Need help with a fuel leak

[Billy]

Hey everyone.

I parked my 85 vic a couple months ago because the starter solenoid died and it started leaking a LOT of fuel. I have a new solenoid so I'm not worried about that, but the fuel leak seems like it could be an issue. I havent been able to tell exactly where it's coming from, but it's dripping down right around the front oil drain plug. Somebody recently told me that there's fuel lines that run by there. Does anybody have any good pictures of those? Are there any fittings up there or is it probably a rotted through line? It leaks very slowly while running, but dumps a fair amount when I prime the pump.
The battery is probably dead on the car by now, but I want to at least get a better idea of what's up with the fuel leak before I mess with it much more.

[P72Crazy]

If it were a 5.8 or a carb'd version, I'd say you have a bad fuel line or a fuel pump that's blown it's diaphragm. I have had both of these issues. When the FP diaphragm blows, if car is running, it will squirt fuel out the relief hole in the FP housing. So much on my last bad FP, it's a miracle I didn't catch fire!

[fmansfield444]

Rubber/plastic fuel lines on an 85 CFI car run down along both sides of the engine. The drivers side changes to metal line a little behind the a/c down on the frame. The passenger side changes to metal line after the control arm from what I remember. I'd say you have a leak in the plastic line. Unless its a carb'd car then like said I would suspect accelerator pump diaphragm.

To fix a busted plastic fuel line I buy high pressure fuel hose and completely remove the old plastic line and connect the new rubber hose from metal frame line to metal CFI assembly line. And be careful to keep away from the exhaust I wrapped mine just to be safe. And be sure to use fuel line hose clamps. They don't pinch the hose.

[pantera77]

Judging from the rest of the car it's probably a rotted out line. Just get some high pressure rubber fuel hose and some clamps and go to town. (fun fact, I always use double worm clamps and have never had a problem)

[Billy]

Sorry, I should have clarified, it's CFI 5.0. I know that it had been suggested to me that it was a fuel line, but I had just dismissed that because I didn't think they ran that far towards the front of the engine, but I found out the other day that they do, and that the driver's side one is most likely the culprit.
It's hard as hell to pinpoint the leak and I haven't been able to do it so far. If it's most likely the metal line that's bad, how do you guys suggest I remove the bad section of line? I don't have a saw or anything so I'd have to buy one. Also are there any fittings between the metal or plastic or whatever that I might need to worry about?

[gadget73]

There is a line on both sides of the engine. Driver's side is return, passenger side is feed. Look over all of it. Tubing cutters will do a good job of cutting through the line. There are fittings at the ends of the steel line, but as long as a couple inches of line up to that fitting is still good, theres no reason not to re-use it. The best fix is new steel line with unions, but high pressure rubber line with double clamps works. I would suggest taking a larger piece of rubber hose over it as a protector though. Even a chunk of garden hose would work. You just want to make sure it won't rub on the frame and get through the rubber line.

[P72Crazy]

See there, I knew you'd get help on the five/oh application from all the experts. All this time, I should have bought a few 5.0 police cars to play with and had more horsey power and options for tuning !

[Billy]

Does anybody have any diagrams or pictures of the fuel lines on the driver's side near the oil pan so that I can get a basic idea of what I'm dealing with?
Also what size are they?