Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2002 17:27:56 -0800
Reply-To: "Nemo, the Bus Captain" <nemobuscaptain@YAHOO.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: "Nemo, the Bus Captain" <nemobuscaptain@YAHOO.COM>
Subject: Re: [T2] Gas leak
In-Reply-To: <23517-3C3F686C-902@storefull-171.iap.bryant.webtv.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
--- munchkin48@webtv.net wrote:
> I've got an 80 Vanagon that has a gas
> leak. It appears the leak is in the overflow
> tank n the drivers side. The leak seems to be
> coming from where one of the lines fit into the
> tank. Any ideas how to
> fix this?
All too well. Search the vanagon.com site for
this as everyone seems to do it occasionally.
You probably have a rusted gas tank and are
leaking out the top of the tank. Good news is
that bus depot has them cheap. You may only have
a broken vent line or vent line connector.
Bad news is you have to drop the tank. Not that
bad of a job though, once you get the hang of it.
I can drop it on the side of the road in the
rain in twenty minutes or so. (Ask me how I
know.) And I'm not particularly mechanical.
Check Bently for the instructions. But, from
memory, the procedure is basically that you
remove the gas cap and unscrew the three screws
holding the filler neck. Then remove the filler
neck.
Next you get under the van. Remove the two fuel
lines. (One goes to the filter and the other is
a return line.) You'll get gas all over you and
your wife (or husband) will yell about the fumes.
Obviously, try to keep it out of your eyes,
mouth, etc.
You'll see three brackets that hold the tank in.
Remove the rear bolt on a bracket and it can be
removed. The front of the bracket is not bolted.
It fits in a slot in the frame. Do the other
bolts. Obviously, the last one should be done
with care. If you remembered to run the gas out
of the vanagon, your tank won't weigh that much.
Lower the back (back means back) of the tank just
enough to remove the gas sender. Now you can
slowly lower the tank. There's several vent
hoses still attached. It should now all make
sense. Be very careful with the plastic Y's and
the hoses. The wise person replaces them all.
Fools like me replace them piecemeal so I get
plenty of practice dropping the tank.
The tank has a low spot on top (for the heat tube
in an aircooled vanagon) that collects road salt
and rusts.
Whilst you have the tank dropped, you should
consider replacing the coolant pipes (or heater
pipe in an aircooled?). If your tank is rusted,
those pipes are ready to go also. (Ask me how I
know.)
Do it all in reverse to put the tank back in.
Put the grommets back into the tank and use a
little silicone grease to get the vent lines to
easily insert into the grommets.
Now I know that some guru will say they have the
dexterity of a surgeon and small hands and can
stick their hand over the wheel and over the
frame and check the Y's and lines without
dropping the tank. I did it for about three
hours, skinned the crap out of my hands and arms,
then dropped the tank. YMMV.
I'm cross-posting to vanagon.com in case the more
knowledgeable types over there notice that I
forgot something or I am smoking dope and really
giving you the instructions for a MGB or
whatever.
PS I just noticed you said overflow tank on the
driver's side. The expansion tank is on the
passenger side, but maybe you're not in the US.
Don't really know what an overflow tank is.
PSS Ken Wilfy, a good Christian and supplier of
VW parts has or had a kit to do this, assuming
you need to replace grommets and Y's.
www.vanagain.com.
=====
Ray Nemo, the Bus Captain
Huntington, West Virginia
74 Westy- yet to be named
84 Vanagon- yet to be sold (sunroof & zbed/cushion BEST OFFER) Pics at http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/mrnimmo/lst?&.dir=/84+vanagon+sunroof+weekender+camper&.src=bc&.view=t&.begin=1&.order=&.done=http%3a//briefcase.yahoo.com/bc/mrnimmo/lst%3f%26.dir=/84%2bvanagon%2bsunroof%2bweekender%2bcamper%26.src=bc%26.view=t
(I'm now told you can only access these photo's if you have a yahoo account, but they are free.)
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