Date:         Wed, 22 Oct 1997 09:51:57 -0600
Reply-To:     Carl Hansen <Carl_Hansen@ATK.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon mailing list <Vanagon@Gerry.SDSC.EDU>
From:         Carl Hansen <Carl_Hansen@ATK.COM>
Subject:      Syncro Aux. fuel tank.
Comments: cc: "Adam Grove (Alaska)" <malchik_2@hotmail.com>,
          Jim Davis <SyncroHead@aol.com>, Derek Drew <drew@interport.net>

 SyncroBeast           Syncro Aux. fuel tank.
Hi, sorry, I forgot to get back to you yesterday.  Here's what I observed
under my '89 SyncroBeast.

With the standard 2wh fuel tank sitting on the floor under the front, the
front jacked up 3 feet in the air.

NO WAY can the stock 2wh drive fuel tank fit into the normal area that it came
out of.  The front differential is in the way, the drive shaft runs right thru
the center lower part of the tank.  The depresion noted by one listee, in the
middle of the tank, is there to clear the cooling pipes to the front radiator,
and a run of wires front to back.  In otherwords, the depression is needed for
the 2 wh drive, it's not there for the benefit of the Syncro.

Think about it.  If VW had been able to use the stock 2 wh tank, they would
have.  I'm sure it was not the first choice to stick it above the tranny.  It
was most probably the only place to put the darn thing.  One alternate would
have been to remount the spare to the rear (ala the hatch mount pieces seen in
projekt zwo brochures) and put the tank behind the radiator.  Now that could
have worked, but I would guess they didn't want the variable weight at the
front.  (Syncro's do have more front weight as it is)  I'm guessing that the
rear mount helped to offset the added sifferential front weight.

Well, having said that, and having seen saddle tanks on one here in
MinneSnowta, I dearly want to see or hear a description of what the auxilary
tanks turn out to be in Adams van in Alaska.  As I see it, there is no way you
can build in a tank in the stock 2wh location, on the Syncro.

Ch
'89 Syncro Beast
'87 GTI 16V
'86 Scirocco (SO's)
Prior Lake, MinnneSnowta ;)