unobtainium submersible fuel hose in hand

[AlfaTango1]

I'm thinking that is what I need for my L. About a week ago starting took longer and longer even though cranking was fine now it will not fire. I'm going to pull fuel pump to see if the hose is split.

[mkeith]

MrT- Thanks for the info. I found that a local independent parts house who I buy all my non-Alfa stuff from can get this hose. So, if anyone in the Houston area needs it, call Shaver Auto Parts. That said, I'll still buy the stuff from you if no one else takes it.

AlfaTango1- Test your fuel pressure before tearing into the fuel pump assembly. There are other things that can cause the condition you describe. If it's a split fuel hose in the tank, you will see that fuel pressure will not build quickly under cranking. Also, if you get the motor to fire, fuel pressure will drop to zero very quickly after you shut the motor down. If these conditions do not exist, then your problem maybe elsewhere.

[MrT]

Some folks have found splits hard to see. In the case of the 4" piece on the wife's S, it was very hard to see looking up into the hose. Even after pulling the braid off the outside, you have to twist the hose just right to expose the split (and then you can see it's an inch and a half long). A casual visual inspection, or even one somewhat more intensive than casual, is not guaranteed to reveal even a huge split. Just a note.

Michael

[Alfisto Steve]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlfaTango1 I'm thinking that is what I need for my L. About a week ago starting took longer and longer even though cranking was fine now it will not fire. I'm going to pull fuel pump to see if the hose is split.

[MrT]

I'm even more simple-minded than that. If I suspect a fuel supply problem, I stuff extra fuel into the intake. If she starts, then she was short of fuel. That's what the wife's car did....hard starting after sitting for hours -- crank, crank, crank, ...., sputter, maybe go, maybe die. Low power (probably running lean and burning plugs). I juiced the intake plenum with a little proper brake cleaner and zoom, off she starts like gangbusters. Instant confirmation of fuel starvation.

Could have been the filter. But the fuel need is greatest under load, so flow restriction at the filter would have reduced operating pressure under load and really caused a power deficiency. A split hose would reduce the fuel pressure by a power-independent amount, causing not significantly greater lean-ness at load than at idle.

Or so it appears to me. So, when it didn't falter under load but wouldn't start well, I suspected the split hose. When extra HC fired it off well, I was pretty convinced. When the problem worsened with time, I suspected the split was growing worse. We finally took it off the road a week before I acquired the special hose, and it started up great immediately after replacing the pieces.

I added these comments to the thread because I thought they dealt with diagnosis of the problem. I hope I am not misleading anyone. The flow test Steve mentions is pretty conclusive, but I am not certain how well a plugged filter might mimic the same thing. Couple the flow test with a pressure stability after shutdown, and you'd have a very conclusive test. I just like spraying HC into the intake, I guess.

Michael

[AlfaTango1]

After pressure test confirmed hose in tank was culprit replaced hose and all is now well.

[ChazzyD]

Cool, get some fresh air and a cold one!
Charles

[AlfaTango1]

Some very hot fresh air, it's 90 here in sunny San Diego. I think I'm taking the GTV6 out today for that cold one!

[Alfisto Steve]

R and C with ice order of the day here after mowing lawn with temp about 80.

I did not work on an Alfa Today. Bathroom ceiling light install in attic was a bit warm (well above 80).

[ChazzyD]

Volvo 240 intank hose will fit the 164 application. See pic, Volvo on left, Alfa on right. Available from your local Volvo dealer or FCP Groton, eEuroparts. This is my old one from my ~200k "Brick" and still good. All years of 240 as far as I know, this one from an '89.
Charles

[MrT]

I'm a lookin' and I can't find'em, Chazz. I thought it looked like a good thing to know about (not directly applicable to our '60s Volvos, though) so I looked on both fcpgroton and eEuroparts and came up empty. Maybe if you have a part number?

Michael

[ChazzyD]

FCP has a new site and it's not there.
Found one on another website, as found on a 91 940 also 86-90 740
http://www.thevolvosite.com/940/volv...ted-parts.html
don't know why it's not on their 240 page fuel system page.
Volvo PN 3514360
Charles