MFI fuel leak, 69S

[NV Stig]

Well, my car is in deep freeze for the winter, 99 days, not that I'm counting. I try to fire it up every couple of weeks to keep all the gaskets saturated and get things up to temp, drive it for a couple of miles with a foot on the brakes to warm them up, etc... I know how they hate to sit for any length of time.
I let the car sit for 6 weeks due to other constraints, and the car was not happy. I got a fuel leak in the line at the back of the fuel injector pump, the fuel line that comes from the fuel filter. I think it only needs to be tightened up, but the tightening bolt is really back there, and looks like a sort of square bolt. I have big hands, so I can't go right in at it, the skirts on the MFI throttle body stacks prohibit getting at it from the sides, and the angle is too tough to get it from the firewall. Is there a technique or some special wrench to get in there to tighten that square bolt back down?
Thanks,
Scott

[edmayo]

Don't suppose you could get a picture of this to help me identify, as I know of NO square bolt that has anything to do with the fuel system! More likely is that the ethanol has deteriorated the fuel line.

[NV Stig]

It will take a couple of weeks, it is down in the valley in storage. Best I can tell, by feel, It's a small collared belt clamp and the fitting is a maybe 3-4MM square bolt. I was feeling for a screw inset but the end felt sort of concave. I'm not sure it takes a screw. It may be some deformation by a pair of needle nose pliers that went up in there. I never actually did any of the work in there, I had the experts do that. I used to store it in our hangar at work and could do a lap around the airport once a week, with it. Now I can typically visit the car onve or twice a month.
Ed, I put fuel stabilizer in the car during winter months, and use Chevron Supreme in the car as a matter of course. I was under the understanding that 91 octane is devoid of ethanol. I also saw the recent federal mandate demanding ethanol be used in all blends last October. I also hear local here in Nevada saying that we don't get ethanol in the higher octane blends as we aren't under Ca. EPA standards. I think I am hoping for an oversight by city hall at this point, but will ethanol with fuel stabilizer in it erode a fuel line in a time as short as 6 weeks?

[beh911]

From the pump, there is an inlet and outlet line to the MFI filter console, both of which are connected to banjo bolts like in this pic below (#12). Not sure about the square bolt you are talking about.
You could also have a leak where the hard lines screw into the distributor, so check those (#9).

[edmayo]

It will take a couple of weeks, it is down in the valley in storage. Best I can tell, by feel, It's a small collared belt clamp and the fitting is a maybe 3-4MM square bolt. I was feeling for a screw inset but the end felt sort of concave. I'm not sure it takes a screw. It may be some deformation by a pair of needle nose pliers that went up in there. I never actually did any of the work in there, I had the experts do that. I used to store it in our hangar at work and could do a lap around the airport once a week, with it. Now I can typically visit the car onve or twice a month.
Ed, I put fuel stabilizer in the car during winter months, and use Chevron Supreme in the car as a matter of course. I was under the understanding that 91 octane is devoid of ethanol. I also saw the recent federal mandate demanding ethanol be used in all blends last October. I also hear local here in Nevada saying that we don't get ethanol in the higher octane blends as we aren't under Ca. EPA standards. I think I am hoping for an oversight by city hall at this point, but will ethanol with fuel stabilizer in it erode a fuel line in a time as short as 6 weeks?

You're doing all the right precautions, and no, a good fuel line won't go bad that quickly. I was just throwing out a rather common problem nowadays!

[NV Stig]

Thanks Ed, those lines are only 3 years old now, jeez
Looking at the diagram, it looks like the inlet above #14, and would be on the other side of the pump, sticking out maybe 1/4 of an inch. It's way back there on the left hand side of the engine when you are looking in the bay. I'll get a picture of it next time. There is maybe 2" of clearance to go straight in at it, and the throttle body stacks have these skirts between the stacks that prevent going in at it from the side. The angle is too great to go at it from the back of the throttle body assembly. Kind of a frustrating little bolt to get at.

[2.5MFI]

Scott, So it's the fuel outlet on the left side of the pump as pointed out in the picture above? That should be it from what your describing.

[edmayo]

What's confusing me is back in post #3 it's described as a 3-4MM square bolt, couldn't think of any place where there is a square bolt?

[NV Stig]

Mark and Ed,
I think it's is on the other side of the pump behind and below the aneroid. Looking into the engine bay it is on the left hand side of the MFI pump. It's the hose clamp that hooks the fuel line to the MFI pump that runs from the fuel filter mounted on the left side wall mount. I think it is the line that comes out of the bottom of the fuel filter. I'll post a picture as soon as I head back to the car and you can see the bolt I'm talking about. I think it clamp onto that black area on the top right of that picture you are showing Mark. Just above those two silver nodes back there. Sorry I am making this so confusing guys.

[edmayo]

It sure sounds as if you're just referring to the fuel line from the filter to the left side of the pump, if so either the clamp has gotten loose (not likely) or more likely the hose is seeping at or near the clamp. Just remove the air filter and you should be able to get a screwdriver to the clamp and check for tightness.