Arcane fuel fitting blew off

[HKusp]

I ran down about 2 hours away from home today to Maryland International Raceway for the Racemotive 1/3 of a mile roll racing competition. On the way down I was following a friend of mine in an M8 Competition. That car is fast, and I have a leaking oil pan which is worse when beating on the car. Because of the smoke and smell increasing about a half hour into the ride down, I stopped being hard on the car. So drove an hour+ being easy on the car. Was leaving several hours later, following Havoc_5.0 (Phil) who ran in the races today. He was pulling his car on a trailer, going slow. I was doing 35mph on a winding country road and all of a sudden, the car died, I smell fuel and pull over. I pop the hood and the fitting from the fuel rail on the drivers side is off. I have no idea why or how this happened. I pop it back on, prime the pumps and the car fires right up, so we pour water all over the engine to dilute it, so I don't catch the car on fire. I drive a couple hours with no incidents and make it home. I have not had that fitting disconnected since putting the fuel system on the car about 6-7k miles ago. This fitting popping off, obviously, should never happen and I have a serious confidence issue with it, moving forward, because if it happens crossing a highway, or some other inopportune time, there is going to be a big problem. Any suggestions on how to insure this doesn't happen again?

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[Timbuck]

Far,kkkkk That’s no fun Jason. Is it the fitting where the gauge is ?? Hard to see which one from the pics.
can you replace it with a AN type fitting rather than a push on quick release.

BTW. On my new build I’ve carrying 2 fire extinguishers for this very reason.

 

[HKusp]

It was the push to connect fitting where the pressure gauge is. I did not think to take pic with it off, but all I did was literally push it back on and it ran flawlessly afterward, albeit, I didn't push the car at all. I have no confidence in it at this point. I absolutely will be getting a fire extinguisher today.

 

[NGOT8R]

I don’t have a return style fuel system, but I did just run all new line from the pump to the rail and use push lock fittings. I had one blow off on me before and I clamped them afterward. No more issues with blowing lines off.

 

[HKusp]

Yeah, I can't clamp that fitting. It's a push lock and it is a hard line connection made out of aluminum. No way to clamp it. It is SUPPOSED to require a fuel line disconnect tool to remove it.

 

[SheepDog]

I ran down about 2 hours away from home today to Maryland International Raceway for the Racemotive 1/3 of a mile roll racing competition. On the way down I was following a friend of mine in an M8 Competition. That car is fast, and I have a leaking oil pan which is worse when beating on the car. Because of the smoke and smell increasing about a half hour into the ride down, I stopped being hard on the car. So drove an hour+ being easy on the car. Was leaving several hours later, following Havoc_5.0 (Phil) who ran in the races today. He was pulling his car on a trailer, going slow. I was doing 35mph on a winding country road and all of a sudden, the car died, I smell fuel and pull over. I pop the hood and the fitting from the fuel rail on the drivers side is off. I have no idea why or how this happened. I pop it back on, prime the pumps and the car fires right up, so we pour water all over the engine to dilute it, so I don't catch the car on fire. I drive a couple hours with no incidents and make it home. I have not had that fitting disconnected since putting the fuel system on the car about 6-7k miles ago. This fitting popping off, obviously, should never happen and I have a serious confidence issue with it, moving forward, because if it happens crossing a highway, or some other inopportune time, there is going to be a big problem. Any suggestions on how to insure this doesn't happen again?

Is the end that goes into the rail NPT or ORB type fitting?

 

[SheepDog]

Considering that the Arcane stage 2 doesn't have an external pressure regulator, that pressure gauge really isnt providing any benefit since you cannot change the pressure.

I'd get rid of the gauge, the fitting for it, and that silver push on/quick connect fitting, and then use a -6ORB to -8AN fitting (looks to me like your supply line is -8)

Then thread your fuel supply directly to the fitting

https://www.racetronix.biz/p/adapter-6-orb-male-8-an-male-al-bk/adf-495102

 

[HKusp]

Considering that the Arcane stage 2 doesn't have an external pressure regulator, that pressure gauge really isnt providing any benefit since you cannot change the pressure.

I'd get rid of the gauge, the fitting for it, and that silver push on/quick connect fitting, and then use a -6ORB to -8AN fitting (looks to me like your supply line is -8)

Then thread your fuel supply directly to the fitting

https://www.racetronix.biz/p/adapter-6-orb-male-8-an-male-al-bk/adf-495102

It does have an external fuel regulator. I set the pressure at the fuel hat and that gauge reads the pressure.

 

[SheepDog]

It does have an external fuel regulator. I set the pressure at the fuel hat and that gauge reads the pressure.

