[Vwdiesel] fuel pump(?) leak !

[Sandy Cameron]

At 07:55 PM 8/23/05 -0300, you wrote:
>OK, before I consult the manual (if I can even find it...haven't seen it for
>months) I'll ask the collective knowledge here, as "you'd guys are da best"
>LOL
>
>Had my E-brake cables changed out the other day......I think the mechanic
>knocked up against what I think is some kind of drain cap(?) on my fuel
>pump.<box>(?), passengers side, just ahead of rear wheel on the floor pan,
>near beam axle.
>
>I noticed a big puddle of diesel under the Golf tonight so I frigged around
>a little bit, only making matters worse.  Diesel is leaking out the tube and
>the amount seems to be dependant on how tight the adjacent cap dooey is
>pushed on. (It's a loose fit)  The cap more-or-less just seems to push on
>fit.  Is this some kind of drain affair?  Is it supposed to screw on? (mine
>doesn't.......or at least doesn't NOW).
>
>Any easy fix?  Gonna have to be a quick fix 'cuz as soon as I remove the cap
>the stuff just pours out like Niagra falls...
>
>What I did in the interim was get a small piece of hose, fold it over and
>ty-wrap it to itself (like a plug-cap) and then jam it onto (over)the little
>tube end.  Hopefully this will slow the ebb of fuel flowing out from beneath
>my car.

That's the water separator. The drain cap threads on to the box, and there
is a rubber gasket inside it.

I find the best temporary fix is to get an in-line cartridge at cTc
23-3515-4, comes with 2 bits of hose and 4 little clamps, all for less than $3.

Remove the lines, or cut them, or open them any way you can, near the water
trap, and insert the cartridge in its place. Then you will have a year or 2
to deal with the box, as long as your fuel is "reasonably" clean. You can
still drain any water at the bottom of the OEM fuel filter in the engine
room..The 5/16" fittings are compatable with the volks fuel connections.

Using a clean plastic kitty litter tray as a drip pan, splice the filter
into the line, then proceed to do whatever you want to about the trap.
Sometimes the cap seizes on, and trying to free it cracks the threaded boss
off the box. I think I have a couple of spares here if you are really anal
about having it on the car. It holds about a liter and a half, but if your
fuel tank is more than half full, it will syphon until the tank is empty.
Lift the round hatch in the floor above the tank toward the right, in the
trunk, and remove the supply line from the tank so it wont syphon The tank
should not be more than half full, or it will run out of the supply spiggot,
as about 1/3rd of the tank is actually above the level of connections.

Tony's 86 golf is running without it, and without an under-car fuel line
(now vinyl inside all the way), etc.

Sandy