Fuel system questions

[jbruch694]

I've been driving my '87 325is for about 2 weeks now after finally getting it going after buying it from some dude who let it sit for a year, starting it like every month or something. I'm driving it kinda hard a) cause this car is fun as fuck and i love it, and b) to try to pinpoint problems / make things break before I go to college in mid august and will have a limited supply of tools, money, space, etc.

I've already successfully broke a few things including the clutch master cylinder, and discovered the ps pump, rack and hoses leak a lot, as does the oil pan. Anyway, when I bought it I noticed how rusty the metal fuel lines were, and the filter, around the area of the filter, and I decided I need to change all that shit out. I came across this:


Ignoring the obscene amount of rust (getting dealt with at the moment,) what is that thing to the left of the filter? I'd like to replace cause of the corrosion but I can't find it anywhere. Also, I have the fuel system that has only one access panel under the rear seat and the older style sender; is there a part number for the gaskets that go on the top of the sender and on the part the sender sits in? When I opened up that panel it smelled like gas.

Thanks, JB

[jlevie]

That is a vibration damper. You can replace it, but I normally delete it the first time I change the filter.

As for the part numbers of the level sensor and pump housing seal, go to http://www.realoem.com and look them up. Your dealer or some of the on-line suppliers will have them by that part number.

[u3b3rg33k]

that vibration damper is a retarded idea. All they ever do is leak fuel under your car. Even BMW realized it's retarded - look up the replacement on realoem - it's a piece of straight tubing.

Oh, and I hope you're replacing the fuel filter...

[jbruch694]

that vibration damper is a retarded idea. All they ever do is leak fuel under your car. Even BMW realized it's retarded - look up the replacement on realoem - it's a piece of straight tubing.

Oh, and I hope you're replacing the fuel filter...

That's really all that is? Alright straight tubing it is. And yeah, I'm considering replacing that fuel filter :up:

Thanks!

[u3b3rg33k]

I didn't even use tubing - i just replaced the hose from the filter to the fuel line with a longer piece of fuel line.

[jbruch694]

Yeah that's what I meant.

Re: the clutch master cylinder leaking, should I just go ahead and replace the slave cyl and the hose between the 2 while I'm doing the master even though theyre not leaking, or just not worry about it?

Thanks, JB

[jlevie]

[quote=jbruch694;3245524]Re: the clutch master cylinder leaking, should I just go ahead and replace the slave cyl and the hose between the 2 while I'm doing the master even though theyre not leaking, or just not worry about it?/quote]
I'd replace the slave and the soft line. The odds are that those are as old as the master cylinder. They might still be okay, but either could fail at any time.