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is a hose supposed to be connected to this?
- Thread starter Jon March
- Start date
LSolheim
Member
1. Yes, that is the vacuum advance, Jon. The stock connection is a molded 90° connector on each end w/ a steel tube connection over top of the thermostat and into the carb. In my pic you can see the shiny tube connected at the distributor & going upwards just to the right of the oil filter and again to the left of the valve cover nameplate.
2. That is a Spitfire Lucas alternator in my picture, so it would appear you are negative ground w/ a generator.
2. That is a Spitfire Lucas alternator in my picture, so it would appear you are negative ground w/ a generator.
Last edited:
jfriese
Active Member
Jon,
I see the fuel filter in your picture. I once put a filter in that position and had endless weird fuel delivery problems after that. Finally a mechanic told me I shouldn't mount a filter there and to move it to after the fuel pump or under the gas tank. I moved it to under the tank and that fixed the problems. I still don't know why that location change would make any difference but it did for me. I welcome other folks to comment on their experiences with adding fuel filters at the input of the pump or other locations.
John Friese
67 White
67 Red
I see the fuel filter in your picture. I once put a filter in that position and had endless weird fuel delivery problems after that. Finally a mechanic told me I shouldn't mount a filter there and to move it to after the fuel pump or under the gas tank. I moved it to under the tank and that fixed the problems. I still don't know why that location change would make any difference but it did for me. I welcome other folks to comment on their experiences with adding fuel filters at the input of the pump or other locations.
John Friese
67 White
67 Red
Fuel filter in engine compartment is generally bad for a couple of reasons.
1st, if it comes loose ... game over.
Today's evil gasoline has more alcohol / ethanol in it and boils at a much lower temp than what the engine is used to. Many people see it in their filters, when the gas is bubbling. When the gas bubbles, it creates a reservoir in the filter, thus slowing the flow of fuel down. Amphi needs constant speed with the flow of gas. When you slow the flow down, you run lean, when you run lean, you run HOT! Now you get sluggish performance and a vapor lock type effect on your Amphi. Your engine puts out a lot of heat even when turned off after a run. Where does all that heat have to go when they are not being used? Right there by your fuel filter making it HOT.
Just because your fuel filter is in the trunk, don't think you are safe from fires. Ethanol eats away at rubber components like fuel hose. Only use the latest fuel hose, which will be rated SAE 30R9, This is a lined hose (Lined with a Teflon like material) and i made to resist today's oxygenated gasolines. The old 30R7 hose USED to be acceptable, but no longer is, it will rot out from many of today's nasty fuels.
Many vendors still sell what they call the "correct German, metric hose", BUT it is often the inferior type, despite being OEM style factory hose. If it does not have the teflon like inner liner that 30R9 has, it is no good. Don't risk a leak or a fire. The old braided stuff was designed for another era.
You can buy 30R9 hose at many parts stores, make sure 30R9 is printed on the hose. It can be difficult to find metric 30R9, I use 5/16 inch and 3/8 inch diameter 30R9 with the correct fuel-injection type hose clamps and find that it holds fine, nice and tight.
Since we were recently talking about Leno, here is his take on ethanol in fuel ...
http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/jay-leno-hates-ethanol
1st, if it comes loose ... game over.
Today's evil gasoline has more alcohol / ethanol in it and boils at a much lower temp than what the engine is used to. Many people see it in their filters, when the gas is bubbling. When the gas bubbles, it creates a reservoir in the filter, thus slowing the flow of fuel down. Amphi needs constant speed with the flow of gas. When you slow the flow down, you run lean, when you run lean, you run HOT! Now you get sluggish performance and a vapor lock type effect on your Amphi. Your engine puts out a lot of heat even when turned off after a run. Where does all that heat have to go when they are not being used? Right there by your fuel filter making it HOT.
Just because your fuel filter is in the trunk, don't think you are safe from fires. Ethanol eats away at rubber components like fuel hose. Only use the latest fuel hose, which will be rated SAE 30R9, This is a lined hose (Lined with a Teflon like material) and i made to resist today's oxygenated gasolines. The old 30R7 hose USED to be acceptable, but no longer is, it will rot out from many of today's nasty fuels.
