Date:         Sun, 30 Jan 2000 09:57:33 -0800
Reply-To:     Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Davidson <wdavidson@THEGRID.NET>
Subject:      propane fill valve
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Last time I had my propane tank filled on my 90 Westy Syncro the guy had a
very hard time disconnecting his hose. He had filled the tank, the bleed
valve was open...it was spewing out propane... he turned off his propane
pump... but his fill hose fitting was stuck onto my fill fitting.

I don't know how these things work, but it seemed to me that there must be a
check valve inside my fill fitting and that it refused to close, thus
keeping pressure on the connection between the fill hose fitting and my fill
valve. After he struggled with it for a while (my nerves on edge with the
propane cloud growing), I suggested he start up his propane pump again after
bleeding some more out of the bleed valve and then stop the pump, close the
bleed valve, and try unscrewing the fill hose fitting again. My theory was
that the check valve inside the fill valve was stuck or frozen. Well, he
tried this and it finally worked. I forget whether he had to try this once
or twice, but it finally worked.

So my question is this:
Do you think this problem was just the propane guy's technique (he didn't
seem like he was too experienced... perhaps he over filled it?) or do you
think this is just the beginning of a developing problem with my fill valve?
I have read in the archives about fill valve problems with automatic fill
valves that have a tube running from the fill valve to the tank instead of a
manual bleed valve... mine does not have the tube, but does have the manual
fill valve.

I am headed to Baja for the month of April and really don't want to have
this problem down there where you probably can't get parts.

Thanks for you advice.
Bill
90 Westy Syncro