Biting point right down and petrol leaking. Please HELP!

[NIX]

Right, my car is in a bad state at the moment. There is a petrol leak that I cant seem to fix. The leak seems to be coming from the attachment from the fuel line to the top nipple (near the rocker cover). I have jubilee clipped it over the line but it still seems to pi$$ out after a bit of a drive? Petrol is leaking all round that area and into dodgy places and I'm quite concerned about me car getting blown up?!

Any suggestions?

Also, today I got in my car and drove but the biting point of the clutch is real far down. The pedal is loose until about an inch away from the floor. I'm having to put a fair few revs on just to make sure I dont stall.

Again, any suggestions? Do you think this could in any way be related to the fuel leak problem?

Need help urgently because I need to do a fair bit of driving today and this week generally.

HELP!

[abelai]

Clutch thing just did mine I had to replace the slave cylinder and bleed it. the bleed nipple is a f**ker to get to on mine but your gearbox might be smaller and easier to get access what is the colour of the clutch fuild? That will give you a clue as to the condition of the seals if its black the seals are shagged went to bleed mine and when my friend had his foot on the clutch I saw the fluid leaking out of the gearbox so I changed the slave cylinder but it could also be the master cylinder.

As for the fuel lines just replace all the flexible lines in the engine bay they come up from the n/s at the bulk head.

On another note, how you doing.

[NIX]

F#ckin hell mate, long time no hear from. How's things? Still running with the e30 then.

Yeah me and Paul replaced the fuel line last wkend when i was up there but the jubilee clip just doesn't seem to be tight enough for some reason? But there will be times when I run it and it doesn't leak but then it eventually gives way. Any chance of a fire from where its leaking do you think?

In terms of the clutch, that sounds like a bit of work, and I'm at work all week and need to go off driving a fair distance this afternoon, so I dont know when i can get it fixed unless i send it to the garage whilst at work. How much do you think it will set me back (london prices)?

Also, running the clutch as it is, how long do you reckon it will last? Like I said, I've got about a 40 mile drive this afternoon, but then on friday evening, plan to drive upto coventry, then saturday evening, to cambridge, then back to london on sunday. What are my chances?

Arrgghhhhh!!!!!!!!!

[abelai]

Yeah e30 still going gotta pick up a seat for it this weekend and fit the aircon system I got for it and the head gasket appears to be franchised out to Tetley's tea bags. But I painted my cam cover while I put off doing the headgasket.

Fuel leaks are always bad, which pipe is it the feed or return? Did you get the right diameter fuel line? Maybe its too big, it should be tight when you push it on but not silly tight its about 8mm on mine probably the same on yours.

Clutch will be fine its the gearbox that won't like it. See if your clutch fluid is low, a slave is Ԛ£25 ish master Ԛ£40 ish from ecp. Check for somewhere like Mister Clutch they'll do it quick time and probably cheap too.

Are the chuckle brothers still living in Coventry in your house? Is their Civic still alive?

I got a job now I work for the council as a claims inspector drive around taking pictures . Adjusted all my valve clearances yeaterday in my "lunch time" hehe 2 1/2 hours lol getting paid to work on my own car and the petrol to go home to do it rofl. I'm in work now hehe.

[NIX]

Mate I'll call you in about 40 mins if thats cool and go through it all then.

Sounds like you're jobs pretty sweet.

Only one of the chucklebrothers, Andy is living in Cov. Paul is in Huddersfield doinghis placement year, for a diesel turbo company called Cummins.

Yeah my cover got paineted too (black the silver stripes), however due to the fuel leak, its made a bit of a hash of that

Chat soon dude. Make sure you got your phone on because I want to make sure I know what needs doing before I drive home from work (got a half day today), and theres a parts shop 30 seconds away from work.

[jokipea]

My clutch slave cylinder on my 325i needs replaced as it is leaking fluid, so I try to keep it topped-up. Several times I've found that pedal goes to floor( it's been leaking for nearly a year, I'm lazy), so I've refilled reservoir, pumped pedal till I can get it in gear. Over the next couple of days the slave cylinder self bleeds and clutch is OK. I think the reason it self bleeds is because reservoir is above slave cylinder and the air gradually rises up pipe to reservoir. Not saying it will work for your's but if you've no time for anything else it might work.

[abelai]

It's not that hard to change and not expensive. 2 13mm nuts hold it on and use some extensions so you can reach the one near the outside of the car holding the ratchet in the tunnel near the back of the box as you would if you were removing the gearbox. Yes it does sort of self bleed but all the brake/clutch fluid is going into the bell housing and could get to the plates making it slip eventually.

Only takes about an hour or 2 taking your time.

[Ziggy]

Yup, changing the cluch cylinders shouldn't take more than an hour or so for both & you probably won't have to bleed em. Bit awkward for access under the dash, but nowt difficult

[NIX]

Thanks guys!

Have refilled the resevoir with clutch fluid and the biting point is back to normal. Just have to keep an eye on it until I get round to replacing the cylinder, which by the sounds of it seems to be the source of the problem. Also need to replace the cap for the resevoir as mines a bit busted.

Have also replaced fuel line with a better quality pipe and that seems to have stopped the leaking (although there is still that friggin leak at the top of the fuel tank but dont think i'll have a go at tackling that myself )

Ryan, be prepared for phone calls as usual once I get round to actually getting the cylinder. Guess its high time I bought myself a trolley jack too. Honestly, you had to go and move back down to freezing Wales didn't you Ryan