leaky fuel line to rail, what does this thing do?

[inthar]

noticed some drips coming from where the hard fuel line connects to the rail. I assume that I just have to replace the washers but I'm curious what the little acorn thing is below where the line connects because i guess its a possibility that it may be the culprit.
Thanks.

[llamavan]

That's the fuel pulsation damper, and it's a common culprit for fuel leaks. If you have an inspection mirror, you can examine the underside for signs of leaking (it should be bone dry).

DO NOT drive the van if the FPD is leaking! :nono: At first the gas drips are small, but that quickly increases ... and the exhaust manifold (hot!!!) is directly below. That's a recipe for an engine fire, and you do NOT want to go there.

HERE (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?231-Replacing-your-fuel-pulsation-damper) is the how-to-replace-it thread for the FPD.

Gwen

[timsrv]

What she said. Now that you know the name of the bugger, do a search & you'll find lots about it here on the site. Here's one of many threads where it's mentioned. Tim

http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1363-Fuel-Damper-question

[inthar]

the hilarious thing is that i discovered my leak when using my van to show another van owner friend where i noticed he had a leak. had smelled a slight whiff of gas here and there recently but i thought it a chainsaw in the back. wow. yet again the forum comes through. are the washers fairly easy to track down. I'll call napa with the part numbers tomorrow. also mine is an 87 but my friends is an 85 so i'm wondering if the they are the same?
seriously I am so appreciative to you all for being so helpful.

[timsrv]

I think washers will come with the new FPD. If not they are fairly common and most parts stores should have. I'm pretty sure these are interchangeable on all years/flavors of vans. Toyota used this same one on other models as well. Tim

[1966novacoupe]

noticed some drips coming from where the hard fuel line connects to the rail. I assume that I just have to replace the washers but I'm curious what the little acorn thing is below where the line connects because i guess its a possibility that it may be the culprit.
Thanks.
what are your thoughts on going with an aftermarket f.p.d. versus oem. rock auto has an airtex for about $45.?

[timsrv]

Lol, just answered a similar question HERE (http://www.toyotavantech.com/forum/showthread.php?1363-Fuel-Damper-question)

[inthar]

ordered the cheapest one from rock and it arrived yesterday. does not come with the washers so i'll stop by a parts place and pick some up. My amateur baseball team is travelling to philly this weekend so I'll have to wait until next week to get it done. I will report back when I get it done.
Thanks, Niko.

[timsrv]

Both washers should be common (even for aftermarket), but the one on the damper side is a little special (it's got little tangs on the inside diameter to space it away from the threads). It's Toyota part #23232-41081 & sells for ~$2.00. The other one is a standard crush washer Toyota part #90430-12005 & sells for ~$1.00. Tim

[timsrv]

ordered the cheapest one from rock and it arrived yesterday. does not come with the washers so i'll stop by a parts place and pick some up. My amateur baseball team is travelling to philly this weekend so I'll have to wait until next week to get it done. I will report back when I get it done.
Thanks, Niko.

I just opened one of my new SMP #FPD4 pulsation dampers (cheapest on on rockauto) & can confirm it does not come with crush washers. For anybody needing these washers, here's a picture of the special one that sits against the damper. The other one is just a a standard round one (ID fits right up against the threads).

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/TVT%20pics/Fuel%20system/IMG_2755_zpsd0a97adc.jpg

[inthar]

no biggie. all in all took about 25 minutes with 10 of them just trying to catch the threads when putting it back together.

[timsrv]

I installed one this weekend too. Interestingly enough the threads were not as clean as the original Denso FPD. I ended up chasing them with 12mm X 1.25 die & then it went on pretty easy. Tim