Date: Sun, 7 Apr 2019 16:50:47 -0300
Reply-To: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Roy Nicholl <RNicholl@NBNET.NB.CA>
Subject: Re: Vanagon fuel filter mod for my 84 Westy
In-Reply-To: <8ab086ab-753a-9371-2e40-b63e0c4597d7@sbw.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
While on the topic of things fuel related and my {soon to be} need to renew the tank on the Hyena, I recall some years ago someone was selling {remanufactured?} versions of the 80l tank originally available on the SA version of the T3.
Does anyone know if such a thing is still available?
Alternatively, a suitable aftermarket plastic tank would be preferable to another steel tank … though the original has lasted 30yrs (The original in my ’66 Westy is still fine … but a different location and set-up)
> On 07-Apr-2019, at 13:53, Steve Williams <sbw@SBW.ORG> wrote:
>
> Last summer my '84 Westy and I had lots of trouble from Utah to
> California along I-80, high elevation and very hot, over 100F a lot of
> the time. Peninsula Automotive in Campbell diagnosed it as a fuel
> delivery problem and replaced the fuel tank. I was skeptical at the
> time, but reading this thread, I think they got it right.
>
> I won't actually know until the next time we try to climb a long grade
> above 7,000 feet at 105F, but I'm hopeful.
>
> The symptom was: At high power, like a long grade at full power, after
> some time, the engine would start missing and eventually just crap out.
> It wouldn't restart until it sat for awhile. Coolant temperature normal
> the whole time, thank goodness!
>
> Along the way I replaced the fuel pump, fuel filter, spark plugs, spark
> plug wires, distributor rotor, everything I had with me. (I didn't have
> fuel injectors or a pressure regulator with me.)
>
> For a while, I thought that improved the problem, but no. At one point
> I pulled off I-80 in an extremely desolate area and parked for a couple
> of hours in the shade under the freeway to let it cool off, so I could
> nurse the Westy into the next town. I was very uncomfortable to be out
> of sight under the freeway with no cell service, but I guess it was an
> adventure. (I got my amateur radio license this year, and I really must
> get a portable rig and learn to use the relays!)
>
> I was able to get back to California by driving over the Sierra with a
> light foot, as slow as 45 mph. Less demand for fuel, I guess, although
> at the time I wasn't convinced that was the problem.
>
> Of course, Peninsula Automotive couldn't reproduce the problem in the
> cool SF Bay Area at sea level. But they told me they could hear the
> pump cavitating, and they suspected the original tank with the smaller
> outlet just wasn't getting enough fuel to the pump.
>
> Dennis Haynes's description of the engine adding heat to the fuel
> recirculated to the tank makes a lot of sense, especially at high power
> for an extended time. And the hot weather made the fuel and the fuel
> pump hotter. GoWesty long ago replaced the forward square plastic fuel
> filter with an adapter, but that's just changing a flow restriction, not
> eliminating it. And who knows how much rust was in the tank after 34 years?
>
> So Peninsula installed the new fuel tank (and pressure regulator). I
> immediately noticed the pump is MUCH quieter than since I bought the van
> in 2009. I've climbed the Grapevine a couple of times since then, but
> the weather was cool, so not a good test.
>
> In any case, I now believe the tank with the small outlet and square
> plastic filter ahead of the pump were always a bad design, as Dennis
> says. VW apparently knew that and made a big improvement, but my Westy
> never got the full improvement until last year. GoWesty recommended,
> and I paid them to make a lot of good upgrades when I got the Westy,
> including the updated cooling system. I'll now encourage new owners to
> upgrade the fuel tank, filters, and lines right away. I don't want
> anybody to be stuck under a bridge in the Nevada desert in 100F heat
> ever again.
>
> https://sbw.org/sbwsty/
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