Little worrying

[wheels-inmotion]

I'm one week old with the Esprit so a little virgin to the straits of the car, nevertheless i'm concerned with the strong smell of fuel when the engine is on boost! It's so strong i have to open the windows and roof..... Any ideas or am i destined to die in a fiery news worthy explosion.

[matk]

Fear not. It's almost certainly split breather pipes that run over the top of the rear window in the engine bay. They are renowned for perishing, splitting and allowing fuel vapour into the cabin.

If you use the search facility there are many prev threads about it, including what to replace them with. It's not a difficult job.

Fingers crossed.............

PS can you post up what Esprit model it is so the mod team can move the post into the correct tech area. You'll get a better response that way.

[Loteuk]

Tank vent hoses are probably perished - 6m of clear plastic that is routed form each filler pipe, under the tailgate hinges and linked with tee hoses.

Likely cause of fire in the engine bay.

Just done a set on my S3t

[andydclements]

Worth checking all the pipes, breather pipes are the usual culprits as they degrade and break up with prolonged exposure to fuel (I know, why use it with fuel? But they did). You'll find those when you remove the trim panels in the rear of the car, inside from where the fillers are.

As you state it's while on boost, that brings other options into play, check for leaks around carbs, should show up as it would clear away the lacquer that forms, so there would be a clean(ish) area on your carbs.

Also loom at fuel delivery pipes, mainly near the carbs, but ideally all the way back to the tank.

I hope you find the reason for the smell by that point, if you don't, put your hand up the big (4-5 inch) hole in the body that is under the tanks (access from beneath the car, just in front of the rear wheels) and ascertain if they feel wet. Hope they don't.

Edited April 20, 2010 by andydclements

[Loteuk]

Beat me to it Matt- how are you?

[wheels-inmotion]

Oh dear.... I have a full service history for this car that dates back to 1991 with loads of warnings and things to watch for, seemingly the transfer pipe along the bulkhead is an issue, i'll check that as a matter of urgency.

Another worrying point was seemingly there's a foam blanket around the fuel tanks that invites moisture/ corrosion, peppering the cells with rust, would it be wise i remove these blankets or are these a vital part of the safety feature?

Sorry for all the questions but the smell of fuel in the cabin is quite worrying.

[matk]

If your tanks are OK now I wouldn't try to remove the foam. The bottom foam won't come out unless you remove the tank in the first place, which is a pig of a job, so live and let live, unless of course the tanks are already leaking.

If you ever need any major engine work though, consider pulling the engine and doing all the tank work at the same time. If something like a clutch or manifold goes it's the sort of job to do at that point.

Tony, yep, we've just exchanged PMs, I'm well mate.

[superdavelotus]

Hi Tony,

Sorry to hear about your troubles with fuel smell. Like all the others say, try the breather hoses.

If you find out that it's the tanks themselves then don't worry too much. I am just in process of sorting out some fixed rate work with a local garage who can do the work straight away. No long delays etc.

For labour only to remove your R/H and refit would be £320 and L/H would be £400. This is on provision that there is another tank wating to put back in. They can do work and finish in 1 day. If it's the case of taking the foam out from underneather a good tank and maybe giving it another coat of paint then it maybe an option.

Personally, I'd wait until the tanks acutally start leaking.

Regards,

David Walters

[Choppa]

Did mine two weeks ago, brought 6 metres of plastic fuel line from a local "one man band" lawnmower repair place. The owner was amazed when I turned up in the Esprit and tickled pink that he'd been able to supply the pipe to fix the problem.

[wheels-inmotion]

Thanks for the replies everyone, i appreciate your time and knowledge on the topic.