DirtyDaveW

This past week, my gas mileage began to go downhill and the car felt weak at WOT at times, hitting a very distinct 'flatness' at times. I suspected my fuel pressure was somehow getting out of range. I planned on getting a fuel pressure gauge this week to verify my suspicions. Well, this morning on the way to work, I smelt gas fumes strong as hell. Like sticking your nose into a gas can full of gas. Worried, I pulled over, left the motor running, opened the door and leaned out to look under the car while I was still seated. To my alarm, gas was dripping very quickly onto the pavement at the rear of the motor. I killed the motor, unlatched the hood and looked at the fuel rail to fuel line connections. Very wet there with gasoline pooled on the intake manifold. It appears that the "O" ring inside the fuel line has given up the ghost. Has anyone had this occur to their car?
Thanks,
David K. Wilson
'96 Z28 355 LT1 A3
11.1 @ 121 mph

DirtyDaveW

Well, as I mentioned, I saw the gasoline had wetted the fuel line to Fuel Rail connection so after I killed the motor and began closer inpection, I took ahold of the fuel line and pushed it down then pulled it back several times. I then went up to get a co-worker to turn the key on and start the car while I watched the connection. He turned the key and the pump primed....hmmm... no leak (?). I had him start the car.....well hell... no leak! Looked under the car while the motor idled for a few minutes. No leaks.... Well, I'm glad it stopped but I don't want this to reappear when I pick up my daughter from school or some other time when she would be in harms way. I wonder if there's some maintenance schedule for the O rings in the fuel lines.
Dave

ead94z28

For piece of mind, replace the o-rings. Your push and pull on the rail might have re-seated the injector, but it might only be temporary.

grendal

Dave,

Maybe the connector wasn't "snapped" in all the way?.... I just had mine out, and I didn't even pay attention to see if there was any kind of O-ring on those quick connects. Is there? I thought it was all metal.

-Michael

DirtyDaveW

My fuel leak turned out to be the fact that .....
I'm a dumbass.

As I drove home from work tonight, everything seemed to be snug so I decided to floor it. At higher RPM's (5,800 and above) I once again felt that flat spot and started to smell the gasoline smell again. So when I pulled into the apt I got out and pushed and pulled on the fuel line while the motor was running. I was startled when I saw a mist of fuel waft out from under the cowl. "Sh*t..." I said to myself. So I pulled into the garage and let it cool off for a couple of hours.
I went back out there and, using the droplamp to see better, I wiggled it again. Once again, I saw fuel spray as if coming from a windex bottle. "WTH?"....
The residual fuel pressure was still enough to show any leaks. So I felt around the junction of the fuel connection to see if it was wet there....Huh? no?...
I looked more intently and shook the connection again. Away from the focal point, I *thought* I saw the rails moving a bit. I then focused on the rail and shook the connection. I'll be damned. The whole rail moved and fuel was spraying out of the top of the injector to rail juncture. I looked at the bolt back there... Aw sh*t... the head of the bolt was a good quarter inch off the rail. Bish!!! I checked the other 3 bolts.... All loose but not to the degree of the first one I saw.

During my relatively recent head/cam install I apparently finger threaded the 4 bolts onto the fuel rails but never returned attention to them to fully tighten them. So later, apparently after some vibrational loosening of the bolts, whenever fuel pressure got high(aggressive throttle), it would lift the fuel rails off the injectors or at least, some of them.

Tightened them all down then shook the connection. No more fuel spritzes... LOL
Thanks for the responses guys. As always,.. you rawk!