Hi,
I was going to take a few days in NY, and the last thing to do was top off the gas tank. When I did, fuel hit the ground.

I had removed the fuel tank last year to replace the short section of fuel line between the steel line of the tank and the steel line heading to the front. I figured I didn't want to suffer the consequences of not replacing this. I inspected the fuel filler hose at the time and thought "this is a 15 pound hunk of rubber, nothing can go wrong".



Well, after 22 years, maybe my flexing of the hose, and a few freeze/thaw cycles afterwards, it appeared that the Dayco 80304 was leaking through the hose. It was not the clamps. It was through the side of the hose. If you look closely at the picture, you'll see quite a few cracks.

By the time I figured out the problem, it was past noon on a Saturday, and the auto parts stores that would carry this were closed.

So, you might have something else to be concerned with down the road. I am glad it happened in my hometown.

Matt

Next time I drop my rear tank, I'll replace mine with a Gates fuel filler hose. They make one that has spiral steel in it so that it can take tight bends without crimping down.

My filler hose was a little seepy, too. Not having time at the moment, I reached in there and coated it with 3M EC776. Twice, just to be sure. Came back from the trip OK, and no evidence of leaks. That was several years ago.

When I GRT, I will buy my filler hose from a marine supplier. USCG specs are a little tougher, as boat people are very crabby about gasoline vapor in the bilges. My new hose will also be wrapped very tightly with several layers of black electrical tape to keep the atmospheric contamination from getting to it.

It really sucks that the air we breathe is harder on rubber than the gasoline inside. The primer bulb on my lawn mower is the same way. It rots from the outside. OOPS! Thread drift.