Connecting Gas Tanks

[grady]

I have long thought that only one of my gas tanks was filling. Because the cross-connect pipes are at the top of the tanks, the o/s tank can't begin to fill until the n/s is almost completely full. And with our anti-vapor fueling systems, I can't keep topping off.

There doesn't seem to be any way for the tanks to equalize unless they equalize via the swirl pot... and while my swirl tank draws from the bottom of the tanks, the pot itself is mounted almost level with top of the tanks. Therefore, I doubt that the o/s tank every fills.

I thinking of plumbing an additional cross-connect hose or tube between the tanks by adding a pair of "Ts" at the low end. Other than staying clear of the drive shaft, any reasons not to do this?

Thanks Grady

[jmorgan]

Are you sure? 1 tome I have show's 2 cross connect. Including a top pipe? 3"'s or so. and a small bore bottom.

>> Edited by jmorgan on Friday 13th June 19:56

[350matt]

I'd have a good look underneath there should be 2 interconnection pipes one big 3" at the bottom and a 1" or so at the top if both of these are clear and in good condition and providing the little breather at the top on the O/S tank is clear ,then they will fill , it just takes a while and you have to withdraw the nozzle on the pump a little bit. Typically I can get about 45ltrs in mine if I'm being brave with the gauge (still some way short of the handbooks claimed 60 ltrs!). Equally typically two 'normal' cars will have been and gone by the time I'm finished topping up.

All part and parcel of the wedge expierience I'm afraid


Matt

[grady]

Hmmm, Maybe my tanks have been miss-plumbed... though I thought they matched the picture in the bible???

I have a large-ish (2"?) hose about 2-3" down from the top of each tank and a smallish (5/8"?) hose very near the high point of each tank. Both go straight across between the tanks. I assume the large hose is a pour-over for filling the o/s tank and the top hose equalized the vapor/air.

Fuel is sucked up from a bottom/forward/inside fitting on both tanks and plumbed up to the top of the swirl pot, then down through the swirl pot and out to the fuel pump.

Thus if my fluid-flow theories are correct and if the swirl pot acts like a cross-connect, it will only do so when the fuel level is at or above the top of the swirl pot - which is about the same level as the 2" hose.

Or maybe the swirl tank should be mounted lower? The hoses attach at the top, which make sense. Grady

[grady]

Matt, I'll look again. I was really working on adjusting the handbrake - turned out the outer sleeve was too long but that's another story - and my eyes and mind wandered up to the tanks. Try as a may, I can't get more that one tank's worth in. Grady

[danny hoffman]

What is the most fuel anyone has managed to get in their Wedge?

[tasmin83]

The most fuel I have ever gotten in my Tasmin is just over 12 gallons. That is very rare since I don't like to let it get below 1/4 full.

[jmorgan]

Never seem to get it above 3/4 full mark, perhaps its the guage/float etc. Mind you there is a lot of topping off to get it that far.

[grady]

About 7 gallons. Adding more after a half-hour only added another qaurt or so. Grady

[grady]

Looking at the bible again, the illustration appears to show the top of the "anti-surge pot" (swirl pot?) mounted on the same plane as the bottom of the tanks. Is this normally so? Mine is high up in the tunnel. Grady

[jmorgan]

Now I thought the swirl pot was ment to be low to provide a constant source for the pump? Rather than the pump having to suck it out of the tank as well which that would suggest?
I have a Tasmin parts list that (whilst not identical to the bible and not as complete) shows pretty much the same layout in the same planes.

[mrcrappy]

what should the breather on the o/s tank look like, mine is at the top of the tank but blocked off with a bit of pipe with a screw in it, i took the screw out and filled the car up, unfortunately it p*ss*d out (and i left the screw at home), this proved that both tanks were filling but i still couldnt get more than 35 litres in.

[TaSmania]

I've got a leaky fuel pipe on the early SEAC so was looking under the car at the rear to see the extent of knackered pipe. The pipes around and between the twin alloy tanks are like a bowl of spagetti. The factory surely cannot have plumbed like this. If ever the prop broke at the back union Anyway interconnecting fuel tanks (Fuel not Gas to us British, Grady - jolly hockey sticks and all that) the SEAC, or at least this one (No.14,) has a large 2-3" pipe out of the top of each tank connected to a two vertical rectangular tubeswhich at the bottom have another 2-3" tube interconnecting across the car just above the prop. Seems to fill okay.
GB

[jmorgan]

From memory, my A reg (1983) 350 had a large diameter top pipe, forward edge of the tanks. What I assumed to be a breather soldered closed. Return feed from the fuel rail and a cross connect at the botton, small bore. The take off was from the cross connect and fed the swirl pot at a lower point to the tanks then to the rest of the car etc.