Husky 61 fuel line/filter problems...

[Bg357]

So I've got this old Husky 61, (new to me) and it's running good, should have left well enough alone. But I thought I ought to change the fuel filter... seemed simple enough. I read a bit online about how you just fish the filter out of the tank through the fill hole and replace it.

So I fished the filter out the fill hole and when it came out, the filter and line it was connected to came loose from another piece of fuel line still in the tank. Apparently, somebody previously added a stiff piece of line to the original fuel line with a little plastic barb and attached the fuel filter to the end of that. The piece still in the tank, that goes through the tank wall is far too short to reach the fill hole and attach a filter onto it. :bang:

So I stopped by the Husqvarna shop to see what a new fuel line looks like, maybe it would solve my problem. The new piece looks just the same as what I've got, very short line with an "integral grommet" built into the middle of it. It's slightly longer on the tank side of the "grommet", but not much. From the shape of the fat grommet portion and the shoulder on one side, it appears that the line can only be inserted from the carburetor side, which means you can't put the filter onto the end of it until it's in the tank. Which of course you can't do because it's too short to reach the fill hole.:msp_confused:

So I started to understand why someone would put a barb and extension on the end of it, only wish they'd have used more flexible line so it didn't put so much pressure on the connection while I was trying to jockey it out of the fill hole. At this point, the only way I could figure to get this back together is to pull the short piece that's connected to the carb out of the tank, so I can thread the new filter and the extension line from the inside of the tank up through the hole, reattach the barb, and put it back in the tank from the carb side.

That went ok, until I tried to push the grommet part of the hose back into the little hole in the top of the tank. I just will not go back in there! I don't know if it's too soft & swollen from age or what, but I can't get it back in the hole. It doesn't help that I'm working through the upper hole in the saw frame and it's slightly offset from the hole in the tank...

So, to make a long story longer, in my efforts to push the grommet back through the tank wall, I managed to get the upper part of the hose pinched and cut, so now my fuel line is crap and I'll have to get another! I'm hoping that the new hose will go in better, but I'm concerned that it won't and I'll somehow ruin it again. Beyond that, I don't understand how this is supposed to go together without the extension piece attached to the filter, or without splitting the tank, which doesn't look fun or easy. Am I missing some easy trick to this? What's the proper procedure for changing the filter on this shorty hose and how do I get the new one seated through the tank wall? Please HELP!:msp_confused:

 

[rmh3481]

HVA Part No; 501285901, $10.50

Sometimes to save a little $$ folks will cut the fuel line at the "integral grommet" and run a standard piece of tygon fuel line through the grommet and up to the carb. I would take it apart, wash it all out and start fresh with the correct parts.

A short piece of bailing wire through the center of the line will help you pull the grommet into position.

 

[fatboy1941]

I just replaced the fuel line on one of my 61s. I bought an origional line with the fat part in the middle off of ebay, and a pair of 10 inch forceps, one straight and one curved, off of amazon. I pulled the old fuel line and filter out of the tank after disconnecting the line from the carb. I ran a piece of tie wire down from the carb compartment opening and out the tank filler hole. Then put the new fuel line end over the wire and taped with black tape, which helps to guide the fuel line up the hole to the carb. Install the filter in the fat end of the fuel line and gently push into the tank, guiding the upper end of the fuel line to the hole with the wire. When the fuel line is showing in the carb area, you can grasp it with the forceps and pull the fat grommet part into place very easily. It takes a lot longer to type this than to replace the line. Oh yea I got the fuel line off of ebay but you might try some of the site sponsors here.

 

[Bg357]

So you're saying you would split the tank to "wash it all out" ? How difficult is that? Looks like you have to pull the screws running through the AV bushings and disconnect the throttle & choke linkages at a bare minimum. How much more to it is there? Is that the only way to change the fuel filter "correctly", the way it's designed?

HVA Part No; 501285901, $10.50

Sometimes to save a little $$ folks will cut the fuel line at the "integral grommet" and run a standard piece of tygon fuel line through the grommet and up to the carb. I would take it apart, wash it all out and start fresh with the correct parts.

A short piece of bailing wire through the center of the line will help you pull the grommet into position.

 

[Bg357]

You pulled the whole shoulder through that small hole in the tank?? On mine, the shoulder was on the top, outside the tank. I can't imagine you could pull that through the hole, especially without ripping off the upper line. Looks like you could only insert the line from the top. ??

I just replaced the fuel line on one of my 61s. I bought an origional line with the fat part in the middle off of ebay, and a pair of 10 inch forceps, one straight and one curved, off of amazon. I pulled the old fuel line and filter out of the tank after disconnecting the line from the carb. I ran a piece of tie wire down from the carb compartment opening and out the tank filler hole. Then put the new fuel line end over the wire and taped with black tape, which helps to guide the fuel line up the hole to the carb. Install the filter in the fat end of the fuel line and gently push into the tank, guiding the upper end of the fuel line to the hole with the wire. When the fuel line is showing in the carb area, you can grasp it with the forceps and pull the fat grommet part into place very easily. It takes a lot longer to type this than to replace the line. Oh yea I got the fuel line off of ebay but you might try some of the site sponsors here.

 

[hamish]

Put the fuel filter on the short end of the hose then install from the tank towards the carb. Its an easy mistake to make on that sereis of saws.

 

[fatboy1941]

On both of mine the fat part of the line was in the tank at the top of the tank, just the skinny part of the line went thru the hole up to the carb.

 

[Bg357]

Put the fuel filter on the short end of the hose then install from the tank towards the carb. Its an easy mistake to make on that sereis of saws.

Ah ha! So it's supposed to go in the other way? Somebody must have put mine in backwards. It looked like the shoulder is there to prevent gravity from letting it slide back into the tank, so it hadn't occured to me that it was put together backwards.

 

[ft. churchill]

I made the same mistake also, and put the fat end of the center section on the outside of the tank. The guys here corrected me and I've got it right now. The fat stopper goes inside against the roof of the gas tank ceiling. Ever notice how the gas tank builds pressure when you crack open the fuel cap? the pressure pushes against the fat portion of the fuel line and makes it seal against the ceiling of the tank....... Now here's my trick to doing this job easy.... Put the fuel filter on the proper end of the hose first. Then take a long ty-wrap and stick it down thru the hole from the carb side until the pointed end of the ty-wrap comes out the gas cap opening. You may have to hook it with a wire to help guide it towards the gas cap opening. Then put the other end of the gas line onto the ty-wrap by just pushing it into the fuel hose. Coat the outside of the fuel line with some two-stroke oil as lubricant. then pull the new fuel line up into the tank and out thru the ceiling of the tank towards the carb. Once it's out just pull it up untill it seats against the ceiling of the gas tank. Your done. hook up the carb and your ready. Dont forget to put the filter on first as it's hard to put on afterwards if ya dont. Mine have never leaked either. Good luck. :msp_biggrin:

 

[hamish]

Ah ha! So it's supposed to go in the other way? Somebody must have put mine in backwards. It looked like the shoulder is there to prevent gravity from letting it slide back into the tank, so it hadn't occured to me that it was put together backwards.

Its about as common as cold beer on a hot day, most if not all 61's that come accross my bench, have the fuel line installed backwards.