What is this?

[FGS]

Hi all,

Forgive my ignorance, but I'm trying to understand what the red-circled tube is for. I suppose it is the tank ventilation (there is actually a small hole on the end), however I am not sure and, moreover, when opening the trunk there is a strong smell of petrol.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wladek]

On your csi tank you have fuel level float from carbed cs not from injected csi, that's why it have additional pipe for fuel suck, that is probably blinded.
Original csi fuel level float doesn't have this pipe as it have separate fuel suck & return pipes.

 

[adawil2002]

@Wladek is correct.

Under the fuel level sender should be an o-ring & under the larger pickup & return flange should be a rubber gasket. The fuel filler neck over time develops small cracks and can add to gasoline odors.

 

[FGS]

On your csi tank you have fuel level float from carbed cs not from injected csi, that's why it have additional pipe for fuel suck, that is probably blinded.
Original csi fuel level float doesn't have this pipe as it have separate fuel suck & return pipes.

Thank you @Wladek , I'll check if it's blinded. I'll also check my order from WN as I recall to have bought the fuel level sender unit for a CSi (as I recall to have read on their website).

@adawil2002 I'll check it. The car has been restored and all the part you see in the photo are new, I would be astonished to verify that the o-ring is already gone.
Thank you for the tip.

 

[Wladek]

here you have an example of sending unit from csi (my csi)
genuine csi sending units are long long NLA, that's why they probably sent you cs version. Length of 3.0cs sending unit is the same as csi/csil, the only difference is that additional pipe & different oem numbers.

 

[sfdon]

Different sending units for different cars...

 

[Honolulu]

The purpose of that sleeve (if it's not a blind plug) is to make up the difference between the OD of the metal tube and the ID of the connecting flexible fuel line ON A CARBED CAR.

However, I see you have a different (non stock or from another model?) fuel suction/return setup, I think that's not original but added, in which case the off-white item should be a plug.

 

[Wladek]

Yes, sleeve is for OD difference between metal pipe & fuel hose for standard carbed fuel connection.
My point wasn't about that sleeve - more that these metal pipe have additional plug somewhere inside (currently unvisible), because otherwise with open pipe even small amount of fuel could take outside the tank & smell would be in the hole trunk area or car.

 

[Cornishman]

I think that fitting is for a breather. In the U.K., which I understand is different to the US, a small diameter pipe goes out under the rear bumper and is open to the air. My breather pipe was damaged, I replaced it and the fuel smell ceased.
I believe in the US there was a charcoal filter fitted to the breather.
I suggest that you try that to try resolve the fuel smell, it is easier than the some of the other fixes.

 

[Wladek]

I think that fitting is for a breather. In the U.K., which I understand is different to the US, a small diameter pipe goes out under the rear bumper and is open to the air. My breather pipe was damaged, I replaced it and the fuel smell ceased.
I believe in the US there was a charcoal filter fitted to the breather.
I suggest that you try that to try resolve the fuel smell, it is easier than the some of the other fixes.

That pipe is not breather for 100%, because it goes to the very bottom of fuel tank. It is fuel suck pipe, i had two of that type non csi senders in past, so am sure.
Fuel tank in e9 have breather out on fuel filler pipe near the cap.

 

[Ohmess]

Cornishman - As Honolulu says, that sender is for a carbureted car. The fuel line that runs to the fuel pump is connected to that pipe on the sender that has the white sleeve on it.

The breather pipe in your car is connected to a fitting on the fuel filler connection pipe just inside the fender. In US cars, this same fuel filler pipe fitting is connection to a hose that runs through the passenger compartment, through the firewall, and into the carbon canister underneath the battery.

 

[eriknetherlands]

Full agree with Wladek. I have a carbed e9, and have same pipe. Fuel goes through it. It turns my engine...

 

[Cornishman]

Guys, you are correct. I went to check my car, the breather does come off a fitting on the filler neck.
Sorry for the error, I admit I was too lazy to go and check first time.

So does a carb model have a tank breather, if so is it the same as on the csi?

 

[Marc-M]

I am currently sorting my fuel sender out of the CSL.



When I took mine out it was totally unrestorable?



The one I took out of my tank had an outlet on it and was 21.5 long – however the tank depth is 25.8 deep…. So sometime in it dim and distant passed, it replaced with the carb sender that was to short.... so when it showed empty there must have been a few gallons in the tank - better safe than sorry...

I have been told the correct one for the CSI – CSL is 25 cm long with no feed/ breather.


However, these are no longer available – so you have to get the carb version and seal up the hole in the breather/ feed pipe, I believe they are the same length at 25 cm long…. But cost a small fortune … there is no cheap alternative that I can find… but if any knows – please tell..



Hope it helps

 

[Ohmess]

Guys, you are correct. I went to check my car, the breather does come off a fitting on the filler neck.
Sorry for the error, I admit I was too lazy to go and check first time.

So does a carb model have a tank breather, if so is it the same as on the csi?

Well, I believe the answer depends on where the car was originally sold. Cars sold into the US had the carbon canister setup I described earlier. I believe carbureted cars sold in the rest of the world did not, and instead had the breather coming off the filler neck and out the bottom of the trunk.