[Lin]

Having just gotten hold of my 87 Quad last week, I am currently just going through the car and documenting current condition and taking about a thousand photos. I am resisting the temptation to jump in and fix a few things until I complete this documentation process.

The photo below shows the fuel line from the tank and the return line to the tank where they go though the rear bulkhead into the trunk or from the trunk to under the car. As you see, there is a joint in the line from the tank to the external fuel pump. The fuel hose doesn't "appear" to change size, so why the joint? Is it original? Obviously, someone has been here before me since the joint does not use original hose clamps.

In this case, I am not looking for what will work, but instead what was original. Can someone assist? The answer and a photo would be great, because as I understand it people like photos here, right?

Thanks!
Lin

 

[pantera928]

Having just gotten hold of my 87 Quad last week, I am currently just going through the car and documenting current condition and taking about a thousand photos. I am resisting the temptation to jump in and fix a few things until I complete this documentation process.

The photo below shows the fuel line from the tank and the return line to the tank where they go though the rear bulkhead into the trunk or from the trunk to under the car. As you see, there is a joint in the line from the tank to the external fuel pump. The fuel hose doesn't "appear" to change size, so why the joint? Is it original? Obviously, someone has been here before me since the joint does not use original hose clamps.

In this case, I am not looking for what will work, but instead what was original. Can someone assist? The answer and a photo would be great, because as I understand it people like photos here, right?

Thanks!
Lin
View attachment 1671794

Looks to me like someone spliced in a piece. Note the older style original clamps where the hose attached to the pipe versus the newer non-original at the splice. Do you have both the filter and the pump under your car?

 

[Lin]

Yes. Pump and filter are under the car.
Lin

 

[pantera928]

Yes. Pump and filter are under the car.
Lin

I am guessing that maybe where that clamp is near the splice that maybe some time in the past, it had rubbed though the old hose. I still would have replaced the entire piece of hose.

 

[Lin]

Okay. Now I get it. There is hard metal pipe encased in the rubber fuel hose. I have never encountered that before. So did Alfa actually put rubber hose around their metal fuel line? It is interesting that the surrounding hose is not just like a shrink-type hose but instead looks like real fuel hose.
Is my situation typical of what is found on other S3 cars?
Thanks!
Lin

 

[dennis_maine]

My 1985 Spider has rubber fuel hose over all of the steel line under the car. I've never seen that before, either, but since both of our cars have it, I assume it's original.

 

[pantera928]

My 1985 Spider has rubber fuel hose over all of the steel line under the car. I've never seen that before, either, but since both of our cars have it, I assume it's original.

Interesting as I crawled under a 85, an 86 and a 90 today and none of them were that way.
Of course, who knows what previous owners have changed.

 

[dennis_maine]

That is interesting.

 

[pantera928]

That is interesting.

In fact the lines on the 1990 look different than on the 85 and 86 of courser it is a Motronic car but do not know why that would make a difference.

 

[dennis_maine]

It would still have both supply and return lines, fuel filter, fuel pump.

 

[zedsn]

I know my 74,77,78 and possibly my 87 have the rubber over the metal fuel line on both feed and return.

 

[canguro]

I just replaced the fuel filter and electric pump (PO replaced the in-tank mechanical unit) underneath my Duetto, and it also has metal fuel lines.