Date:         Thu, 19 Oct 1995 15:35:36 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         drew@interport.net (Derek Drew)
Subject:      Re: Westy ('84) propane leaks!!!

>
>Help..  I just had the propane tank filled and after checking for leaks woth
>soapy water I found that gas was leaking from the center of the pressure
>regulator, out a tiny square hole in the face of it. Er.. is this 'normal'

If it is the autostop fill valve you speak of, then the leak is possibly due
to improper filling technique. If it is indeed the regulator, then I am told
that this is how regulators go bad. There is "polymer material" in the
regulator has dried out somehow and gone bad. These units have a normal life
expectancy of 15 years or so but in many cases the polymers dry out faster. 

>operation? It would normally be under the plastic cover.
>         It says on the regulator 'for outdoor use', and the leak is sooo
>small that it blows bubbles slowly. But! has anyone else ever noticed this,
>or smelled a tiny whiff of propane near the regulator. It happens when the

Yes, I drove my van around with a leak for around 6 months. It forced me to
turn the main valve off when I wasn't using  the vehicle but while camping I
just let er leak. The manual said not to test leaks by trying to see if they
were sufficient to sustain a continuous flame. Therefore I judged this might
be a reasonable technique that some others employ. Therefore I felt that a
super slow leak with no flame was not such a danger.

>valve is opened, and for a while after I close it, until pressure in the
>lines up to the stove drops off. The system hasn't had propane in it for XX
>years I believe, if ever. TIA  tim smith

If you install a propane tank think about installing another junk yard
sourced one on the passenger side as there is mounting for this. After
reinforcing the propane tank skid plates, these two tanks can then become
sort of like rocker panel skid plates in themselves.
___________________________________
Derek Drew
drew@interport.net (main address for e-mail)
derekdrew@aol.com (alternate/backup address, checked infrequently)