MTFCA Forum

I know I am preaching to the choir. But sometimes it doesn't hurt to hear the sermon again. One of my Ts is a 26 touring with the gas tank under the dash. It has not been run in a about two years. The gas was turned off at the carb but not at the valve on the filter bowl tank outlet which was temperamental and hard to turn. Gas in it was ethanol free ? and not supposed to attack rubber hose.

One day recently I noticed a funny smell like bad gas or old turpentine in the garage thought at first it was some stuff I used to clean off tree sap off with. Smell persisted a few days so I did some investigation and looked under the Ts checking for wet spots. Sure enough there was a large puddle under the 26 and the rubber hose going from the filter bowl to the carb had a soft spot in it and was wet from leaking gas and dripping at a fair rate.

Went into damage control mode. put oil pan under the leak. Washed gas off garage floor preceded to drain the tank which still had between one and two gallons in it. Enough to cause quiet a commotion if the fumes had reached a ignition source such as a pilot light or well control relay assuming the bad gas would even burn but I wasn't taking any chances.

I Will need to flush the tank and replace the fuel line with something Ethanol will not turn to mush and repair or replace the filter bowl valve so fuel can be turned off before reaching the rubber hose going to the carb. Ethanol free gas is available across the county line about 15 miles away. But then that's what I though was in the tank but it may have been contaminated by old gas. Since its a 26 with the vertical tank under the dash I will probably not put more that a gallon in it at a time unless going on a road trip. I know this is model T 101 but though it wouldn't hurt to tell My story. Might help save someone a considerable amount of grief. My T Angel was watching over me. (This time)

I'm glad you caught the issue and got things squared away. But, tell me about this rubber hose to the carburetor? The Model T used a metal fuel line from the sediment bowl to the carburetor, never rubber.

The car was like that when I bought it back in 2017 from Ross in College Station. It has a plastic fuel filter connected to the sediment bowl by a rubber hose and then fuel filter connects to the carb by rubber hose that was leaking. My 23 open express and 1920 depot hack both have metal fuel line going to the horizontal gas tank under the front seat.

Never thought much about it being a potential problem. I have a NOS glass filter bowl like on the model A. I was thinking about replacing it with. Wouldn't be original but that car has a distributor. water pump and 12 volt alternator so its not like Henry made it anyway.

Don't know if a copper fuel line is acceptable due to possible vibration fractures ? Not sure how to go about fabricating a steel fuel line from gas bowl to carb.

"Rubber Hose" ? Where/when/what did you get it?

Info from the iterent

Ethanol blended gasoline can damage plastic and rubber fuel system components, particularly in older power equipment not designed to tolerate ethanol.

Vacuum hoses are usually made of rubber or silicone. Over time, no matter what the material, vacuum hoses need to be replaced as part of regular maintenance. However, silicone hoses tend to be more durable than rubber ones. Unlike other rubber like components of a vehicle, like brake lines or drive belts, a failing vacuum pose doesn't create an immediate danger to you or your vehicle, however leaving the problem to exacerbate may eventually cause catastrophic engine failure.

CPE rubber fuel lines are cord reinforced for high pressure and lined for compatibility with ethanol-based fuels up to e85.
PTFE fuel lines have increased fuel compatibility for methanol and e100. In addition, this option allows tighter radius turns and zero fuel vapor permeability


Auto parts Stores usually sell neoprene for fuel lines
Neoprene is celebrated for its resistance to petroleum-based concoctions. This includes many greases, solvents, and oils. It can also withstand methyl and ethyl alcohols, certain salt mixtures, and some alkaline solutions. Neoprene can stand up to temperatures as hot as 275° F. This heat resistance is one of its most significant advantages over natural rubber and its lower gas permeability. They won't physically degrade when exposed to high temperatures for extended periods like natural rubber can. Instead, it'll stiffen. Its heat resistance even carries over to actual flame resistance: Neoprene is self-extinguishing.

I wouldn't use any kind of rubber or neoprene hose for the fuel line. You can get a good reproduction of the sediment bulb with new screen and valve in it. Or look for a good used one. Then do not use any other filter or valve in the line. Turn on and off the gas at the valve on the sediment bulb. You can drain the sediment bulb from time to time to clean out any water or sediment which has accumulated. The system Henry made works very well when properly maintained. That rubber fuel line is close to the exhaust and if it leaks could cause a fire even when driving.
I use the same system on the 22 which has the tank under the seat. However I do have a valve next to the carburetor just for the convenience of not having to crawl under the car every time I shut off the gas.
Norm

In the real world, vor a variety of reasons, rubber flex fuel lines are often installed. The moral of this story is that the fuel line material has changed over the years with newer rubber lines being compatible with the new fuels. If you have an older restoration or purchased a T and do not know the age of the rubber lines, if any, installed, replace them.
Yes, hard lines are the perfect solution, but if filters are added, tanks relocated, or various other reasons, if you use rubber lines, make sure they are the correct material.

If the fuel line actually is Rubber, the gasoline will over time dissolve into it. Rubber should never be used in contact with gasoline. Neoprene is fine for flexible fuel lines. I agree with the post that said the fuel system that came with a new Model T will work well without any modification.

The steel gas line is available from Langs. Very reasonable priced.

Listen to all the model T angels.
Since you are going to drain the tank, put the system back to correct stock. Fix or replace the sediment bowl/shut off valve. The 26-7 system is excellent on its own. Fuel shutoff valve already incorporated in a handy location.

If this was an earlier T, you would have been chasing fuel starvation issues with that added on filter.

The previous owner created, what we used to call a "Polock trap". You have been maintaining that trap.
You dodged a bullet this time.

Thanks to all for the suggestions and comments. It takes a village to keep a model T running.

This has been posted many times on the forum over the years, but there are alway those who have never seen it: Www.pure-gas.org. Jim Patrick