Hi can anyone help me figure it out? I have a 1978 olds delta 88. I noticed the differential is leaking gas. Anyone able to tell me what I should do ? Thanks I don’t know much about differentials.

 

No way the rear end is leaking gas. Must be gas tank leaking, and running down on the rear end.

 

No, it isn't. There's no "gas" in the differential, only gear oil. If you are seeing gasoline drip from the differential, it means that the fuel lines that run above it are leaking. There are rubber hoses that connect the fuel tank sending unit to the hard lines on the frame. These age and crack over time, causing leaks. Sounds like you need to replace them.

 

I often emit gas from my rear end.

 

TMI, dude.

 

Sounds like you have a gas line leaking and it's traveling down the differential. If you aren't going to do the job yourself you should get it fixed soon by a mechanic. Put a container under it in the meantime.

 

I’ll take a look are the gas lines easy to get?
if you guys don’t mind what parts do you recommend getting fixed/replaced? My delta is all original except the motor I have now. Thanks

 

Normally it's just rubber hoses. However you won't know until you get under there and look because it can also be a bad float assy seal, rotted tank, or rotted steal lines.

 

Hopefully it’s the hoses and not steal lines.

 

Be careful how you broadcast that or some neener will go after you for emitting greenhouse gases and declare you a public health hazard!💣

Hey they keep trying to do that with cows and other livestock...

 

Any parts store should have the rubber fuel line and most made in last 15 years should be resistant to ethanol. Replace it all, both at the tank like in Joe's picture, and at the front where the fuel pump is.

My guess is the leak is on the fuel return line since it's under pressure, but again, car's 43 yr old and probably still has the original fuel lines back there.

Young'un, do you have a way to raise the rear of the car so you can get under there? A hydraulic floor jack and sturdy jack stands will work, but please do not under any circumstances go under it with only a bumper jack holding it up. Don't want to hear about you getting crushed.

 

Ok should I replace all including the steal lines or just the rubber hoses? Yes I have a good set of jack stands as well as a jack.

 

You should jack it up and inspect it. It is far more likely that the rubber hoses have deteriorated. If one is bad, replace them all. The steel lines are either rusted or they are not. If they are rusted to the point that they are leaking, they need to be replaced. This is not an easy thing to do, since the line is one piece from the rear axle area to the front of the frame. It is installed at the factory before the body goes on the frame. Replacing it now is MUCH more difficult. If it's not rusted and not leaking, leave it alone. Slit the old hoses with a knife where they slide over the metal lines to make them easy to remove without bending or damaging the steel lines.

 

You have already read the best suggestions for replacement of the fuel lines (they're most likely going to be the rubber hose fuel lines). Most automotive parts stores sell rubber fuel hose by the foot. Get a good estimate of the amount you need, purchase X number of feet & cut your own lines to length to fit your need(s). You might grab some nice new clamps while you are there as well.

NOTE: It's not a difficult job - it's tedious and time-consuming - get your head around it, plan on camping out under the car for a couple of days. I'll say this - if you have a floor creeper this is one job where it will pay for itself! SUGGESTION: Use good lighting so you can clearly see what you're doing.

BTW - They're steel lines, unless of course you plan to steal them.

 

And don't let the auto parts store tell you that you need the high pressure lines. This is a carb, not fuel injection. It's 5-6 PSI tops, and the main line is actually a suction line, not a pressure line.

 

I have a '78 Toronado that was leaking fuel from the rubber line at the fuel tank. Here's some things you need to know.

The short rubber fuel lines connect from the steel hard lines that go the front of the car to the pipes coming off the sending unit, which is on top of the gas tank. On my Toro, and it's likely the case on your Delta 88 as well, the pipes coming off the sending unit do not extend beyond the front edge of the fuel tank. This means that you cannot detach the old lines from the sending unit pipes and attach the new lines without dropping the fuel tank from the car.

Here's is a photo of the top of my Toro's gas tank after I removed it from the car. See how the steel lines coming off the sending unit don't quite reach to the edge of the fuel tank let alone extend beyond it. There is no room here for you to get in there with the tools necessary to remove the old lines and attach the new ones.

