Volvo RWD 200 Forum

INDEX FOR 10/2025(CURRENT) INDEX FOR 8/2002 200 INDEX

[<<]  [>>]


THREADED THREADED EXPANDED FLAT PRINT ALL
MESSAGES IN THIS THREAD




  REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

Fuel lines? 200 1981

posted by  TheFunk on  Tue Jul 15 22:04 CST 2014
Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
last visit: Fri Jul 18 12:39 CST 2014
[RELATED]

Hi. New to the board.
Recently my girlfriend and I watched our beloved 240 burn away right before our eyes.
Never had a chance to get to the bottom of the issue but I believe we let the gas tank get too low before filling it up and sprung a leak, spilling fuel all over just behind the drivers seat and under the car.
My girlfriend drove it home and left it to air out until I got off work. I get home, stumped, I remove the seats... Begin to pull up the carpet... And somewhere a hot wire (my under seat sub, or maybe one of the lights behind the handbrake) touched gasoline and the whole cabin filled with flames immediately. By the time I had my hands on an extinguisher it had ignited the bucket sitting under the car to collect the drips.
I'll never forget to disconnect the negative battery cable again, that's for sure.

But we found a cheap '81 240 coupe and of course there is some rust. Worst of it is the underside of the body (been in and out of Alaska most of it's life). When I pulled the seats out to vacuum the carpet I decided to pull it back in the rear and the entire floor of the car is rusted very badly.
The fuel lines run through there don't they? And i didn't check but I'm sure the rust could spread to the fuel tank right?

Does anyone have any recommendations or info so that we can avoid having any fuel leaks down the road?









  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Fuel lines? 200 1981

    posted by  joekidd on  Wed Jul 16 06:45 CST 2014
    Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
    last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:54 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    So your saying the car is rusted badly and a fuel leak got into the passenger compartment? As the fuel lines do not run through the passenger compartment as far as I know. Its a good thing you werent driving it.








    •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

      Fuel lines? 200 1981

      posted by  TheFunk on  Wed Jul 16 16:38 CST 2014
      Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
      last visit: Fri Jul 18 12:39 CST 2014
      [RELATED]

      No, I'm saying our old 240 that caught fire had very little rust... And that the new one has much more rust so one would assume much more risk of this happening again.
      The leak was behind the DRIVERS seat and some was coming from under the car (area below tank) but never had a chance to see where exactly it was from.








      •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

        Fuel lines? 200 1981

        posted by  joekidd on  Fri Jul 18 14:45 CST 2014
        Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
        last visit: Fri Oct 24 10:54 CST 2014
        [RELATED]

        You see thats where you lost me because you say " A wire in the car started the fire" "Under seat sub or rear seat light" That to me says fuel in the car which I find next to impossible as these aint made by FORD.








  •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

    Fuel lines? 200 1981

    posted by  trichard on  Wed Jul 16 04:13 CST 2014
    Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
    last visit: Fri Oct 24 05:52 CST 2014
    [RELATED]

    sincerely, i don't want to p--ss on your parade but in the long run you'll be better served and safer if you find another car.

    of all the jobs one can do to keep these cars to keep them alive and safe rebuilding floor panels and the accompanying support ribs is the most tedious and unrewarding.

    one you get into it it will be endless if the floors are already that bad.

    heed robert frost, “Take care to sell your horse before he dies.
    The art of life is passing losses on.







    •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

      Fuel lines? 200 1981

      posted by  TheFunk on  Wed Jul 16 16:34 CST 2014
      Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
      last visit: Fri Jul 18 12:39 CST 2014
      [RELATED]

      The long run isn't too much of an issue. We're in a pinch and needed something cheap that ran, was hard to say no to this car even after I took a look underneath.

      We won't be keeping it forever but money is tight and buying another car isn't really feasible at the moment. We have hopes to find another 240 coupe one day and swap the useable parts over (interior is pristine, engine has no known issues, tranny feels good as new).


      I'm not looking to repair all of the rust, but just want to make sure that it doesn't spread anywhere that will cause the car to be unsafe to drive.

      The fuel lines run under the trim on the driver side right?
      Are there areas prone to rubbing/flexing/breaking?
      Am I better off not touching anything so that I don't risk chipping off the wrong bit of rust?








      •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

        Fuel lines? 200 1981

        posted by  Trev29 on  Thu Jul 17 05:02 CST 2014
        Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
        last visit: Fri Oct 17 05:56 CST 2014
        [RELATED]

        "The fuel lines run under the trim on the driver side right?"

        No. The fuel lines run under the car along the tranny hump with the brake lines.

        In the older 240s they used metal fuel lines which eventually corroded, perforated and seeped. If you smell gas, run your hand along the lines and feel for dampness where the fuel is seeping through. The in-tank fuel pump also has a tendency to rust at its exit pipes.

        Newer 240s use nylon line.

        I replaced my lines with 5/16" copper tubing that doesn't rust. Even rebuilt the in-tank with 5/16" copper.
        --
        1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb, M46 trans, 3:31 dif, in Brampton, Ont.








        •   REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE    PRINT   SAVE 

          Fuel lines? 200 1981

          posted by  TheFunk on  Fri Jul 18 12:49 CST 2014
          Author: [PROFILE] [EVERY POST] [THREADS] [BEST POSTS] RSS Feed     [IGNORE ALL POSTS]
          last visit: Fri Jul 18 12:39 CST 2014
          [RELATED]

          Thank you for that bit of info. Must've been the exit from the in-tank pump then... Or maybe even something the previous owner had messed with...

          I'll be checking those lines out when I am home, might just replace them for the hell of it on payday.







<< < > >>



©Jarrod Stenberg 1997-2022. All material except where indicated.


All participants agree to these terms.

Brickboard.com is not affiliated with nor sponsored by AB Volvo, Volvo Car Corporation, Volvo Cars of North America, Inc. or Ford Motor Company. Brickboard.com is a Volvo owner/enthusiast site, similar to a club, and does not intend to pose as an official Volvo site. The official Volvo site can be found here.