HELP! - Leaking Fuel Tank on S1

HELP! - Leaking Fuel Tank on S1

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Discussion

v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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The offside tank is leaking from somewhere on the bottom seam. Is it possible to remove the tank without dismantling the radius arm? Has anyone got a spare tank they don't want? Thanks in advance?

TVRleigh_BBWR

6,552 posts

213 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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If it's a small leak then frosts do a take re-sealant, that you put in the tank, but you need to remove the tank, as your need to swirl it about with the sealant in.

mrzigazaga

18,555 posts

165 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Hi mate.


Thats not good....You will have to drop the O/S trailing arm...Move the exhaust and possibly the prop...Although I'm not sure about the last bit but definitely all the other...

You could try Douglas valley breakers or Bell hill garage to see if they have any but they are not cheap.

You would be better off removing and taking it to someone who can weld it up...And test it.

Douglas valley
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...

Bell Hill garage
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...

phillpot

17,115 posts

183 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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this 'll fix it............. wink

mk1fan

10,517 posts

225 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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There was a pair of tanks on evilbay yesterday. 350i fuel tanks was the title iirc.

adam quantrill

11,538 posts

242 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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If you need to swill it bout with the sealant in what about one of these?



mrzigazaga

18,555 posts

165 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
Here is the link for the tanks...
https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...

v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
I've had a look at the tanks (thanks!) and I don't think they are the same. Mine are held on by four brackets whereas the eBay ones look like they are held on by straps.

I thing I've no alternative but to remove the tank and have it patched. The leak is on the lower outside seam so an old fashioned brazed patch would probably do the job. it's going to be a right bucensoreder to get out though.

celcius

688 posts

255 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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Good luck

mrzigazaga

18,555 posts

165 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
Mmmm...I would of thought they would of been the same...Those ones look like the same as i had on Delilah and she was a 1982 280i...Im pretty sure the guy i bought a spare tank from was from a 350i.

If you know someone who is competent at welding it and pressure testing then it might well be cheaper just more of a right PITA.

I know that the N/S on Delilah came out with some wiggling but the drivers was a real SOB,,,Definitely had to remove the trailing arm and exhaust...frown

Wedg1e

26,801 posts

265 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
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I welded a new plate into the top face of my n/s tank after I found a pin-prick hole: the tank had been empty and venting for nearly two years by then, mind...

http://www.wedgeneering.co.uk/TVR%20390SE%20p15.ht...

v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
There's no need to be afraid of welding or brazing a petrol tank. Flush it out with water and if possible leave as much water in it as possible when doing the repair. OK it will take time to dry out, but you won't blow the tank out.

Mr Tank

5,797 posts

275 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
v8s4me said:
I've had a look at the tanks (thanks!) and I don't think they are the same. Mine are held on by four brackets whereas the eBay ones look like they are held on by straps.

I thing I've no alternative but to remove the tank and have it patched. The leak is on the lower outside seam so an old fashioned brazed patch would probably do the job. it's going to be a right bucensoreder to get out though.
Hi

The fuel tanks are usually held in place by four straps, so I would love to see a pic of the brackets yours have.

280i and 350i tanks are basicaliy the same, if there is any differences it will be extra return pipes on the 350i, simple to deal with a piece of the correct pipe fitted and a suitable plug/bung in the open end to seal it.

Andy

v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Friday 23rd September 2016
quotequote all
These are the upper brackets....



There are two similar ones lower down. Also my tank is welded along the seam where the two panels butt together whereas the edges on the tanks on eBay are folded.



There is a slight "ding" in the edge here so I'm assuming it was dropped on its edge when the chassis was being rebuilt and this caused a small fracture in the weld. This type of seam welding along the butt joint looks very neat but it's not as robust as a folded joint.

mrzigazaga

18,555 posts

165 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
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Hi Joe


Not sure they were bracketed like that?...Might be wrong?...Might be the guy putting all back togethers way of dealing with it instead of the straps.....May of dropped it whilst in his capable hands?...I know the guy who fitted mine dropped it without telling me...Okay it was only a tiny nick on the main filler collar but bloody hell ...When you have a spare week ill tell you about the fuel leaking dramas i had because of it...Some very scary!....It was really hard to see the indentation as it was on the top of the inner collar so looking down was hard to see it...

Are your tanks angled as in the pic?

v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
quotequote all
mrzigazaga said:
..Are your tanks angled as in the pic?
The brackets look "factory" to me. The back of the tank is vertical, the front is sloped to match the body moulding and and the bottom slopes down slightly towards the front. This is a picture from the original TVR parts manual.



Look closely at the rear upper edge....brackets.

Edited by v8s4me on Saturday 24th September 00:24

mrzigazaga

18,555 posts

165 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
quotequote all
Thats right but there should be metal straps holding the tank in place not straight through the bracket...I would of thought the straps support the weight of full tanks of fuel?....


Wedg1e

26,801 posts

265 months

Saturday 24th September 2016
quotequote all
Again I'm going to step in and say the early Tasmins did have tanks with integral brackets.
The later tanks are an easier design to fabricate and were resistance-welded along the joints, with some finishing (brazed, I think) where the welder couldn't access (e.g. adjacent to the outlet stubs). The stubs were fixed into the tank side plates and the plates then inserted into the previously-welded 'cylinder' of the tank and resistance welded (a pair of rollers clamp the metal together and feed it as current is applied, with no filler wire needed). It leaves a distinctive 'tyre track' pattern in the weld.
If you look closely at the straps on later tanks you'll find they're galvanised, as are the tanks. Unfortunately the seam welding boils off the zinc used in galvanising and water can then get at the bare steel.

In this pic you can see the weld track and also localised soldering/brazing at the top of the tank near the outlet stub:


v8s4me

Original Poster:

7,240 posts

219 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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It's off!



Previous owner's attempt at a repair using filler!



And it definitely has brackets....


Mr Tank

5,797 posts

275 months

Monday 26th September 2016
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Hi Joe

Thanks for the pics, well that's the first time I have seen brackets like that on the fuel tanks of a wedge. Looking at the pic you do have some form of strap or the remains off on the tank.

It looks like your tank or tanks have been played with in the past. Personally I would get a replacement and the straps are just a strip of mild steel (Unless you have stainless ones made.)

Andy