No longer a virgin - and it hurts!

[Sparky]

Hiya. Finally got around to investigating the awful fuel smell. Working according to a very informative article, and following extensive searches on this site, I dismantled the necessary. Trouble is, I have TWO pipes running left to right under the carpet! I've only found reference to one in all topics/articles written.

The good news is both pipes are severed on the left, and one is severely cracked on the right. One routes as described, whilst the other descends past the engine on the right hand side. I haven't gone searching for the other end of it yet.

Confused? Yeah. Fun? Hell, yeah. But - any advice regarding two pipes?

[Simon350S]

I got 2 pipes also mate, can take a few pics so you can see where they go.

Think it's just down to the year of build.

Simon

[Sparky]

Hi Simon. That'd be great - yes please!

It all looks pretty straightforward except for 2 items - I have a T junction on the left, and one pipe just disappears vertically on the right. Trid to get a look where it goes, but just can't get down there.

Maybe 3 issues actually - the new hose will be tough to hide under the carpet. Lucky I bought a 5m reel though!

[Sparky]

Duh. What a tool.

I've done a quick fix, stripping out all existing pipes and fitting a single replacement between tanks. So, can anyone tell me whether the second pipe is necessary? I finally got my hand down and found that it just vents to atmosphere.

Made one silly mistake though. Spent over half an hour trying to figure out why the engine wouldn't start afterwards. Turned out the fuel cutoff (which has a snag wire attached to it) had tripped - I must have yanked it whilst scrambling around. Huge relief when it started, and much celebration when I drove her around and couldn't smell fuel any more (well, maybe a tiny whiff once or twice).

Simon - this doesn't mean I don't want the photos. I'd really appreciate the comparison. Thanks!

[andydclements]

Re the second pipe, you need it, there's no real question of that, i guess what you're asking is can it go elsewhere?

It needs to go to the outside, not the cabin area, and not to the partially sealed trunk area. You need it to be away from the engine electrics , particularly started and alternator, and ideally not too close to the exhaust.

I think aside from that it's up to you, personally, I'd just route it the way Lotus did unless it's an absolute PITA.

Andy