fuel tanks
fuel tanks
Author
Discussion

cdt

Original Poster:

537 posts

311 months

Sunday 13th August 2006
quotequote all
I hadn't realised the petrol tanks looked quite like this. No wonder it is a challenge to get them both full:

grady

1,233 posts

289 months

Sunday 13th August 2006
quotequote all
I STILL can't figure out why they don't equalize overnight via the lower swirl pot fittings

blaineuk

2,615 posts

276 months

Sunday 13th August 2006
quotequote all
could be a blocked breather

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
It was quite easy on the Series 1 Tasmin. You just opened both fillers

jmorgan

36,010 posts

313 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
Easy to remove as well

gsx600

2,740 posts

277 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
cdt said:
I hadn't realised the petrol tanks looked quite like this. No wonder it is a challenge to get them both full:



Is this how they would sit in the car ? With the large tube sitting at the top ? Hence why it takes for ever if not impossible to fill both ?

There must be a better design, apart from having 2 fillers ? Like having the large pipe angled down a little to start the flow to the other tank ?

Edited by gsx600 on Monday 14th August 12:41

redwedge5

583 posts

290 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
gsx600 said:
cdt said:
I hadn't realised the petrol tanks looked quite like this. No wonder it is a challenge to get them both full:



Is this how they would sit in the car ? With the large tube sitting at the top ? Hence why it takes for ever if not impossible to fill both ?

There must be a better design, apart from having 2 fillers ? Like having the large pipe angled down a little to start the flow to the other tank ?

Edited by gsx600 on Monday 14th August 12:41


If the large pipe is situated much lower it will rub against the propshaft

rev-erend

21,619 posts

313 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
I think they are upside down..

Big balance pipe at the bottom !

350zwelgje

1,820 posts

290 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
Mine are mounted like that (so top is top), but have another thicker balance pipe somewhere in the middle (to aid the top one?). And no it is not in the way of the propshaft.

By the way the sloping part is providing us with the possibility to recline the seat back. Otherwise we would sit with our noses on the dash!

I couldn't remove the tanks while replacing all fuel lines, and de-rusted and painted them while still under the car. The still look good, but the fuel lines start to show 4 years of age, again.....

Rob

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
Think yourself lucky it's not an Esprit. The tanks are behind each seat. Unfortunately the engine needs to come out to remove them

350zwelgje

1,820 posts

290 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
wedg1e said:
Think yourself lucky it's not an Esprit. The tanks are behind each seat. Unfortunately the engine needs to come out to remove them


They are behing our seats in the wedge as well, aren't they? Under the shelf behind the seats.

But removing an engine to remove the tanks! Disadvantage of mid-engined cars, or you need a TVR (engine so far back that it should be considered as mid-engined as well). So prototyping in mass-production can lead to good ideas becoming design flaws. Or you should change your cars as quickly as some others do and it is not you encountering them. My wedge will never go, and I am happy with the standard setup/design in general. All that remains is what I call 'wedge-fine tuning' and fixing design flaws of mainstream components.

Rob

taz turbo

685 posts

279 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
grady said:
I STILL can't figure out why they don't equalize overnight via the lower swirl pot fittings


If your fuel tanks are like the ones pictured, it could be as the pipe from the near side tank to the swirl pot has been snapped off!! check for big puddles under the car, if its dark under there just throw a match under it should give you a clue!!!

Seriously, the DHC I had many years ago could be filled through either tank (two fillers) and both tanks would fill.... But, the tank with the sender unit always stayed full, the other emptied. It didn't have a swirl pot just a Tee between the two tanks the side from the tank with the sender was blocked SOLID with silicone sealer. Cleaned it all out and always fine after that.

Regards,

Chris.

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
taz turbo said:
the side from the tank with the sender was blocked SOLID with silicone sealer. Cleaned it all out and always fine after that.

Regards,

Chris.


I had EXACTLY the same fault shortly after I got the Esprit on the road. Gauge said plenty of fuel but the SU diaphragm pump was clattering away like a castanet player on speed.
The right-hand tank has the sender but the outlet banjo of the left tank had got blocked with silicon, I presume from a bodge to the filler neck. So I filled from the left (twin fillers) and of course when the right tank ran dry the car stopped. Maybe if I'd put more than a fiver in I'd have realised the gauge hadn't gone up
It's never happened again since I cleaned it; just a shade depressing how fast the gauge plummets...

taz turbo

685 posts

279 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
wedg1e said:
just a shade depressing how fast the gauge plummets...


Tell me about it, I used to have an Excel, the 912 engine is a gem, but it did have a drink problem..... 22 to the gallon pussy footing 21 when playing. Play, play, play.

Regards,

Chris.

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
taz turbo said:
wedg1e said:
just a shade depressing how fast the gauge plummets...


Tell me about it, I used to have an Excel, the 912 engine is a gem, but it did have a drink problem..... 22 to the gallon pussy footing 21 when playing. Play, play, play.

Regards,

Chris.


Aye, driving like a granny I can get 30+ from the Esprit.... but mostly not

honourablepickle

457 posts

263 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
my esprit never ran for long enough to worry about fuel consumption - it really was the worst car i've ever had - when the chap gave me a TVR V8S in part exchange for it I could have kissed him (most unusual for me)

wedg1e

27,035 posts

294 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
Wasn't mine was it?

There has been some serious monkeying gone on that I had to sort out: e.g. the water jacket had copious quantities of bathroom sealant in it FFS.

Dur, let me see. The head gasket's gone. I know! B&Q silicon sealant...

Ironically now that it's for sale it's running the best I've ever known it; someone should get a trouble-free engine even if the rest of the car is as rough as a Middlesbrough girl after a bottle of Lambrini...

honourablepickle

457 posts

263 months

Wednesday 16th August 2006
quotequote all
i really hope i didn't sell it to you - nope couldn't be you cos the engine in mine had a £8k rebuild by the previous owner and was pukka - i was just left to spend around 7k on parts over two years as almost everything else fell off - what a crap car

mikeb

2,869 posts

311 months

Wednesday 16th August 2006
quotequote all
wedg1e said:
Wasn't mine was it?

There has been some serious monkeying gone on that I had to sort out: e.g. the water jacket had copious quantities of bathroom sealant in it FFS.

Dur, let me see. The head gasket's gone. I know! B&Q silicon sealant...

Ironically now that it's for sale it's running the best I've ever known it; someone should get a trouble-free engine even if the rest of the car is as rough as a Middlesbrough girl after a bottle of Lambrini...


I thought they downed Night Nurse and Coke? Bloody binge drinkers!

MikeyB

gsx600

2,740 posts

277 months

Wednesday 16th August 2006
quotequote all
mikeb said:
wedg1e said:
:even if the rest of the car is as rough as a Middlesbrough girl after a bottle of Lambrini...


I thought they downed Night Nurse and Coke? Bloody binge drinkers!

MikeyB


I'll look out for them next week then as I'm back there again