Changing out ye olde Gas Tank Hoses

While the engine is out getting refurbished, I thought it would be an excellent time to replace the nearly 30 year old hoses that connect to the gas tank from the gas nozzle you find at the gas station.

I learned that the assembly leading to the tank consists of six parts. Three of them are large hose clamps, two of them are rubber hoses, the last and biggest piece is a large steel hose or tube that serves as the middle piece between the two rubber parts.

Basically here's how I did it. (I'm told you can do it with the engine still in, but I can't see how.)

I started by removing the gas cap, and then inside you find a metal piece that covers a rubber piece, held in by four metal short screws. I took out the screws and removed the little metal cover, the pushed the old rubber hose back inside the bus to clear the opening. At that point, the outside the bus looks like this...





The next step is removing the clamps inside and pulling the hose assembly out of the bus and getting it out through the pie hole. At first I had a little trouble getting this long piece twisted through a small hole, but finally reached success when I took off the hose that was feeding into the gas tank (to make the assembly shorter) and stuffing that end all the way into the far corner.. which would be to your upper right if you're looking at the gas tank from behind the bus.

Then I removed the old hoses and clamped on the new ones.

The two hoses I used to replace the original German ones were from two different sources.


The thick hose that feeds into the actually gas tank came from NAPA Auto parts. It's NAPA NBH1055. 2 1/4 Diameter.

I needed about 8-10 inches of hose.. and it needs to be cut so that both sides are at about a 30 degree angle. The long sides of the hoses need to be on the same side.. if that makes sense. Meaning also the short ends of the hoses need to line up as well. So you basically cut the hose at opposite 30 degree angles. Not the same 30 degree angle.

The other end of the steel tube goes into a different type of hose that has been NLA or no longer availible for a long time. But now, you can buy it. The part number is 211-201-119 and you can buy it at Cip1.



OK.. so the rest is pretty easy. I fitted the new hose and old good clamps on the biG metal hose.. (after doing a good cleaning, inside and out).

First I mounted the hose that goes to the tank, and you'll notice I only cut one side at an angle.. both sides would have made it easier.






Then I mounted the other piece that will stick through the bus to the gas cap.

And finally you can see the finished piece, end to end, with my little 5 year old doing the honors.



And now,
here you can see the hose mounted to the tank.


The only thing that took me a while to figure out, was not to clamp down everything tight right away. Because invariably the little black flat piece that goes against your gas cap, will be at an angle and you'll need to make slight adjustments. I couldn't fit my arm up in there to do it, so I had to keep pulling the assembly in and out little by little until it matched up.

The old hoses didn't look too bad, but they did have some hairline cracks forming and I'm glad I got it done with now.

Another project complete!

Ciao!