Chris, I was faced with the same problem and I too turned to Canadian Tire for the solution to syphon the tank. What I got was one of those red squeeze pumps that has a flexible plastic tube on both sides of the squeeze bulb. However I didn't try to stick these flexible plastic tubes into the tank. I feared that it may never come back out. Instead, I bought 6 feet of stiff 3/8" OD plastic tubing that fit snugly over the end of the flexible plastic tube. This stiff tube slides easily into and out of the tank filler pipe opening. Once the pump has started the gas flowing, the syphon action takes over. Its slow but eventually I successfully drained most of the gas. Wish you good luck. Larry Johnson (Haliburton Highlands) 1980 VW Westfalia \"Pokey\" wrote: > I went to Canadian Tire today to buy a siphon hose to drain Pokey's tank > into the Firefly. I need to empty it so that I can drop the tank and replace > the fuel gauge sender which I believe is the source of my gas tank leak. > > Anyway, I bought to different siphons one was a clear tube with a one way > brass valve on one end that you are supposed to jiggle up and down to get > the flow going. I couldn't get it to work, though when I sucked on it in > desperation I did get manage to fill my lungs with gas fumes. > > The second siphon was kind of flimsy but had a small inline pump that I > thought might work better (though the hose seemed flimsy and awkward). It > didn't work either but the hose got stuck in the tank and then snapped in > half when I tried to pull it out. I am on my way out for a two hour drive so > that I can burn off the gas I have so I can drop the tank to get things > fixed. > > Wish me luck, some different luck for a change... > > Thanks, > Chris Gronski > Toronto, Ontario, > '80 Westy "Pokey" - SLOPOKEY > '87 Chevrolet Sprint - Ice Racer > '91 Pontiac Firefly - Convertible > www.vanagon.org > www.gronski.com > www.nineeleven.org > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "1980 VW Westfalia "Pokey"" <pokey@vanagon.org> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>; "Imua Camper Co." <elua@INTERPAC.NET> > Cc: <customerservice@motorworks.com> > Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 4:40 PM > Subject: Fuel tank gauge sender > > Does anyone know the difference between the 1980 to Early 1987 fuel tank > gauge sender 251-919-051E and the Late 1987 to 1991 fuel tank gauge sender > 251-919-051K? I don't have my original gas tank, I bought a replacement tank > from Rocky Mountain Motorworks (251 201 075AH Gas Tank,Vanagon 80-85) but it > came with a different sized filler neck than the tank it replaced. I want to > be sure I buy the right fuel tank sender unit. > > Thanks, > Chris Gronski > Toronto, Ontario, > '80 Westy "Pokey" - SLOPOKEY > '87 Chevrolet Sprint - Ice Racer > '91 Pontiac Firefly - Convertible > www.vanagon.org > www.gronski.com > www.nineeleven.org > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Imua Camper Co." <elua@INTERPAC.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Tuesday, November 21, 2000 4:03 PM > Subject: Part needed: fuel tank sending unit > > Need the above for a 1981 Vanagon- looking for good used, need it asap. > > Aloha- > Shawn > > '81 std; '82 AdventureWagen; '82, '84, '85, '86, '91 Westfalias, 87 std. > '95(?) Barracuda mt. bike (pre Ross sell-out) > VW Camper rentals in Hawaii http://www.imua-tour.com > Guided surfing and mountain bike tours |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.