Date: Fri, 29 Aug 1997 10:33:37 -0700
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: "Christopher M. Smith" <csmith@SDSC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Fuel tank leaks - recall ?
On Fri, 29 Aug 1997, Todd Last wrote:
> chose to route the vent tubes and the general lack of clearance. It also
> gives you a chance to find out first hand how much dirt collects in the
> valley in the middle of the tank. Usually while on your back wrestling the
... valley in the middle of the tank! Umm ? What year is your vanagon ?
Late 70's (?), early/mid 80's vanagon have an "engineering" defect in the
gasoline tanks. To give the tank structural integrity the tanks were
engineered with grooves/valleys in the surface (top and bottom). Sounds
reasonable! Unfortunately the valley's on the top of the tank collect(ed)
water and grim and there is no way for this water/dirt to flow off the top
of the tank. So these tanks succumbed to early death by rust-through at
the tops of the tank. What is really scary is that the cardboard
"fresh-air/heated-air" venting tube (that runs from the back end up to the
front) passes over (lays on top of) the top of the tank. So gasoline
leaking/splashing out of the holes on the top of the tank saturate the
cardboard vent tube. The fumes subsequently "vent" into the cabin. On
really hot days, your cabin can become a gasoline vapour chamber. If you
happened to be a smoker and opened your vanagon door with a lighted
cigarete ... Adios! I don't smoke, but there were days when I would open
the sliding door to my vanagon (82' GL, 2L, FI) and almost become overcome
with gas fumes. Yes, I did get the tank (and all the hoses) replaced at my
expense. There was a recall on the gasolin tanks, but I'm unsure of which
years and what was exactly in the recall. I do know that the tank and all
the hoses on my 86' Westfalia were replaced by VW as part of a recall,
whether it was part of the same recall or not, I don't know.
Chris
San Diego
86' Westfalia
73' Squareback
82' Vangon GL (sold to fellow listee in July)
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