Broke Fitting Off In Schrader Valve..Now What?

[TheUser]

Everything was going good, getting ready to start my GT for the first time since June 2003 and I wanted to throw my new BBK Fuel Pressure Guage on to check the fuel pressure and make sure it was ok since I had turned the reg. w/o a guage half a million times. By the way BBK makes a good guage, a little fitting replaces your stock schrader valve, nothing to buy Anyway, I did that and screwed the guage on to the fitting and it leaked gas...so I tightened it, still leaked, so I just kept tightening it until BAM! I broke the fitting off in the schrader valve! What do I do? I don't know if there's some sort of easy out or something to get it out, maybe if if i could get something to attach to the little piece broken off, i could twist it back out and get a new fitting, but I don't know what would attach to it...basically it's like breaking a bolt off I guess.

Anyone done this? What should I do? I hope I don't have to replace the fuel line, although i'm not sure if that is very hard or not. I'm not even very mad about this because I'm pretty confident that the car should run when I get the damn thing out of the schrader. Thanks in advance for any ideas

 

[billheis]

valve

Hey the schrader valve unscrews fron the hard line. Just go to ford dealer or junk yard and pick one up. Ive got two or three around from doing NOS If you can;t find one just letme know and i"ll mail ya one
Bill

 

[TheUser]

yeah, the schrader valve unscrews. The BBK Fuel Pressure Guage came w/ a new fitting. You unscrew the schrader valve from the line and screw their new valve in there and then screw your fuel pressure guage on the new fitting. I broke the new fitting/valve thing off in the line where the schrader was screwed in...

 

[goldbomb79]

is there any of the new fitting sticking out of the hole? I don't know if you can actually attach anything to the broken piece to turn it back, seeing how you tightened it enough to break it off. chances are it's gonna be hard to just back it out. as for drilling it out like a broken bolt well be careful if you do as to not get any shavings in the line because that would suck. you could just go to a junk yard and find a stang with that short fuel line piece on it. i don't know how much a new piece would cost. one question for you though. when you threaded in your new fitting did it come with a little plastic seal to put between the fitting and the bottom of the hole where you took the valve out of? I know my accel gauge did and it didn't leak

 

[TheUser]

no plastic piece, the threads are supposed to be "self sealing" so you don't need teflon tape or your aforementioned plastic piece...i guess you gotta screw it all the way in to get it to "self seal" lol...it was getting tough to turn, so i didn't wanna force it, but I did. I actually turned it quite a bit after it got hard to try to get the all of the threads in there and then it broke...oh well, if i managed to get the heads off and reinstalled, I can friggin fix a fuel line!

 

[Rick 91GT]

An easy out may work if you have any depends how it broke... Use some telfon tape or tefon paste on the threads next time, from the factory it has some sealer. I'd try a local scrap yard for a new rail not worth the chance for a fuel leak.... You will need the fuel line/Air Conditioning line removal tool.

Overtighten usually does not help, and the results are just like you found......SNAP

 

[fast97cobra]

I did the exact same thing on my 97 cobra. I tried to use an easy out and it didn't work for me because the fitting is brass and it just cuts a larger hole. I ended up drilling the old fitting out. Use a bit that is just smaller than the inside of the threads so you don't tear up the threads in the fuel rail. Then you will need to use a 1/16 npt tap to cut the rest of the brass fitting out of the threads. just do a little at a time and don't cut to deep because pipe threads are tapered and if you make it too deep, the new fitting will never tighten up. After you get the threads clean, you will need to put some rags over the opening and turn on the ignition for just a second. This will blow fuel out so make sure you have rags over it. This will clean any of the brass shavings out of the fuel rail. Do that until the fuel comes out clean and install the new fitting and gauge. Make sure you use a threat sealer or teflon tape (preferred) on all pipe threads or it is almost guaranteed to leak. This is how I fixed my car and I hope it works well for you to.

