Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 17:27:54 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <stuartmacm@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Fuel tank question...
In-Reply-To: <CAHTkEu+1M08NXogJV9DGJSLMa_kCcx49o9kAGVoeoB3xQq8Udw@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
Not normal, it should flow right out. Sounds like a clogged pick up screen.
Years ago a friend had this problem where the car would run for long
periods, and then the fuel would stop flowing out of the tank. Wait awhile
and it would run for several miles again. We pulled the hose like you did,
and it would flow out fine. This went on for several months, finally
stranding him (and me along with him) more than once.
After ruling everything else out, we pulled the tank and installed a new
one. We cut the old one open and found that someone had dropped some
surgical tubing into the tank after siphoning off gas, and it had turned
into gel globules over the years. They would slowly clog the screen when
fuel was being pumped, and drop back off when sitting for some length of
time.
Replacement was the only fix.
Stuart
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2014 4:53 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Fuel tank question...
Hi all,
84 van with inline motor...
Everything else is Vanagon stock...
My fuel pump has been getting noisier lately...over the last month or so.
I finally got home to my tools and floor jacks so today I went after that
looming problem...
I took my pump out and both my filters...I have one full flow Triumph
motor cycle filter pre-pump and the standard large vangon can filter
after...
So I am going to run my fuel pump backwards on my bench to see what
squirts out but in the mean time I put some compressed air into the outlet
line from the tank...the supply to the pump..so I could clear the crud from
my in-tank screen...I have done this one other time...
Here's the question: When I took the supply line from the tank to the
pump off before I put the compressed air (50psi) backwards into the fuel
tank, the gas flow out of the disconnected hose was very free-flowing....and
now I get barely a dribble out when I unplug that hose...When I put the air
into the hose, I took the gas cap off and I
could hear the air going into the tank...lots of bubbling noises... I'm
thinking I should see a free flow again from the hose that goes to the pump,
the outlet from the gas tank....but it is only a little trickle....Is that
the way it's supposed to be? Should I see a strong flow out of the unpluged
line to the pump from the tank? The gas cap is still off, the van is raised
a bit on the passenger side, there is appx 1/3 tank of fuel aboard...
What say the fuel tank experts.?
