Date: Wed, 14 May 2008 19:38:49 -0700
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: Noisy fuel pump causes
In-Reply-To: <vanagon%2008051421233550@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
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Here's how I understand vanagon 2WD fuel tanks, both diesel or gas :
( I have swapped the fuel in a vanagon both ways, btw - putting a gas
engine in a diesel van, and keeping the same tank in the Vanagon, just
different fuel in it - and vice versa, with flushing and getting fully
swapped over to the other fuel.
But here's what I learned with my turbo diesel vanagon in the 90' :
My fuel would run out at 1/4 tank.
I had an auxiliary tank system on board - so I could be certain something
was wrong with the main tank, as it ran fine off the other tank.
Buy the way - that theory about the return line being too close to the fuel
line going to the fuel pump - utter poppycock in my experience.
2Wd vanagons have been running with this same tank setup since 1980, with
nary a problem until the vans are old, like 18 years +. Sorry Charlie.
So I took my tank to my radiator shop, back when you could get them worked
on easily by many radiator shops.
See that 6 inch diameter round area in the middle of the tank bottom side -
that's a sump area. ?
That's a screened sump pick up area - that's where fuel is drawn from via
internal pipe from the corner outlet. And the screen allows only clean fuel
into the pick up pipe. The screen area can goo up.
When you look inside the fuel tank through the fuel sender hole - they often
look clean as a whistle.
So I tell my radiator shop guys to fix it , clean it out, whatever. They put
off doing anything for over 2 months. Meanwhile I drive on my aux tank.
I go down there one day and they had cut it open in the sump area.
And........yup, gummed up .
Though they were very skeptical, when they cut it open there ........that;s
what it was - gunked up screen in the sump area.
They were so embarrassed they didn't charge me. That tank might still be
running possibly , 12 years latter in that very TD vanagon.
So when I see gas ( or diesel ) fuel won't flow out of that corner pipe,
with say 1/4th of a tank of fuel - I diagnose is a 'clogged up tank. '
The only real repairs is a good used tank or a new one. New aftermarket ones
are roughly 200 bucks or so........I recommend Van Café in Santa Cruz, Ca,
especially if you are on this end of the country. ( western half ) .
When this syndrome develops, you don't know when you will run out of gas
really, or be able to access the gas that remains in the bottom 4th of your
tank, roughly.
Them's the fact folks, OR at least .......this theory fits perfectly with
my real world experience of dealing with MANY vanagon fuel tank feed issues.
Wannna buy an 86 tank I had doubts about ? Only 160K mi on it. Looks clean
inside too.
Scott
www.turbovans.com
