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Date:         Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:12:42 -0800
Reply-To:     Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Scott Daniel - Shazam <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject:      Re: major fuel leak
Comments: To: Roger Whittaker <rogerwhitt1@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <ccd73a10801272028r144dac23j9796d470ca28cd7f@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Just want to concur with Roger particularly about any gas water heaters or furnaces near the vanagon while working on a large fuel thing like tan R & R-ing of the tank.

I also, perhaps from doing it so long, don't think gasoline is nitroglycerin trying to explode just every second , but sure watch out for sparks. About the very worst thing you could do is drop an incandescent work light and have it get smashed in spilled fuel - but mostly you just need to be very mindful of any kinds of spark or flame around gasoline.

Usually it's just messy, smelly and toxic, is all lol . Always have a fire extinguisher at hand, or two, a plan if there is a fire, etc. Water sprayed on a spilled fuel fire is usually a bad thing. Liquid gasoline isn't even that dangerous much, it' s fumes mixed with air.

Pump the fuel tank empty first, with the electric fuel pump, just hot wire it or jumper the relay, it's easy. Jumpering the fuel pump relay is safer as you won't be messing with voltage by the fuel pump down by the fuel tank.

'generally speaking' in my experience it's better to replace vanagon fuel tanks if they clog up, or get badly rusted. They're not quite like an old fashioned plain ole metal tank you can see everything in. They have a sump screen area, but you have to cut things apart to access it. And seems to me that radiator shops don't work on metal gas tanks very much anymore these days. Scott www.turbovans.com

-----Original Message----- From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Roger Whittaker Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2008 8:29 PM To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM Subject: Re: major fuel leak

Dear Allan

i hope you do not take the following post as an insult to your intelligence but in the interest of safety i will venture forward

Prior to proceeding with any gasoline tank repairs ...

if repairing in the home garage ... read your home owners policy to see if burning the house down while doing own repairs is covered

ensure all lights on extension cords or used for remote light are non breakable low heat ensure there is adequate ventilation in your work area remove all gasoline from the tank before attempting to remove tank from the vehicle

if there is even the remotest chance that you will introduce sparks or open flame to the work area have the tank steam cleaned by professionals prior to attempting repairs and immediately after removal

Most importantly remember that furnaces in the work area ... are a source of flame or spark remember also that if there are heater vents from the regular house forced air heater ... fumes can seep into the vents and make their way to the fire chamber ...

good luck with your repairs ... yours

On Jan 27, 2008 5:49 PM, Allan Streib <streib@cs.indiana.edu> wrote:

> On Jan 27, 2008, at 8:12 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > > > If this van is new to you consider that the upper leaks have been > > there for a while which also mean that road debris and water have > > gotten in > > Yeah good point. If I have to drop the tank, which seems inevitable, > I will definitely be going over it to be sure it's not perforated, > and plan to clean up and POR-15 the whole thing. > > Allan >

-- roger w There are two kinds of jobs in the world: Picking up garbage and telling people things. Successful people do both, with the same good attitude. (riw) ----------------------------------------------------------- View the growing list of video work at: http://revver.com/find/video/?query=LastonLastof&search_on=owners and ... older work at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7135104650374818257 http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3259745150182742364


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