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Date:         Tue, 27 Aug 2002 07:06:13 -0700
Reply-To:     Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Timothy Hannink <tjhannink@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      Fuel Tank
In-Reply-To:  <57.109a99f3.2a9cdb6b@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

I dropped and replaced all of the vent, supply and return lines on my fuel tank last weekend because the van would smell like gas when I filled it up. I assumed that the crossover tube would be cracked like it was on my '91 Carat, but to my suprise, it was still intact. The only sign I saw of tank leakage was from the top left side grommet for the crossover tube, but the grommet was in good shape as was the hole in the tank.

The first suprise I had was when I disconnected the supply line from the bottom of the tank, I got out about 1/2 cup of fuel. I new I had run it low, but didn't think it was that low. After I got the tank out, stood it on end and syphoned it through the fill hole, I got another 1-1/2 gallon out.

The tank itself was very clean inside. I used compressed air to blow out the supply line backward but didn't get much sediment out. I also took the time to clean the outside of the tank and the hold-up straps. The straps had the waxoyl overspray on them, so I cleaned all of that off and waxed them. Why?

All of the grommets were in excellent condition except for the ones on top of the vapor recovery tanks in the wheelwells, one of them had turned to mush. I finally figured out an easy way to re-install the vapor tanks, by slipping the front mount over the stud, loosely fastening the washer and bolt, pushing up on the rear of the tank, then smacking it with a rubber mallet. They pop right in.

Anyway, I got everything back together and headed for the 7-11 for gas. I filled it up and got out on the road. At the first light, I started smelling gas again and started wondering what the **** was going on. I pulled in the driveway and felt around all of the tank connections but couldn't find any leaks. I opened up the sliding door to find my 2 gallon gas tank for my lawnmower that I had just filled sitting there with the vent cap open. Doh!

Anyway, dropping the tank was a relatively simple process and worth the time I spent on it.

I do have one question though, why does the tank have the big saddle in the middle of it? My guess is that it was originally made that way to provide a space for the heater duct on the air-cooled Vanagon to reach the front of the vehicle. There is a recess in the tank for the heater and radiator hoses that isn't 1/2 as deep as the middle one. Does the SA tank have the same big recess in the middle? Anyone interested in making a tank without the big recess for the watercooled vans? You should be able to get at least a couple more gallons of capacity by making the level of the tank the same all the way across and just providing a recess for the cooling system hoses.

Anyway, have a great day.

===== Tim Hannink Goldibox - 1987 Vanagon Camper, Wolfsburg Edition Winter Park, Florida http://home.earthlink.net/~tjhannink/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/wolfsburg_campers http://photos.yahoo.com/tjhannink [Vanagon] Album

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