1982 300D(T)
I need to replace the short rubber return fuel line at the tank. (Rubber hose that connects the hard line to the tank nipple.)

Can anyone tell me if I should expect fuel to pour relentlessly from the tank when the hose is removed? Or is the tank internal plumbing such that the fuel will not flow continuously?

Fuel should flow continuously from that line unless you have the tank nearly empty.

Run the tank down to 1/4 or less and have some 5 gallon buckets handy to catch whats left.

Hmm, could you seal off the tank vent, and suck the tank into a vacuum? (not a hard vacuum, just a slight vac. a hard vac will collapse the tank!!!) that will give you a bit of time to swap the lines if it can be done....

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
1987 300TD
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

I got the hose replaced and only spillied about a pint of fuel. The old hose was pretty stubborn.

I should have replaced that hose when I renewed the main supply hose a couple of years ago. It would have been so much easier with an empty tank.

So, my advice is to replace all the tank hoses any time the tank is drained for any reason. Do it all the first time and be done with it!!

I ran my tank low, put the car up on stands, pulled one end of one hose off, drained the diesel trickling out, and couldn't get the other end of the hose off...couldn't loosen the clamp! And i didnt have any extra and it was sunday, so I didn't want to cut it. Same story for the other hose...so I cursed a few times and put the hoses back on, poured the diesel back in the tank (it wasn't too dirty looking) and now I still have to do it. Good for you for finally changing them...

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1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

Pizzachef - I had exactly the same experience last week. I cut the metal tube just after the clamp and replaced the hose and clamp. Not a big deal at all, but cutting the tubing is a little tight. I used a hack saw blade hand-held wearing a glove.

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82 240D 302,00
85 300TD 195,000

Well, it's good to know that there's enough tubing left to clamp to after cutting off what's under the old clamp.
Thanks!

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1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

If you stick a shop vac down into the filler neck a little way and create a partial seal, you can pull the fuel lines off with out 1 drop comming out of the tank. You will get the fuel in the fuel line draining out, but that's easy to deal with. Works great, we do this in the shop all time.

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There has to be a better option than cutting the hard line. The hard line is flared so that the clamped hose cannot slide off. You will loose that feature if the line is cut.

That's why the hose is so hard to pull off

After looking at it, I think I'll snip the clamps and work on the hose with a razor blade if they won't pull off.

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1985 300TD-euro 352,000 mi
1974 240D (1?)52,000 mi - has a new home now

Other than the lines starting to leak fuel, what other problems are caused? Will the deteriorating lines allow air into the fuel system causing air bubbles and fuel delivery problems?

It looks like my lines are original, but they appear dry. Other than moisture, I'm wondering what else to look for.

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Pictures of the MB: http://s230.photobucket.com/albums/ee41/EricandRobyn/1981%20Mercedes/

1981 300 SD with a Goldenrod water block and Injetor line heaters. EGR is missing

1999 F-350 with HP X-over, Dahl 100 Fuel Filter, Coolant by-pass filter, CCV mod, Tymar intake.

Both on single tank WVO blend

Mine just started to seep fuel through the hose. Air leaking into the return line would not hurt anything, even if it did occur.

However, the leaking fuel is bad news on several counts. First, it dripped onto the inner, left CV boot. Second, my car is parked in a garage next to a gas hot water heater. Third, a catastrophic failure of the hose would empty the fuel tank is short order.

I had changed all the other rubber fuel hoses several years ago as a preventive measure. I just missed the return hose.