Many vendors still sell what they call the "correct German, metric hose", BUT it is often the inferior type, despite being OEM style factory hose. If it does not have the teflon like inner liner that 30R9 has, it is no good. Don't risk a leak or a fire. The old braided stuff was designed for another era.
You can buy 30R9 hose at many parts stores, make sure 30R9 is printed on the hose. It can be difficult to find metric 30R9, I use 5/16 inch and 3/8 inch diameter 30R9 with the correct fuel-injection type hose clamps and find that it holds fine, nice and tight.
Since we were recently talking about Leno, here is his take on ethanol in fuel ...
http://autoweek.com/article/car-life/jay-leno-hates-ethanol
Jon March
Member
Thanks guys - will see if Jamestown Distributors has that fuel line. Meantime, I wonder if someone could share a picture of the best spot to put the fuel filter? Im a little unclear about the many things ive read about "Puch shutoffs", "cork" gaskets, etc and where all these things are supposed to be...and in what order....
Also - I heard a comment that the "accelerator pump" diaphragm can leak fuel onto the manifold? Whats that about? Sounds like another fire hazard....
Also - I heard a comment that the "accelerator pump" diaphragm can leak fuel onto the manifold? Whats that about? Sounds like another fire hazard....
jfriese
Active Member
Some people worry more than others. Sometimes you guys make it sound like these cars are just waiting to burst into flames. I've put 25k miles on my cars and nothing like fire has ever happened. Perhaps I've been lucky but I doubt it. Why would the diaphragm in an Amphicar accelerator pump be any more dangerous than the millions of them that were in cars before fuel injection came along. The thing that adds whatever fire risk these have is the fact that the engine and whole fuel system is with you inside the car rather than being outside of a body shell and firewall. Now that is an issue alright but to me it means I should check for leaks often and be sensitive to fuel smells. I had a fuel leak one time and noticed it about two block from my house. It turned turned out to be a fuel cable clamp that came a bit loose and needed to be tightened. I knew there was a problem because I could smell the gas fumes that were leaking out. Still the car didn't blow up or anything.
I've been involved with these cars for 15 year and the only fire I've ever heard of with an Amphicar was a car destroyed by a garage fire where it happened to be parked. Settle down a bit, but keep your legally mandated fire extinguisher handy just in case.
John Friese
67 White
67 Red
I've been involved with these cars for 15 year and the only fire I've ever heard of with an Amphicar was a car destroyed by a garage fire where it happened to be parked. Settle down a bit, but keep your legally mandated fire extinguisher handy just in case.
John Friese
67 White
67 Red
LSolheim
Member
I actually took this picture to show the (rather chipped) Steering Box brace, but it actually shows the 2 add'l fuel filters I have been using:
#1 is stock, integral to the shutoff/reserve fuel valve
#2 is the plastic filter just coming out of that valve
#3 is in the lower left, a steel-cased filter that came with my auxillary electric fuel pump.
Older pumps used Buna-N rubber which is very susceptible to ethanol. Most newer fuel components use viton.
Unlike Buna-N, Viton is impervious to alcohol as well as to moisture and solvents. For the moment, Viton (or other brands identified as ethanol-compatible or non-corrosive) is the best solution to the problem of fuel component failure.
Chances of a fire in any vehicle are indeed slim. Still, things like proper hose seem like cheap insurance.
Unlike Buna-N, Viton is impervious to alcohol as well as to moisture and solvents. For the moment, Viton (or other brands identified as ethanol-compatible or non-corrosive) is the best solution to the problem of fuel component failure.
Chances of a fire in any vehicle are indeed slim. Still, things like proper hose seem like cheap insurance.
Depending on where you live, you can get ethanol-free fuel. For me it is about 50 miles out of the way but I usually stock up in the Spring. Given my limited use of the Amphi, the small quantity does the job. Aviation gas from your local. small airport is also ethanol free as the FAA does not allow it in Avgas.
For locations that sell ethanol-free fuel, check out:
http://pure-gas.org/
For locations that sell ethanol-free fuel, check out:
http://pure-gas.org/
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