Date:         Tue, 7 Dec 2010 18:20:01 -0600
Reply-To:     Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Hargrave <thargrav@HIWAAY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Cold Temps Cause Gas Tank Seal Leak?
Comments: To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <AANLkTi=fodqO_DdJ5Py=a5oLk6maj2_E4madR42+3QxE@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

More than likely the second - the vent pipe you removed and replaced without
replacing the O-ring.

O-rings are cheap - leaks are expensive.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
neil n
Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 6:00 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Cold Temps Cause Gas Tank Seal Leak?

Thanks Tom.

The O rings are only a few years old at most. Sounds like either my install
of an O ring was flawed at time of new tank install, or recent removal and
re installation of the metal vent pipe, w/o replacing that O ring, was the
wrong thing to do.

It just seemed unusual that it would leak now given I've put quite a few
miles on since vent pipe work.

Neil.



On Tue, Dec 7, 2010 at 12:18 PM, Tom Hargrave <thargrav@hiwaay.net> wrote:

> Cold can expose cracks and other leaks - the steel actually shrinks and
> distorts.
>
> That's why they use O-ring seals. The O-rings are suppposed to expand
> and take up the slack, onless they are hard and don't expand anymore.
>
> Tom
> www.towercooler.com
>
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, December 07, 2010 2:04 PM
> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
> Subject: Cold Temps Cause Gas Tank Seal Leak?
>
> Hi all.
>
> It's been colder than usual recently.
>
> Filled tank. Made fast U turn, saw leak at filler cap. Easy fix. Days
> later,
> tank full, saw fuel spots as I backed down driveway. Saw fresh stains
> where
> I normally park.   <insert expletives>
>
> Would cold weather cause filler pipe O ring and/or metal vent pipe O
> ring at
> tank to shrink and leak?
>
> I repositioned that vent pipe this Summer, but it sealed fine for
> several
> thousand KM's and may still be ok.
>
> Just want to narrow things down before I get my arms into the tank
> ......
> again.
>
> Neil.
>
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-en
> gines
>
>


--
Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"

http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/

http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engine
s