Date: Thu, 21 Oct 1999 13:16:48 -0400
Reply-To: Bob Donalds <bostneng@FCL-US.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Bob Donalds <bostneng@FCL-US.NET>
Organization: Boston Engine Exchange
Subject: Vanagon gas tank leaks the rest of the story
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
W. Silva wrote:
>
> Bob,
> Funny this should appear on the List now. We just returned from PA, Buses
> by the Trail, via Baltimore (to Cape Cod). Here is my tale of woe (as cut
> from email to Karl Bloss)
>
> <<<<<
>
> We ended up not leaving the campground until after 3:00 that day, just
> lazing around and eating stuffed Quahogs (hard shelled clams to everyone
> else but people from NE). Then we decided because it was so late, we would
> go south to Baltimore and spend the night with our son & family and leave
> Tuesday or Wed. Well as things usually go, we hit a SNAFU. We barely made
> it to their house in the rain-seems our vent line on the tank had a split
> on it and was picking up water off the road that was being sprayed on it by
> our right tire. After changing the fuel filter and syphoning off some of
> the tank to check it out we decided we were ok now so we would hit the
> road, this was Monday. Well.....guess what, not that easy. Went to start
> up and no fuel pump the darn thng just quit. I can't get mad at this bus,
> any time it has decided to really die, except once, it has died near home
> or at least a relitives home. Long story short, got the fuel pump, Cliff
> put it in and we were on our way Tuesday morning. About an hour out of
> Baltimore we started hearing this bang, bang sound every time we let off
> the gas to slow down. We lived with that all the way home and still haven't
> figured out what that's all about but I think it is eaither a CV joint or
> some part of a brake broken loose. Gotta look into that tomorrow.
>
> >>>>>
>
> This is the second time we have ended up with water in the gas and had to
> change the fuel filter. WE thought the first time about 2 months ago that
> we had picked it up at the gas station from bad gas but now we have found a
> split just below the vent line that come from the fill port. Our son
> wrapped this with aluminum tape, the type that is used as ice and water
> shield on roofs, just to get us home, which it did. I guess we would have
> discovered the problem earlier if we hadn't had such a dry season in MA,
> right?
>
> Definately water and gas don't mix, well-they mix but don't burn well.
> Wanna try guessing the source of the "Things that go bump in the night"
> wheel noise? No it doesn't make any change in the noise when we apply the
> brakes, sounds like someone hitting the rim with a hammer.
>
> Happy trails,
>
> Wendy & John
> Cape Cod, MA
>
> '85 Westy, "S-CAPE"
> LiMBO members
Glad you made it home I can say the same thing my vans have never left
me by the side
of the road but its been close a couple of times
as for the noise when you take your foot off the gas its just another
symptom off the water in the gas tank it sends unburned fuel into the
mufler and it mixes with fresh air that enters the exhaust and boom ther
heat of the exhaust sets it off
Ken at vanagain was asking why the vans run better when the tank is
sealed and water
can be the problem
When I mentioned this to Gerg at gregs repair he told me that the gas
tank devlops pressure not long after it has been running and he felt
that this small amount of pressure aided the pump he explained that the
tank does not flow fuel from the pick up very well on its own and the
pump needs this extra push to the pump to give the volume and pressure
needed to run well he has seen this change after resealing tanks in the
past
the golf and jetta after all have prepumps dont they
I asked him what made the pressure he said he was not sure but its there
he was sure of that
I think the pressure comes from warming up the fuel with the fuel pump
the fuel expands
with the heat of the pump
Bob
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