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Lucky.....

laxeian

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My F6 has been off the road for a few months, been going into the garage periodically to start, run, check etc., its been OK but over this period its been getting progressively harder to start, on start up was getting a slight ‘petrol’ smell, which initially I put down to use of too much choke/ flooding on start-up, reading threads on poor starting problems leaving me after checking carb/ manifold for leaks, plug and dizzy etc. and not finding fault scratching my head thinking ‘I may have to drop tank and have a look-see’,
Anyway, here comes the lucky bit, started it up, warmed it up, walking round van checking lights etc, opened bonnet and revved it slowly up through rev range, listening for flat spots, around 2500-3000 got a slight splutter/miss and a slight smell of petrol in engine bay, located it to the smallest piece of petrol pipe from the pump to ‘T’ connection, cold and low revs no leaks, warm and with the pressure from engine revs activating pump a big leak!, enough to puddle if revved stationary.
Really cheap fix, but it could of been total disaster.
Think at the age these are now ‘routine’ maintenance after little lay ups may need to be expanded from lights, fluids and brake operation before burning doen the highway ( luckily not literally!)
 
I had an untunable (four-carb) Alfa Romeo 33 green cloverleaf once; driving along, wondered if the car ahead of me was leaking petrol but just to reassure myself pulled over a mile or two further along, opened the bonnet and found a stream of petrol pouring onto one of the exhaust manifolds, steaming as it poured off....... That was from a rubber braided petrol hose that went from one side of the engine bay to the other, connecting the boxer engine twin carbs one side to the twin carbs the other. Then I switched off the engine.
 
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