Date:         Wed, 23 Sep 1998 15:10:52 -0700
Reply-To:     YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         YauMan Chan <YauMan@CCHEM.BERKELEY.EDU>
Subject:      Re: fill up overfill
Comments: To: mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

Mark,

The same thing happened to my 87 GL a few years ago and I lived with it for a while until the spill gas finally got to me.. all my good shoes got smelly after each fill up.  

The problem in my case was resolved by replacing the filler tube and all associated vent tubings.  I bought the whole setup from the dealer and did the job myself.  Basically from filler neck all way to the fuel tank was replaced - if I remember right it's a one piece thing.  On the old one, I found a crack in the interface gasket where the filler neck meets the tank.. and I think that was what cause the spill. .. air rushing out not diverted by the vent tubings and pushing out thru the filler neck when gasoline is pouring in. ..thus the premature evacuation. (no pun intended!)


The job took a couple of hours for an amature like me.. I put the front of the van on a ramp, loosen the 3 screews holding the filler neck to the van body, disconnect some hose going to the fuel pump and filter, then I dropped the fuel tank.. and the whole filler neck setup came off and replaced it.

No more fill up overflow since that job.. glad I did it..  It is a smelly job.  Hint: do the job when the fuel tank is empty otherwise it too heavy to dismount it by yourself.. also, do not wear any nylon or polyester clothing which may build up static electricity and cause spark.. . I put down a wet old beach towel and lay on it when I am working with the gas tank under the van to assure static electricity suppression.... gasoline dripping down my elbow etc.. aweful..

Yau-Man Chan
87 GL Vanagon and nice smelling shoes after fill ups..


>>> Mark Gajewski <mgajewski@MANVILLERUBBER.COM> 09/23 2:20 PM >>>
Does anyone out there have a problem with gasoline pouring out of the
filler neck before the gas station pump automatically shuts off?  I've
been cursing this for years and between the fact that all my cloths have
been splattered with gas at least once and that my van is an
environmental disaster I would really like to resolve this.  Or is the
fix for this problem being withheld by the greedy oil companies who have
made at least an extra couple bucks off me in the last few years?
Thanks,
Mark