line through the side of the inner boot.

I'm also pretty sure my lines are hard black ones. I could take a photo when i'm next in there, as a reminder and indication.

I suspected the same thing. Even though there might be a small leak into the inner boot, I wasn't overly worried about any explosion risk etc, since it's been like that probably since I bought the car, and it being a sealed area away from air etc.

My memory from last week tells me that the return line is simply disappearing through a hole in the inner boot, with some attempt at what looks like silicone sealant round there, which has now gone orange in colour. The hose was capable of sliding in and out of that hole as I was trying to slide the outer boot up the length of the feed and return line hoses, to get access to taking the pump power supply cable off, for cleaning and repair.

Martin, I've tried to call your old number I had on my phone. Seems no longer connected. Then tried your number as shown on your site, twice, but only getting your voice mail. I don't know if i've been succeeding in getting through to you, since you've not been answering, or getting back to me. Just wanted to chat a wee bit on the phone, and also, find out about the possibility of me bringing the old girl round to yours on Sunday 29th July. I've definitely got my plans for that week booked off work, and so does the g/f Sarah now. So still hoping to meet you in the flesh, and show you the car, and talk upgrading/chassis off job etc with you. It's a bit of a trip down your way, so can honestly say I'm pretty sure i'll not be down that way much at all, and even less availability to have the car with me too. Perfect opportunity next month though. Anyway, I'll let you get back to me. My number is 07717454140. Same as always.