Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Fuel filler hose

After filling up yesterday, the usual smell of petrol lasted all the way home - and into the garage - took off the rack and spare and found this!

It's a 2005 Focus engined 4/4 and the filler hose has a breather pipe sticking out to the left and going to a fitting on the top of the tank. Where the breather pipe enters the main hose it has split at the joint, hence the smell. Now plugged with gum!

I've ordered a new one from Melvyn - £97 - ouch! Checked with the factory it's the right one. I can see why it's split - the breather pipe comes off at right angles, but on mine it's been forced downward at an angle simply because it's been left at it's full length (which is too long, resulting in a bend). As it's aged and hardened - and no doubt flexed many thousands of times - it's cracked. I'm even more glad than before that the battery isn't in the rear compartment...there's evidence that fuel has leaked out of the crack onto the surface of the tank.

Now I'm expecting the new one will be quite tough to fit if the rubber is hard. Any suggestions? Will it soften in hot water? I think I could cut the breather hose to fit without a bend, or find a way to support the right angle how it should be. Will I need to remove the filler cap - if so, how? It's the standard lozenge-shaped locking cap (not Aston-style).

Yours will not be the only car with an over-long breather pipe.
A number of 4 seaters showed a tendency to be very difficult to fill. One reason was due to a kinked breather where it was too long.

A smear of vaseline around the neck will help it slide on. vaseline is petroleum based so shouldn't affect the rubber.
Use a Stanley knife to cut the old pipe off but watch your fingers!!
I would shorten the breather to remove kinks. Try the Stanley but you may need to hacksaw it. make sure no bits remain inside if you do that.

Brake grease is meant for the rubber bits - ie seals and the like. It's what I use for hoses and works well.

For such jobs I use the branch cutting shears (pruner?). Works very well if the hose is not too thick.

Thanks for advice - I also have clear silicone grease for underwater cameras - doesn't affect rubber - however seems to last for ever! I was wondering about a bit of washing up liquid as this would "stop working" and allow the rubber to grip...

And yes I think shortening the breather is definitely the right thing to do, why didn't they do that in the first place...

Fairy liquid will work, as will Swarfega. Just use it sparingly.
Just enough to slide on easily but not so much that it pops off.........

Replacement hose arrived. Unfortunately it was pre-split...

Second hose arrived - no split. Now fitted! It was something of a fight, involving a stanley knife, much swearing, a little fairy liquid, a lot of brute force and fortunately not too much blood. It would have been much easier if someone had had the foresight to fit the clamps in such a way that they could be easily unscrewed by the next person...and this time the breather has been cut to a suitable length...

No smell of petrol now.

Nigel

A job well done then Nigel. Did you take any 'how to' photos?