Need some help, melted fuel line!
Not strictly a tow vehicle issue but a lot of expertise here so thought I would toss out the issue and see if anybody can tell me what's going on.
Car is DD's 2001 Grand Prix with 3.8L V6. Replaced the intake manifold gasket and had a leak develop at the fitting on the fuel rail shortly thereafter. Dorman makes a repair kit that uses a brass barb to splice into the nylon fuel line and has a new fuel rail connector on the other end. This is the part:
Basically you just warm the nylon so that it will go over the fitting barbs and when it cools its sealed. Made this repair the first time last summer and a few weeks later the line started to drip at the splice. Not on the OEM side but on the new Dorman side. The new nylon line softened up to where it wouldn't hold the seal on the brass barb anymore.
So I figured the part was defective and replaced it again. Drove it about a month and no leaks. Double checked it, no worries and DD took the car back to school with her after Thanksgiving.
Two weeks ago I get a panicked call from DD that fuel is running from under the hood like a faucet. She lost 1/2 tank of gas going 6 blocks to the mechanic's garage. Diagnosis was that the same Dorman line was leaking again. Mechanic replaced it, all good to go.
Two days ago I get another call from DD, same thing, except now car won't start at all. So it gets towed back to the garage, same line leaking again. Mechanic was great, the didn't charge her for the tow or the repair.
I call down there today to see what's up and to suggest that maybe they put a hose clamp on that barbed fitting. Mechanic says they used a Napa part, not Dorman, and the clamp wouldn't have helped because the line melted! So they replaced it and off she goes with instructions to come back tomorrow so they can check it.
In total that make 3 failed fuel line repairs on this car, all seeming to give out due to a softening of the nylon. The fuel pump and filter are new, we don't run any additives in the gas....what could be causing these failures? Aside from the inconvenience, I'm concerned the car is gonna catch fire and it will be toast before the firemen ever get the truck out of the garage....
Ideas?
Car is DD's 2001 Grand Prix with 3.8L V6. Replaced the intake manifold gasket and had a leak develop at the fitting on the fuel rail shortly thereafter. Dorman makes a repair kit that uses a brass barb to splice into the nylon fuel line and has a new fuel rail connector on the other end. This is the part:
Basically you just warm the nylon so that it will go over the fitting barbs and when it cools its sealed. Made this repair the first time last summer and a few weeks later the line started to drip at the splice. Not on the OEM side but on the new Dorman side. The new nylon line softened up to where it wouldn't hold the seal on the brass barb anymore.
So I figured the part was defective and replaced it again. Drove it about a month and no leaks. Double checked it, no worries and DD took the car back to school with her after Thanksgiving.
Two weeks ago I get a panicked call from DD that fuel is running from under the hood like a faucet. She lost 1/2 tank of gas going 6 blocks to the mechanic's garage. Diagnosis was that the same Dorman line was leaking again. Mechanic replaced it, all good to go.
Two days ago I get another call from DD, same thing, except now car won't start at all. So it gets towed back to the garage, same line leaking again. Mechanic was great, the didn't charge her for the tow or the repair.
I call down there today to see what's up and to suggest that maybe they put a hose clamp on that barbed fitting. Mechanic says they used a Napa part, not Dorman, and the clamp wouldn't have helped because the line melted! So they replaced it and off she goes with instructions to come back tomorrow so they can check it.
In total that make 3 failed fuel line repairs on this car, all seeming to give out due to a softening of the nylon. The fuel pump and filter are new, we don't run any additives in the gas....what could be causing these failures? Aside from the inconvenience, I'm concerned the car is gonna catch fire and it will be toast before the firemen ever get the truck out of the garage....
Ideas?
