NRAROX

My fuel tank vent (drain) hose came loose on my '68. (Prior owner installed new, vented tank.) Is it possible to reinstall this without removing the tank? From above or below? How far should the spring be inserted into the hose? Is the spring simply to provide a 'weight' to hold the hose down? At least one diagram shows a clamp about halfway down the pipe; that must also be loose or missing; can that be installed without loosening the tank?

MelWff

do you mean the fuel return line from the fuel pump or do you mean the overflow hose attached to the boot around the fuel tank neck?
if you mean the fuel return line you should be able to reach it from under the car but may have to move the exhaust.
if you mean the overflow hose, remove the gas cap, remove the boot and reconnect the hose to the boot.

NRAROX

The overflow hose. Thanks! I will do what you suggest. Thoughts on how far the spring should be inserted?

MelWff

unfortunately I have had my 69 tank out twice in the last two years and cannot recall any spring associated with the overflow hose. If it is OE it would be at the point of a bend in the hose to prevent collapse.

Alan 71

Hi N,
On my 71 the spring in the gas tank overflow hose is about 10" long.
It starts about 1" from the end of the hose that's NOT connected to the drain boot.
I can just see the spring if I look into the hose.
Regards,
Alan

Faster Rat

The overflow hose goes inside the bottom part of the driver side bumperette. You can see the spring in the end of the hose.

NRAROX

Thanks, guys. So it joins another hose as it passes through the bumperette? I dont see how I could install that clip with the tank and body in place. True? fasterrat, What I wouldn't give for my equivalent of the build sheet you have on the top of your tank. ��

Alan 71

Hi N,
No, it's a single hose.
You can install it with the body in place.
You need to swivel and pull on the boot until you have access to the nipple that is used connect the hose to the boot.
Then feed the hose down over the tank until you see it coming down the rear of the tank.
On my 71 the hose stayed under the body it didn't feed into the opening for the bumper brace rod….the 71 AIM indicates that routing too.
Regards,
Alan

Here you see it coming down the back of the tank and the first tie strap on the bumper brace rod.


The original drain hose routing on my 71.

Faster Rat

This is from the 69 AIM. Looks like I have it in the wrong bumperette because it shows the passenger side.

Alan 71

Hi FR,
AND, it does show the hose going through the hole in the top of the valance panel!!!!
Now I'll have to look to see what the 70 AIM indicates!?
Regards,
Alan

Faster Rat

Hi Alan,
If so, then your car will now be 99.99% perfect, instead of just 99.98% thanks to me!
FR

Alan 71

Hi FR,
The 71 AIM shows the hose not going through the hole… I was wondering about 70 cars.
The 70 AIM indicates the hose stays on the inside of the rear valance so the change appears to have occurred between 69 and 70 model year production.
Regards,
Alan

Faster Rat

Darn. My bad. Can't blame a guy for trying. I should have known better.

NRAROX

And here is the 1968 AIM. How many times have I been told to READ THE MANUAL. 1968 installation is the same as 1969, through the valance and 'into' the bumperette.


This appears to be the bumper brace rod to which you refer. Correct? Why is it that your pictures are all nice clean paint and clean fiberglass and mine appears to look terrible?

NRAROX

P.S. I was mistaking the bumper brace rod in FasterRat's photo for another hose. Once again the clean and shiny paint threw me.

NRAROX

P.P.S. I see there is no clamp or any other fastener at the filler end of the hose as it attaches to the filler. Correct? Seems odd.

theandies

You just have to get over Alan's car. It is perfect and what all of us strive to achieve. He's done a great job on his Vette.
One day mine will look like that after I retire and don't have to drive it to work everyday.

Alan 71

Hi N,
There are some raised 'ribs' on the nipple that help hold the hose in place.
There's no pressure in the hose so there's not much reason for it to come off.
Regards,
Alan

NRAROX

Thanks, Alan. Reinserting the spring into the hose was interesting. 'Screwing' it in left 2" of spring not budging into the hole. I pulled it back out and looped a piece of nylon string/twine about four inches down on the spring, twisted it in as far as possible, and then got the boss (my wife) to tug on the string while I kept twisting - moving the spring from the bumper 'end' to the filler 'end'. It eventually went in but it is not distributed throughout the entire length of the hose. And it's in a bit far - AIM says flush with end - - it ended up about 2" further in.

In hind sight, I'm wondering if I was supposed to stretch and twist the spring to reduce it's circumference while simultaneously pulling it into the hose, ending with the spring nearly reaching both ends. Of course to do that would have required a Rube Goldberg device beyond my imagination.

P.S. It wasn't doing anything anyway as it was installed - - IF it was even attached. I found a mud-dauber nest in the hose. I guess that was from when it was in the original owner's barn before '83.

Alan 71

Hi N,
I just checked the hose again… the tank is out of the car.
At the 'bottom' end of the hose the spring is about 1" in…. I can just see it.
The spring seems to extend about 10" further into the hose from the point I can see it.
I can see the point at which the spring ends in the hose from the out-side of the hose because there's a very slight 'bulge' at that point.
It doesn't appear to me the spring was spread out along the entire length of the hose at one time.
In fact, the drawing in the 71 AIM UPC 8, Sheet B4, viewB, shows the spring ENDING at about the point mine does…. not spread through out the hose.
Is the way the hose is drawn making you think it was intended to be spread through-out the hoses length?
???
Regards,
Alan