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BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

Hey guys, last night i started my car and it took an extra long time to get to tick over idle speed and i could smell fuel. I parked up a little while later and left my car and upon return i checked and saw a pool of fuel under the passenger side front, near where the fuel filter is.
Low and behold, i checked today and I have a fuel leak from what looks like the top of the fuel filter.
I cant pin point it at the moment but wondered if it is a normal thing for the filters to leak.
The fuel comes from the top and flows down from the top over the side.
Can the filters fail and possibly crack?
I have heard that they are a pita to change, as tightening the unions is hard and often leak, do the unions crack or become loose?
I cant imagine the union would come loose based on how hard the filters are to fit.
If it was clogged up, is it designed to release pressure by leaking?

I know nothing about 16v filters, except the above so sorry for silly questions.
Your words of experience needed.
Thanks Alan.
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

gritsop · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:22 am Post subject:

Hi,

The nylon pipe coming from the fuel tank is connected to the fuel filter with a rubber hose ~10cm long.

It is not uncommon to crack and leak. It has happened to me quite some times Wink

Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

Thanks Than, i will have a look for that and cross my fingers.
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

paulhide · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 9:41 am Post subject:

And if you are very unlucky fuel from here can drop off onto a hot exhaust pipe so I would get it seen to quickly before it gets worse. Sad

It happened to the guy you met up with last week Al.
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Owner's Club 33 Registrar. Now from P4 & S2 1.7 QV
http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5188

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

lol, yes i remember Paul, hard to forget. It was the first thing i checked but the manifold is a crossover type on my car and so doesn't drip onto it.
Car is booked into a garage for 12:00 today to look at it in more depth and a new filter is £12, (is that about right?) is in stock and can be there in 1 hour if needs be. If it is the pipe with a union then i am not sure if it is a standard length size or what i will do.
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

Spoke to alfa shop who think it might be the seals for the banjo unions, i have ordered them anyway and if it does turn out to be the seals after inspection, the mechanic will see if he can do a temporary fix until they arrive. If not, ill let you know. The filter doesnt come with seals or banjo's!!
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

john 33_16v · Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 1:29 pm Post subject:

Hi,

I think the banjos just have copper washers which should be pretty standard.

The filter can be fiddly, you need a few good BIG spanners.

I think the OEM filters are mahl or ufi, should be about £12ish.

John
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If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
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93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

And Bully's special prize goes to Than, spot on mate.
The pipe was leaking, what a PITA to get off, those stupid clips which have to be broken apart to remove. My mechanic friend did the job but showed me a kink in the plastic pipe and couldn't get the pipe to completely cover the metal end of the plastic pipe.
No leaks when finished and will fit a new filter when the seals arrive.

John, i have been told they are hard and often leak afterwards and for that reason i will not do it, call me chicken. I didn't want to risk not having the correct seals.

Anyone know what to tighten the nuts to?
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

eagle3 · Alfa 33 Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 402 Location: France

You can sort of feel the copper washers squash abruptly when you reach a certain torque, assuming they're new of course.
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Alfa33 QO 1984
Alfa33 1.3i.e. 1994

lee16v · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:48 am Post subject:

john 33_16v · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:16 pm Post subject:

[quote="lee16v"
Oh, and Than, Just in case you're wondering what a 'bully's special prize' is it's a reference to a really crap 80's darts quiz show.[/quote]

So we could say Than got it iiiiiiiiiiiiin one!!!!
_________________
If it aint broke, fiddle with it until it is!
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
93 33 16v Mirtle Met
08 Fiat Grande Punto Exotica Red
90 Yamaha FZR600 Genesis- Silky white/red/blue

gritsop · Posted: Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:23 pm Post subject:

Hi,

Thanks for the kind words guys! After all it is the 33 that should get the 'bully's special prize' as she never lets you stay away every now and then Wink

Regards,
_________________
Thanassis Gritsopoulos
1991 Alfa 33 1.4 IE
2001 Alfa 147 1.6 Distinctive

http://www.alfa-restoration.co.uk
Parts Shop: www.alfa-restoration.co.uk/shop

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

Well i spoke too soon, there was a leak afterwards but it was only a drip not a flow of fuel.
I patiently waited for the crush seals to be sent from alfashop. I called alfashop on Tuesday and guess what?
They weren't in stock and couldn't get any, doh!

So today i bit the bullet and went to a hydraulic place with the new filter (made by Mann) and got a banjo union to fit. I had no idea what size the original crush washers were and hoped there were some in the assortment i found.

Managed to get the old filter off and it was leaking from the top, not the pipe, so thought it best to replace the banjo any way. I advised the mechanic to put everything in position and not put the filter back in place in case it leaked.
It did leak but from the new filter, the seal at the bottom, we couldn't get the filter replaced until the next day.
So we undid the filter and replaced the seal. It still leaked, this time from the banjo seal. Eventually got it sealed and then went to put the filter back in place, the mechanic had to adjust the position of a banjo and it leaked again, eventually we did it. Phew, what a PITA.

I had to use a mixture of new seals on the top of the top banjo and old on the bottom of the top banjo, same for the bottom banjo.

For those of you that are interested, trying to be helpful here, i have measured the seal sizes.

top X2
18.00mm outer diameter
14.15mm internal diameter

bottom X2
18.00mm outer diameter
12.00mm internal diameter

both were 1.5mm thick top made from ally and bottom from copper???
Please bear in mind that these measurements were from used seals.

The top banjo
outer 24mm
inner 14mm

fuel pipe tubing
outer 8mm
inner 5mm

At least i can get correct seals if it leaks again

on the original banjo there was a channel/ recess in the inside and not in the replacement, is this anything to worry about as it looks like the replacement might be restrictive?
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

lee16v · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 3:58 pm Post subject:

I made do with some copper washers I had lying around. No leaks. Maybe I was just lucky

BigAl · P4 Joined: 06 May 2003 Posts: 2990 Location: U.K Surrey

i think as long as the top fit in the recess of the filter you should be ok.
How annoying is this, i phoned alfashop on tuesday to see if they were able to get the washers and they said no, however they had already sent them to Bianco for me, as i popped in on thursday to see them about an oil filter and he had them. ARGHH!, i went through all that for nothing, incompetence
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x2 33 16v
pictures http://www.alfa-pages.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=5203

john 33_16v · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:19 am Post subject:

john 33_16v · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:19 am Post subject:

john 33_16v · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:19 am Post subject: