Date: Wed, 3 May 2000 15:59:42 -0700
Reply-To: Lee Wood <leewood@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Lee Wood <leewood@LELAND.STANFORD.EDU>
Subject: Dropping the fuel tank (longish)
In-Reply-To: <200005032115.OAA26608@leland2.Stanford.EDU>
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At 5/3/00, Karl Wolz wrote:<br>
<br>
<blockquote type=cite cite>I am about to attempt replacing the sending
unit on my fuel tank ('85).<br>
I've tried doing this before on a van I was parting out, and couldn't
get<br>
the carrier straps off since they seemed to need to swing all of the
way<br>
down in order to release the tank. Do I need to elevate the van to
the<br>
point that the straps will swing all the way down, or is there a trick
to<br>
this.<br>
While I'm at it, anything else I should look for?<br>
</blockquote><br>
Karl,<br>
<br>
I just went through re-plumbing the fuel tank on my '81. I was getting
very strong fuel odors and miserable fuel mileage, so I decided to pull
the tank and renew all the plumbing. I had to jack the front up about 8
inches before the carrier straps could swing down far enough to disengage
from the rear point of attachment. The VW jack was sufficient for the
job. Of course, I had the car on jack stands once it was up.<br>
<br>
Other things to look for (it may be difficult to visualize now, but these
things will be clearer once you start to pull things apart):<br>
<br>
- I ordered a full set of replacement grommets and hoses from Van-Again
<a href="http://www.vanagain.com/" eudora="autourl">http://www.vanagain.com/</a>.
Ken was very helpful by putting up a full re-hab kit for me, even though
I don't think it was listed in his catalog as a kit.<br>
<br>
- Drain the fuel tank AFTER you've jacked up the front end. Even then, I
had about 3 gallons of fuel in the tank after it quit draining. The
outlets are not at the lowest point of the tank, even when it's jacked
up. Be prepared to handle the weight of three gallons of fuel in addition
to the tank, and be ready for a gasoline spill when you finally get the
tank out. Have a container ready to catch the fuel that didn't drain
before.<br>
<br>
- Be very careful about removing the overflow reservoirs in the wheel
wells. I had my heart in my mouth as I was prying them down off their
fittings. It seems to be somewhat glued in there and I was afraid of
breaking that old plastic. I wouldn't want to try to find
replacements!<br>
<br>
- I found it very difficult to reach in through the wheel wells and over
the frame to disconnect the push-in plumbing on top of the tank. There
just wasn't enough room to effectively pull up on those connections to
get them out. The old, stiff rubber grommets made it too difficult. You
may try dribbling a strong soapy water solution on them before you try
pulling them out. I had to wait until I partially lowered the tank to
reach in from the front (FRONT IS FRONT) end to disconnect them. Don't
forget to disconnect the fuel gauge sender wire, too.<br>
<br>
- Inspect the interior of the tank for rust and the exterior for
rust-through holes on top and other damage. Mine was fine. Cover the
openings with duct tape and clean the exterior of the tank. Clean off any
residue from the duct tape when you remove it before installation.<br>
<br>
- While you're under there, you should probably be prepared to replace
the overflow and vent lines. You'll need about 5 feet of 5mm fuel hose to
renew the connections to the overflow receptacles in the wheel wells.
There were eight short (5-6 inch) pieces to replace on my '81. Also, part
of the vent line which runs from the top of the tank back to the fuel
filler pipe was 1/2" flexible hose. You'll need small hose clamps
for each connection, too. By carefully removing them, I was able to
re-use most of the original crimp-on clamps, but I had to replace some of
them. Van-Again had everything I needed except for one piece of 1/2 inch
tubing for the vent line running back to the filler pipe.<br>
<br>
- Be careful of the plastic T-fittings on the ends of the cross-over hose
(which is plastic, not regular fuel line, and goes across the top of the
tank from one side to the other) when you remove the 5mm overflow
reservoir connections. The plastic is very soft. I put too short a piece
of replacement line on one nipple and had to pull it off to replace it.
As I pulled, I twisted -- and twisted the nipple right off the fitting.
Luckily, my old one was in good shape, so I had something to replace the
ruined new one with.<br>
<br>
- When you're re-installing the tank, connect as much of the replacement
overflow tubing as you can to the cross-over hose and the tank first. The
pieces that connect to the cross-over hose T-fittings are easy -- that
assembly is already under the car. You can connect it all up except to
the overflow reservoirs and need only to push the plastic T-fittings into
their rubber grommets after the tank is in place. Two overflow lines that
connect directly to the tank were a bit more tricky. I connected them to
the tank while it was still completely out. As you install the tank, push
those hoses up over the frame into the wheel wells, where they'll connect
up to the overflow reservoir. <br>
<br>
- I used 4" X 4" X 4" wooden blocks to support the tank as
I installed it, jacking it up high enough to get the carrier straps
hooked up at the rear attachment points and then to support the front end
of the straps about half-way up to their installed position. At that
point, there's room over the tank to get your hand in through the wheel
well and over the frame to plug all the vent line fittings into their
rubber grommets. Use soapy water to pre-lube the grommets before you push
in the connectors. This was easy for me.<br>
<br>
- While you're under there, follow the fuel supply line back from the
tank to the engine and inspect all the sections of flexible fuel line. My
'81 had a section between the tank and the fuel pump; between the pump
and the filter; between the filter and the semi-rigid line which ran back
over the half shaft to the firewall; and just in FRONT of the firewall.
Everything to the REAR of the fuel pump should be high-pressure fuel
line. Everything you replaced around the tank is NOT high pressure line.
It was while doing this that I found the REAL reason for my original
problem. The 4" piece of high-pressure fuel line that connected the
semi-rigid line to the fuel rail had failed. Oh, well. At least I'm
completely sure now that I have no problems with my fuel plumbing.<br>
<br>
Lee<br>
<div>****************************************************************</div>
<div>Lee Wood </div>
<div>& Campofelice ('81 Westfalia GL)</div>
<div>Email: leewood@stanford.edu</div>
****************************************************************
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