ATTABOY on the repair + impressing the neighbor.
Wilton
----- Original Message -----
From: "clay via Mercedes" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
To: "Mercedes Discussion List" <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Cc: "clay" <redgh...@comcast.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2015 3:16 PM
Subject: [MBZ] Gasoline in eyes burns
I woke this morning to an overwhelming stench of petrol. Bedroom on the
third floor of the home, garage at the bottom.
I ran down to see if the neighbors had decided to torch my house. Turns
out the rear flex fuel hose had perished and was piddling on the garage
floor.
This is not a good sign, so I open the door and back the car out into the
driveway to get a better look. Roll Froggy up on the ramps and see the
line is original and soaked, the fuel drooling along the hard line and
piddling on the ground. I can either tackle this myself, or have my indy
swap it out in five minutes. I figure it is worth the Jackson to have him
tackle it, so I give them a call.
No answer, and it is shop hours. Maybe the receptionist is piddling her
own self. Fire up Froggy and drive the three miles to the shop. They are
gone until mid month. DANG! Looks like I am going to have to do this my
own self.
FLAP has a vast selection of sizes, and I did not know just how fat a hose
I need, so I guesstimate that it is .025" id. Head back home and put her
on the ramps again. Pull out the needle nose clamping things and seal off
the line so I can undo the hardline side. While unscrewing the hose
clamp, the hose fails and dribbles fuel on me. I put another plier clamp
on and it stops
Until the tank side line fails as well and now it is coming out in
earnest. Eating my gloves while I am trying to cap the dang thing off. I
had already cut a length of hose and had clamps on it, but I have to get
the dead hose off so I can install the new hose. All the while petrol is
flowing down my arms and onto the underside bits of the car, such that it
gets past my safety glasses and into my eyes.
While my eyes are burning, I yank off my gloves and make a wad of them,
slap that onto the nipple spewing fuel all over and clamp it with the
pliers. Strip off my shirt and jacket and run into the house to the
closest sink so I can flush my skin and eyes. After a few minutes of cool
water running over eyeball, I can see again, but keep on flushing. I
fetch a new shirt and head back under the car.
It turns out the .025" id is a bit too tight to go over the hard lines,
and the gloves are beginning to dissolve. Fuel is now piddling again and
I scamper around looking for another object to plug the flow. I got
nothing. I figure I will just stopper it with more fresh glove and clamp
it, hoping it holds long enough to get to FLAPS and back with a more
proper hose. I grab the dead hose as an example so I do not have to
guess.
Back from FLAPS, I cut an appropriate length of hose and set clamps on it.
The wad of shop glove is holding well and I am able to seat the one end of
the new hose to the hard line. Tank side, there is still a 0.5" section
of dead hose stuck on the nipple. Much head scratching ensues while I
contemplate just how much fuel may spew while I remove said obstruction
and then struggle to hook up the new hose. I could try to toss a bucket
or such under, but from the spread of fuel all up on the suspension, I
would need a kiddie pool size bucket. Decide that a kitty litter barrier
downstream will have to suffice. Mix it with garden dirt for a fair dam,
and plunge ahead.
I lost about a quart of petrol while getting the nipple clear and the new
hose on and clamped securely. No fuel in my eyes, but much on the
flesh, even with gloves on. No more dribbles from the fuel lines, which
is desired result. Use a small yard sprayer with water in it to hose off
the petrol from the underside of the car. Then gather up my dam of litter
and mud into a bucket and take it to my fire pit to dump.
I have an idiot neighbor. He was let go from M$ and now works as an
Amazon slave. He thinks he is the smartest thing on the planet. I think
him a moron. He sees me dumping the dirt and inquires if I am going to be
burning dirt now. I tell him it is dragon poop, toss a match on it and
watch his eyes grow big.
clay
2002 s430 - Victor, a Stately & well tailored chap
1974 450sl - Frosch - Two tone green
1976 300D - Blei Vanst - it looks silvery
1972 220D - Gump - She was green, simple and ran
1995 E300D - Gave her life to save me against a Dame in a SUV
POS 1987 SDL - Beware Nigerian Scammers
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