Date: Fri, 24 Mar 2000 14:43:26 -0800
Reply-To: Tobin Copley <tobin.copley@UBC.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Tobin Copley <tobin.copley@UBC.CA>
Subject: Diesel fuel tank Qs
In-Reply-To: <4.3.1.2.20000324114738.036f7cd0@127.0.0.1>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
Hi all,
I have rust in my fuel tank. :-( It's fouled my diesel injectors
(replaced now), and totally clogged my fuel filter (also replaced).
I'm looking for a new tank. It's an 82 vanagon diesel.
Is the diesel tank identical to the gasoline tank? The local
typically unhelpful VW dealer informs me the gas and diesel versions
have different part numbers, but they don't know the specific
differences between them.
As a point of interest (and comedy?), for the tank, a few grommets, a
filler neck, and breather tube the dealer quoted me CDN$1364.00 in
parts alone. (1 US$ = 1.47 CDN$)
Questions:
----------
1) what is the difference between the two tanks? I can't imagine the
tanks would be shaped differently. Different check valves or
something?
2) do I need a new filler tube? The condition of my tube is
currently unknown. I'll inspect my tube when I pull the tank, but
I'm not convinced it's bad. It's a dealer-only part here, and the
dealer wants CDN$160.80 for it, plus CDN$9.14 for the gasket where it
mates with the tank. (!)
3) I can get a new gasoline-version tank here aftermarket for
CDN$286.00. They do not have a listing for a diesel tank.
4) I can get my current tank "renewed" for about CDN$250.00. It does
not leak, and no water was in the water separator when I swapped the
filter.
5) I'll also need a new fuel sender. Is there a diesel-specific
version of that as well? The local FLAPS has a gasoline version for
CDN$80.00.
6) If I can get parts from the states significantly cheaper than
this, I would consider it. To make a US source worthwhile, however,
the price difference would have to be enough to overcome the exchange
rate difference (1 US$ = 1.47 CDN$), 20 percent in additional duty
and taxes assessed at the border, and the cost of shipping to
Vancouver, BC, Canada. Given all this, I'm not really optimistic
about an American vendor coming in cheaper.
Any answers, advice, or tips, would be most appreciated.
T.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin Copley Bowen Island, BC, Canada tobin.copley@ubc.ca
'82 westy 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
'97 son Russell =============
'99 daughter Margaret /_| |__| |__|:| clatter
1995: 'Round US, Mexico, Canada 15,000 mi O|. .| clatter!
1996: Vancouver to Inuvik, NWT 7,400 km ~-()-==----()-~
Previous buses: '76 westy deluxe (Daisy), '76 westy standard (Mango)
http://www.sfu.ca/~tcopley/vw/
