1.8 clipper fuel issues help please!!

My clipper was parked up over winter and was running perfect beforehand, I've been messing around with the filler neck to try and avoid the £100 bill for a new one and the breather pipe(assuming) which connect near the filler cap is disconnected. Ever since the car will break down after a few minutes of driving from fuel starvation, I've fitting a brand new fuel pump, fuel filter and separator, today I ran the car trying to work out what's going on and I disconnected the feed pioe from the fuel filter and the car kept running as if it was sucking the fuel from the return line?? Could the disconnected pipe from the neck be causing this and/or airlocks in the system? It's on a new last year weber carb if that helps and as I said it ran perfect before this!!

Update: I followed the how to topic on cleaning out the fuel pickup & tank and used my compresor to blow out the fuel lines and it now drives perfect again! I'm going to fit a new filler neck to prevent any future rust getting into the system

Yep it's a common issue rust in the fuel tank from the filler neck.

I'd take the rear seat base out and the sender unit from the tank and inspect the tank for rust inside there.
If there's rust in the tank it's only going to make it's way back into the lines/carb at some point.
At least you got her running well again.

chortle said

Yep it's a common issue rust in the fuel tank from the filler neck.

I'd take the rear seat base out and the sender unit from the tank and inspect the tank for rust inside there.
If there's rust in the tank it's only going to make it's way back into the lines/carb at some point.
At least you got her running well again.

Hi there, have had the sender out and cleared all the rust and general debris build up down there, with a new filler neck & all new fuel system I should be good for some more years to come now hopefully, I plan to keep it filled over half a tank at all times too 

Just make sure you paint/treat the filler neck as the paint on it from new does not last 5 minutes before it chips off and the filler neck rusts again at the top.
If your car is not used much and only comes out of the garage on sunny days then all the dust is carefully cleaned off underneath then I would not worry much as you wont have mud sitting on top of the filler neck..  

Agree  there Mark. There's no guard for that side to keep the muck out.
I reach up and check mine and knock off any mud I find.  Good call.

mark1gls said

Just make sure you paint/treat the filler neck as the paint on it from new does not last 5 minutes before it chips off and the filler neck rusts again at the top.
If your car is not used much and only comes out of the garage on sunny days then all the dust is carefully cleaned off underneath then I would not worry much as you wont have mud sitting on top of the filler neck..  

Thanks for the heads up I was planning on doing this as the cabriolet filler neck is an absurd amount of money so I'd like it to last, what would you recommend treating it with or just adding some extra coats of paint?

I've just replaced mine but I used a tin top one but it does need the end cutting off, a section cut out and then the end welded back on.
Info on what I did and what I painted it with on my project thread (towards the bottom of the page). My car a daily drive so I wanted mine to last.
http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=projects%2Fyour-mk1-golfs_2%2Fmy-daily-drive-1988-gti&kfs79=30

If you don't want to buy Epoxy mastic, it isn't cheap and you'll have a lot left over if just doing a filler neck I would start of with stone chip paint and go from there, don't forget to give the filler neck a good sand and clean so the paint sticks and pay extra attention to the top where you can see mine has rusted away as that's where the mud sits.

Also buy a new rubber hose and 2 jubilee clips which connects the tank to the filler neck as the old rubber hose will of gone hard and will be a Hassel to fit on the filler neck.
I bought mine and clips from GSF for about £15.

mark1gls said

I've just replaced mine but I used a tin top one but it does need the end cutting off, a section cut out and then the end welded back on.
Info on what I did and what I painted it with on my project thread (towards the bottom of the page). My car a daily drive so I wanted mine to last.
http://vwgolfmk1.org.uk/forum/index.php?page=topicview&id=projects%2Fyour-mk1-golfs_2%2Fmy-daily-drive-1988-gti&kfs79=30

If you don't want to buy Epoxy mastic, it isn't cheap and you'll have a lot left over if just doing a filler neck I would start of with stone chip paint and go from there, don't forget to give the filler neck a good sand and clean so the paint sticks and pay extra attention to the top where you can see mine has rusted away as that's where the mud sits.

Also buy a new rubber hose and 2 jubilee clips which connects the tank to the filler neck as the old rubber hose will of gone hard and will be a Hassel to fit on the filler neck.
I bought mine and clips from GSF for about £15.

 Thanks for the advise, the car already had a hacked up tin top one ill fitting so I'm just going to pay the extra for a genuine cabriolet neck, I'll definitely treat it before fitting then can't go wrong for a long time I hope