 

[TheUser]

Thanks 97Cobra, that's probably what i'll try. I can't find a friggin fuel line on ebay, stangparts.com, summit, brothers performance, autozone or anything like that...the local salvage yards very rarely have anything I ever need, so I was saving them for a LAST resort. Jegs has fuel lines and fittings for prob. around $30 after shipping, but i'm not sure how i'd get the fitting in there...i'll definately try to drill it and tap new threads...teflon tape WILL DEFINATELY be used this time. Thanks for the help.

edit: I just called the local ford dealership and ford no longer has that part available...seems like they don't ever have the parts I need available any longer...

 

[Rick 91GT]

Then you will need to use a 1/16 npt tap to cut the rest of the brass fitting out of the threads. just do a little at a time and don't cut to deep because pipe threads are tapered and if you make it too deep, the new fitting will never tighten up. After you get the threads clean, you will need to put some rags over the opening and turn on the ignition for just a second. This will blow fuel out so make sure you have rags over it. This will clean any of the brass shavings out of the fuel rail. Do that until the fuel comes out clean and install the new fitting and gauge.

Sorry time to rant.....................this is getting ****ing stupid.


If you do not disconnect the rail some of the metal shavings will stay in the rail/s and go to the regulator or injectors. Why take the chance? If you are going to try to drill it out disconnect the rails and do it OFF the car and clean them out. You can pack the tap full of grease to help retain SOME of the shavings but some will go into the rail.

It only takes 10 min or less to take it all apart the tool is $8 at most parts stores...cheaper then ruining a couple hundred dollars of parts.

Try www.stangparts.com I am sure they will sell you a rail, last thing you want is fuel hitting your hot header, it will burn to the ground in no time.

 

[NoSloCoupes]

I'm pretty sure i've got a couple hard lines with the schrader valve. I'll check to see what kind of shape they are in.


Jason

 

[TheUser]

Rick: Thanks for the concern and ideas...I already have the tool and i'll pull the line before I go drilling on it. By the way, I checked stangparts.com and they didn't have a line listed.

NoSlo: If you have a line w/ schrader, PM me, I may end up needing to buy it off of you, but hopefully not.

 

[TheUser]

Well I ended up pulling the fuel line and drilling the schrader w/ a 3/16 bit to get the brass out...didn't get it all out and didn't wanna mess it up, so I went to Autozone and asked them what I should do. They said I could prob. use a screw extractor, but since it's brass, it might not work, so I tried that. Ended up breaking the extractor off in my line too, so I took out some frusteration by twisting and bending the line until it snapped in half and then i proceeded to throw both pieces and went in the house...I didn't pick anything up either! lol, i'm over it now, but I'll definately need a new fuel line now...

This is such a PITA, but my guess is when it finally runs it will be worth it.

 

[NoSloCoupes]

Anyways the one i have isn't in the greatest condition...wouldn't feel right with you using it.

Did find this tho. Don't know if its sold yet... http://www.corral.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=431738

 

[Ranchero5.0]

Congratulations dummy, you just fugged up. (My turn to rant)

Please explain to the rest of us just why in the world would you continue tightening 1/16" NPT fitting after it got tight? Then to top it off, ask an Auto Zone employee how to fix it. ROFL Like they'd have a clue besides looking in your motorcraft oil filter box for a K+N filter like you are a common criminal or street thug.

All you need is the new hard line from the flex line to the fuel rails. Takes about ten minutes to swap out. They are in EFI Tbirds, MkVII's and stangs and are pretty common. Go for a walk in a yard and contemplate the error of your ways. I have several hanging in the garage.

BTW, the BBK gauge setup is junk, it's on a vibrating motor and will fail after a year or two. Best bet is to get a fab shop to weld a 1/8" NPT stainless fitting by the fuel pressure regulator and run a braided line to the cowl and mount your gauge there. That's how I had to do it with the paxton's inlet in the way. It's also stronger vs Autometer's brass shrader adapter that tend to snap like your's did.

Jamie