VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Fuel Leak

Hi, just installed a freshly rebuilt carburetor and can’t solve a fuel leak where the fuel line connects to the carb. It started as a spray, but further tightening and a bit widening of the flange at the end of the line now has it as a steady drip. Any tips on solving aside from a new connection or throwing some sealant on the end?

Install new fittings. Fuel leaks are dangerous.

Is the rebuilt carburetor the same one that you removed? If not, you might want to confirm that the rebuilt one uses the same type tube to adapter fitting as the old one.

Also, are you perhaps trying to reuse the brass ferrule in a nut and ferrule tube fitting? I have had mixed results reusing that type fitting.

Working on it Bill.

Rusty,

I’ll confirm with who rebuilt the carb that it’s the same adapter fitting as the old one.

I was reusing the same line and flange / nut that was previously on the end. Are you thinking is should replace the whole line? Or cut the end of the line off and replace the nut/flange?

Without seeing a picture of the line fitting and adapters in your set-up I cannot offer much in the way of detail guidance.

Here is what I have learned about fittings and these classic cars.

- There are multiple types of fittings and adapters that were used over the years. While many of them look similar they often use different methods of sealing. In other words, just because they thread together does not mean they will seal.

- Unless you have owned the vehicle since it was new and have done all the service work yourself, you really don’t know what configuration of fittings might be on the car today.

- Over the years the threads in housings such as the carburetor and fuel pump wear due to all the vibration. It can be difficult to get them to seal without a lot of sealer or even rebuilding the threads.

- Fittings that depend upon deformation of pieces to seal such as a brass ferrule or a tube flare on brass often have limited reusability. Brass/copper work hardens and might not deform again.

I assume that you are using 2 wrenches to back each other to properly lock a joint.

Try a wrap or two of Teflon tape.

Thank you all for the help. Ordered some new fitting and ferrel. Going to fix it up this weekend b

ABowlin, let us know how it turns out.

Placed some sealant within the threads, let it dry for a couple days. Backed it out and back in again, no fuel leak! Should be set. Thanks for all of your help, onto cleaning out the air filter and managing the vacuum advance.