Note also that all three rubber lines were hard and brittle, and I'm guessing the same will be true for the rubber lines on your car if they're original.







Here's a photo of where the other ends of those lines attach to the steel lines coming from the front of the car. Again, I'm guessing the situation is similar on your car. Since you can't get at the connection between the rubber lines and the sending unit, unless you want to just cut the old lines, you can disconnect the rubber lines at this end, pull them through that bracket, and the remove the tank from the car with the rubber lines still attached to the sending unit. This is what I did. Then you can unclip and remove the rubber lines from the sending unit and take them with you to the auto parts store to get the lengths and diameters you need. Note that the lines are not all the same diameter, so don't just assume you can go buy a 10-foot length of a certain diameter and then cut three 3-foot or whatever pieces out of it. Take the old lines with you and get exactly what you need.






While you're at it, I strongly recommend that you replace the fuel tank sending unit at the same time. Removing the gas tank is a pain in the #$Q#$%, so you don't want to have to do it more times than necessary. New sending units are available for your car for under $60 from rockauto.com. Spectra Premium model FG10A. Buy one and put it in before you re-attach the tank.

Also, while you have it off the car, clean and inspect the tank itself. If it's questionable, replace it. New tanks are readily available for your car from rockauto and certainly other sources as well. You can probably get both a new sending unit and tank from any local auto parts store. You'll have to order them and wait a day or two for the parts to come into the store.






I replaced the fuel tank on my Toro as well, and here's a photo of the new tank with the new sending unit installed. Note the three pipes. Each is a different diameter.

 

That's not true. While it is definitely easier to drop the tank, I've been able to reach in that gap with a pair of pliers, squeeze the spring clamps, and slide them back. Slit the hoses as I noted and you can get them off. Dropping the tank unnecessarily pretty much guarantees that you'll break one of the clip nuts or tank strap bolts, and the collateral damage multiplies. It hurts nothing to try to disconnect the lines before dropping the tank.

 

Good for you. Have you ever tried it on one of these cars? I guarantee you that there is no way on God's green earth you can reach up under there, squeeze those little metal clamps, all of which will be rusty and will probably break, then pull the old hoses off, which will be pretty much impossible because they'll be firmly stuck to the metal pipes and you'll need to cut them with a knife, push the new ones on, push new clamps on, and then get in there with a pair of pliers, squeeze the clamps, and slide them forward. All while not being able to see anything nor have any clearance to speak of in which to work.

Mr. Padavano, don't tell me what I can and cannot do. I've been there on a full-size '78 Olds replacing these lines. Have you?

 

This is an unfounded fear. Removing the tank strap bolts and straps has never been a problem. If the bolts break, new ones are readily available. It would behoove the OP, given that the car is 43 years old and probably still has its original fuel system, to fully inspect the tank and sending unit while replacing the rubber lines. If the rubber lines are in need of replacement, it's possible other fuel system components are as well. Claiming this should be avoided due to possible damage in the tank removal process is a red herring.

 

I don't pretend to know what you can or cannot do. I know what I HAVE done. I also know that a Toronado is not a Delta 88. I've got three 1985 D88s and I've been under all of them. The 1977-1985 B-body cars are pretty common in their systems and design.

 

The fuel tank lines on my A-Body CS convertible which come off the fuel tank are nestled up in there pretty good - but they're manageable. I sliced through the rubber hoses as Joe did and cut the rubber fuel lines leaving the clamp and underlying rubber hose attached to each steel fuel line. Then, I used a long 11" pliers to reach each clamp - that worked great. It was pretty easy attaching the new rubber fuel hoses to the steel lines and the 11" pliers made short order of attaching the clamps.

 

how many have taken off those clamps while lying on your back? no doubt they can be got from under if one can stand and contort to get them,limited mobility on the back. they hoses are installed on the tank off line then strapped to the body,run thru the loop,and then hooked to the steel lines while the car goes down the line

 

I don't have a lift, so yeah, I've done it on my back.

 

Yes. I’ve done it on my back. Read my response above. Floor creeper works great. It’s NOT a huge deal.