I guess I meant a remote pressure regulator, not one attached to the pump assembly, but cool that you can change the pressure on that one.

Anywho, you can use AN fittings instead of that silver quick connect fitting to prevent that from happening again. Use a -6ORB to -8AN male, then use this -8AN female to male with the NPT port to keep your pressure gauge.

https://www.anhosefittings.com/fitt...MIjLHHm6bPhgMVDwatBh3JGgb5EAQYBSABEgLTrPD_BwE

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...MIu9zZiKbPhgMVqs3CBB2K0QRoEAQYASABEgJ9K_D_BwE

 

[J17GT]

Crazy that happened. @SheepDog has the right idea, I’d go that route. I can confirm that is a -6ORB fitting on that Whipple rail.

 

[HKusp]

I guess I meant a remote pressure regulator, not one attached to the pump assembly, but cool that you can change the pressure on that one.

Anywho, you can use AN fittings instead of that silver quick connect fitting to prevent that from happening again. Use a -6ORB to -8AN male, then use this -8AN female to male with the NPT port to keep your pressure gauge.

https://www.anhosefittings.com/fitt...MIjLHHm6bPhgMVDwatBh3JGgb5EAQYBSABEgLTrPD_BwE

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/...MIu9zZiKbPhgMVqs3CBB2K0QRoEAQYASABEgJ9K_D_BwE

Thank you. I will make the change.

 

[DougS550]

Thank you. I will make the change.

I used a-6 orb to -8an male flare on my fuel rail, -8 an line fitting. But only after DW mentioned it. Sorry to hear of your problems. Glad it wasn't worse.

 

[Angrey]

If it makes you feel any better, when I repurposed my OE fuel line as a return, I simply flipped the OE fuel filter around and called it a day (it had a QD fitting). I hadn't really flogged the car yet and I decided to get spirited turning onto an on-ramp with a camaro next to me. After pretty much embarrassing myself by nearly putting the car in the ditch, I started smelling fuel. My first thought was one of my tank area modifications had failed or leaked (I had made a custom penetration into the passenger side hat). I was meeting a buddy at the fuel plaza about 5 miles away. I stopped filled up and turned the car on and my buddy starts screaming at me to shut the car off. The connector at the OE fuel filter in the return line had popped and I was PISSING fuel under the car. By the time I shut it off and got out there was a serious puddle of fuel under the car. We pushed it over to an out of the way area and I spent the next 2 hours getting a ride from him home and back for a jack and tools. Needless to say, I changed out the QDs immediately after that (and ditched the OE filter).

Could have been VERY VERY bad if any of that fuel I was spitting had sparked and because mine was on the return line, I didn't immediately notice anything mechanically, was only the smell going down the highway.

 

[bankyf]

Although I can't tell exactly what you have going on behind the gauge, Radium(and several others) have a female quick connect that will lock on in a different, much more secure method.

 

[HKusp]

If it makes you feel any better, when I repurposed my OE fuel line as a return, I simply flipped the OE fuel filter around and called it a day (it had a QD fitting). I hadn't really flogged the car yet and I decided to get spirited turning onto an on-ramp with a camaro next to me. After pretty much embarrassing myself by nearly putting the car in the ditch, I started smelling fuel. My first thought was one of my tank area modifications had failed or leaked (I had made a custom penetration into the passenger side hat). I was meeting a buddy at the fuel plaza about 5 miles away. I stopped filled up and turned the car on and my buddy starts screaming at me to shut the car off. The connector at the OE fuel filter in the return line had popped and I was PISSING fuel under the car. By the time I shut it off and got out there was a serious puddle of fuel under the car. We pushed it over to an out of the way area and I spent the next 2 hours getting a ride from him home and back for a jack and tools. Needless to say, I changed out the QDs immediately after that (and ditched the OE filter).

Could have been VERY VERY bad if any of that fuel I was spitting had sparked and because mine was on the return line, I didn't immediately notice anything mechanically, was only the smell going down the highway.

Here are some better pics of the current set-up. The fitting on the Whipple rails was designed to re-use the OEM fuel connection, and the Arcane system was specified to use the Whipple rails. I am going to go by the local speed shop and see if they have the fittings there, if not, I will have them order them for me. When that fitting blew, it sprayed all over the drivers side header and the top of the engine. Once I popped the line back on, and the car started, I doused everything with water to dilute it. Other than the smell, it was all good. Drove it yesterday for about 30 miles and this morning to work, 17 miles. So far, not a hiccup. I can literally move the car grabbing and pulling on the hose, so I have no idea what precipitated that thing coming off.

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