'S' Aluminium Fuel Tank
Discussion
Been thinking about getting one of these for awhile now, mines brown but no rust holes or anything as of yet but eventually it may go that way. Just got a few questions, i was wondering if anyone has replaced theres with an aluminium one or is stainless better? Are the fuel tanks the same for S1-S2-S3?
This chap was recommended to me from the TVR S fb group http://axminsterspecialistpanels.com/index.php/fue... His slightly modified them (read below)
"sender unit mount is a separate machined boss welded on the inside and it allows for fitting of the original locking ring type unit.
The original steel tanks had the same sender unit type mount on the base of the sump. This was there to access the filter within the sump. On my aluminium tanks this is not needed as it’s good practice to place an in line fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump. On the tank shown there is a drain plug on the base of the sump instead. I can make the tank with the original style sender unit type mount if required.
This tank is also an improvement over the original tank in that the returning fuel is fed correctly, and in a controlled manner, into the sump, and not just returned to the main body of the tank."
This chap was recommended to me from the TVR S fb group http://axminsterspecialistpanels.com/index.php/fue... His slightly modified them (read below)
"sender unit mount is a separate machined boss welded on the inside and it allows for fitting of the original locking ring type unit.
The original steel tanks had the same sender unit type mount on the base of the sump. This was there to access the filter within the sump. On my aluminium tanks this is not needed as it’s good practice to place an in line fuel filter between the tank and fuel pump. On the tank shown there is a drain plug on the base of the sump instead. I can make the tank with the original style sender unit type mount if required.
This tank is also an improvement over the original tank in that the returning fuel is fed correctly, and in a controlled manner, into the sump, and not just returned to the main body of the tank."
A word of caution Steve.
People seem to have this idea that alloy tanks are somehow less prone to corrosion than steel tanks. It simply isnt true. Anybody out there who has experienced the corrosion in a SIG type fuel container with any degree of water contamination or just damp in it will tell you. A single winter with a drop of water in it and the SIG bottle has had it. Similarly with say outboard engine tanks, generator tanks etc, alloy tanks have not proved a benefit. If the tank isnt dry it can corrode through from inside in pin holes much faster than a steel tank, and it is then harder to repair.
Furthermore your tank is held by straps with poly/rubber packing. That holds damp. That damp attacks aluminium faster than steel, especially if there is any Chlorine around (rock salt!).
I would consider an alloy tank inside the car, if kept full over winter, but I wouldnt prefer one outside.
The mild steel tanks have lasted 20+ years, in most cases with minimal treatment and lots of time spent empty or with old fuel in. With any form of reasonable treatment, and kept full over winter, they will last a lot more than 20 years.
Unless it is in an unusually bad state, it costs less to have the steel one refurbished and treated to give 25+ years life.
I may be wrong, and I have never seen an Axminster tank, but it doesnt appear to be baffled. The original S tank has two virtually full cross section baffles. Without them the fuel surge on cornering could be expected to be pretty severe, possibly enough to affect the handling. The surge is bad enough on a baffled tank to cause big fluctuations in the fuel gauge reading on corners. TVR not only baffled the tank but added a swirl pot to stop fuel starvation on hard (especially left) cornering. I know TVR were hardly at the forefront of technical design, but they made up for that with plenty of competition experience.
People seem to have this idea that alloy tanks are somehow less prone to corrosion than steel tanks. It simply isnt true. Anybody out there who has experienced the corrosion in a SIG type fuel container with any degree of water contamination or just damp in it will tell you. A single winter with a drop of water in it and the SIG bottle has had it. Similarly with say outboard engine tanks, generator tanks etc, alloy tanks have not proved a benefit. If the tank isnt dry it can corrode through from inside in pin holes much faster than a steel tank, and it is then harder to repair.
Furthermore your tank is held by straps with poly/rubber packing. That holds damp. That damp attacks aluminium faster than steel, especially if there is any Chlorine around (rock salt!).
I would consider an alloy tank inside the car, if kept full over winter, but I wouldnt prefer one outside.
The mild steel tanks have lasted 20+ years, in most cases with minimal treatment and lots of time spent empty or with old fuel in. With any form of reasonable treatment, and kept full over winter, they will last a lot more than 20 years.
Unless it is in an unusually bad state, it costs less to have the steel one refurbished and treated to give 25+ years life.
I may be wrong, and I have never seen an Axminster tank, but it doesnt appear to be baffled. The original S tank has two virtually full cross section baffles. Without them the fuel surge on cornering could be expected to be pretty severe, possibly enough to affect the handling. The surge is bad enough on a baffled tank to cause big fluctuations in the fuel gauge reading on corners. TVR not only baffled the tank but added a swirl pot to stop fuel starvation on hard (especially left) cornering. I know TVR were hardly at the forefront of technical design, but they made up for that with plenty of competition experience.
appropriate appreciation for my hard braking demonstration! 
Greetings 'king of stainless steel'
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