Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Plus 8 Fuel filler hose replacement

Both filler hoses on my 1990 3.9 Plus 8 are cracked and leak badly when re-fuelling. This could be due to age (or Ethanol deterioration?). The filler caps are lockable, lozenge-shaped and chromium-plated.

I have bought some new 51mm rubber hose from Hose Supplier. This hose is reinforced with a spiral spring bound into the hose construction.

It has proved impossible to install the new hoses because they are difficult to bend whilst aligning the ends with the filler neck and the fuel tank tube. I have considered removing the filler cap and neck and was surprised not to find a large (around 2 inch diameter) hexagonal fixing nut on the underside of the rear panel. Instead, I can feel only a plain, circular metal boss. Maybe these are unscrewed using a strap-wrench? I have checked everywhere for a clear photograph or drawing but have found nothing.

At this stage I would really appreciate advice from someone older and wiser:

1. How can a new stiff fuel filler hose be installed with the fuel tank and filler necks remaining in place?

2. If the filler necks should be removed first, how is this achieved?

On the same hose supplier page it shows an ally 51mm hose connector you could use two of those if all else fails.

David Byrne

It’s a while since I did mine, but from memory to filler neck came undone quite easily - I can’t check at the mo as the car isn’t here. Soften the hose in hot water prior to fitting - it will make it a lot more supple.

Good luck!

Heating the rubber hose is worth a try, Mick. Thanks. I'd really appreciate your further thoughts on removing the filler hardware.

B3MOG* - Thanks, using a metal connecting pipe is a great idea I hadn't considered though this is a last resort for me for two reasons:

1. It would introduce two more joints in each fuel filler hose; a total of four metal to rubber joints on each side. The greater the number of joints, the greater the chance of a fuel leakage.

2. The entire hose is under 250mm long per side. It will be hard to juggle all the bits (three metal pipes and two pieces of hose - each side) to create sufficient overlap for sealing purposes though I would give it a go.

I'd first like to exhaust the possibility of removing the filler hardware so if anybody has an idea, I'd appreciate you sharing it.

* We're near neighbours on the DVLA spectrum; my index mark is B9MOG.

I replaced the filler hose on my 2005 Roadster, due to serious hardening of the rubber. The Roadster hose also has a vent pipe from a "vulcanised" joint.

It was a pig of a job. The only way to get the old hose off was to cut it in half using a Stanley knife. I tried hard to assemble a replacement, but lack of space makes this very difficult.

In the end I bought a genuine part. It was a tight fit on the tank and breather stub.
I had to remove the filler cap assembly but even then, fitting the pipe over the filler cap stub was frustratingly slow.

Good luck!
http://www.talkmorgan.com/ubbthreads.php/topics/704796/1

Dave,

Yes I read your interesting account in my earlier research. From the photos you provide in that posting, it appears that your filler cap may be different to mine. I am guessing that it is retained by three screws and nuts around a peripheral flange. It also appears to be made of aluminium whereas my own are made from either brass or possibly mazak (chromium plated). At the moment I don't really know how my own fuel cap assembly is attached to the panel. I suspect a large 2 inch diameter thread around the outside of the filler neck with a corresponding 2 inch nut on the underside of the panel. But I could easily be wrong.

Could you describe more fully the design and attachment of your own filler cap to the bodywork? Assuming I am wrong about it using three screws/nuts, could you please also describe how you removed it?

Many thanks.

I had a UK 1990 Plus 8! (made earlier in that year) A 1990 3.9 is a collector's item!

I loved mine and miss it! Best touring car I had in my Morgan collection..in fact the best touring car I have had of any
marque. It would make friends for us.I put a 4.6 in it. I replaced ALL rubber when we bought and restored it in 2004.
Rubber ages, dries out and rots. It must be regularly replaced before sadness strikes. Modern materials are much
smarter. That being said, I always used the MMC ones. Though they were/are new.

But those hoses are a REAL pain to fit, even worse than the MMC hoses. Morgan never angled the tank entries as they
should. If you do not want a struggle, even for those of us who have done it many times, you must buy flexible fuller hose.
here additional wisdom in that as the MMC filler hoses or rigid ones detach completely with a rear or rear side impact.
Don't ask me how I know? The consequences of stiff hoses are not fun.

I doubt super stiff hoses CAN BE installed. And why risk shearing the tank inlets? But removing the filler assemblies is
not difficult. There are rubber washers (if they are still there) and a threaded ring on the interior side of the fillers. Diagram
below. Forgive me the diagram is from a later 4/4 which is not identical to what you have but shows you how these assemblies
work.

If you want a source for proper cuttable, shapable fuel hoses, I am sure we can find something nearby. They are all the rage.

L.

P.S. BTW, do you want to remove the need of using filler keys?

I recently change the fuel filler hose on my 4/4 as I fitted a lockable vented Newton Aston Martin style cap.

I used some of this stuff Ultra Flexible fuel hose and used Mikalor clamps to secure. It comes in a variety of different diameters so you should find a suitable one.

My only issued was the Newton cap had a 51mm diameter and the fuel tank had a 45mm diameter to I had a reduction pipe made up in stainless (you can get them on ebay - message me for a link if needed). I used a chunk of the original hose to connect to the tank and then the flexi to go from the reducer to the fuel cap. You shouldn't have that issue with yours as you're replacing like for like.

Nuts and bolts held the filler cap to the panel. I don't recall now how many. Then it was a tight wiggle to get out.

gomog - The nice words you say about the 1990 Morgan Plus 8 are much appreciated. This is my third Morgan since 1976 and is probably the best though my wife really enjoyed our original 4/4 as her working car for shopping, school deliveries, MCC Rally etc.

Your illustration is especially helpful though I am curious to learn the tool you have used to remove the cylindrical 'nut' that classed the job as 'not difficult'.

I don't think I want to exclude the use of a key to open the fuel caps but I am possibly misunderstanding what you are suggesting.

TBM - Thanks for the detailed information, most of which seems to be applicable to my own installation.

DaveW - Thanks also for your further information.


Today I glimpsed via mirror and mouth-held torch the interior thread of the so-called nut holding my filler cap to the body panel. Now at least I know that all that MMC forgot to do was machine the 72mm A/F hexagon profile (reported elsewhere by some members) to allow the easy removal of these nuts with a spanner. My nuts are simply plain, circular collars offering minimal grip even defeating my chain-wrench. It's so b-----y awkward working in the darkened corner of an underbody void with torch, mirror and a racalcitrant chain-wrench.

I then attempted to fit the wire-reinforced hose I had bought but eventually gave up and placed a new order for 500mm of plain old single ply fuel-proof 51mm rubber hose. New Hose Supplier

Performing what should be a very simple task illustrates the effectof MMC's habit of changing build methods and parts specs at will. The lack of a decent Service Manual doesn't help, even on what should be just a simple job.