Peeing Petrol

[LARICAN]

Hello All

I'm both new to the club and new to my first T25 - so excuse any blindingly stupid comments on my side.

I'm now the very chuffed owner of a 1987 T25 Devon (apparently) conversion. It's a manual 1.9DG petrol (rhd).

Last weekend it took it's first run out - happily doing the return trip from London to Cornwall.

However, on top of my scary fuel consumption I found that when filling the petrol tank to the top, she leaks a petrol from three points. From both pipes leading to the wheel arch expansion tanks and also from the back/top of the main tank itself.

I really wanted to get the whole thing checked out before I take her on a 2 week European folly in early June but all recommended London garages I've read about here are booked up this weekend.

I'm looking for some advice on whether this is something I should cancel my trip over or whether I just simply avoid filling right up and I'd be ok.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Cheers

[tonytech]

The tanks are a sort of inverted saddle shape, They do rot in the middle.
There are also breather tanks in each wheel arch, connected by rubber hoses that either perish or pull off the main tank.

Only you can decide how safe your van is to drive.
I drove around for about 6 months with a drip from a breather hose, but it only happened for a few miles when the tank was full.

If it is loosing petrol then consider that not only is your van in danger, but some poor B***** on a motor bike might loose it on your fuel.

Some wiki stuff.

http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/index.php/Fuel_ ... nk_removal
http://wiki.80-90.co.uk/index.php/Fuel_ ... ther_tanks

T

[Pepperami]

You could try just replacing the rubber sleeve and fastening washer. it seems to have worked for mine.

[toomanytoys]

Well
if you only fill it half and it dont leak then thats all you can do if you cant fix it yourself..

There are several bits of hose and rubber fitting on the tank so ALL should be replaced.. but if the top of the tank is rotten then a new tank is required..

If I was at home and you were heading that way then i could have repaired it for you.. but I wont be back until begining of July....

[clartsonly]

mine leaks if I fill it right up, and I have owned mine for 2 years now.

you seem to have found the reason for the petrol loss, although you said bad fuel consumption, mine does 30mpg on a long journey although it is a DF not a DG, if you are only getting 20mpg perhaps you have a more serious leak.

[Pepperami]

20mpg sounds about right from a DG:?

[ermie571]

20mpg sounds about right from a DG:?

agreed

em

[LARICAN]

Thanks guys, the help is much appreciated. Just under 20mpg is about what I was getting - at an average cruising speed of 65/70mph.

I have double checked and there is no consistent leak from the tank. The only issue seems to be about 2 minutes of dripping when I fill the tank to the top, which then gradually stops. I've left it running and it then stays dry.

It doesn't look like I'll have a chance to get this sorted before I leave in early June but will definitely have it looked at.

On that note - any advice on London based garages/mechanics. Jack' Garage is mentioned a lot but seems both extremely busy and fairly expensive.

Thanks again.

[clartsonly]

20mpg sounds about right from a DG:?

agreed

em

blimey... are you driving with the roof up

[ermie571]

no mate, I'm not.

Just got 21.8 mpg from my 2.1 recon. (but as its on gas that is a 44 mpg equivelent for petrol)

I'm happy. And seems about average when the mpg debate rears its head!!


ok - london garage - elite VW in Basildon - always busy, reasonable/excellent rates. great lads know their stuff. 01268 581111. If you call them, they MAY fit it in before June!

Em

[asahartz]

My 1.9DG seems pretty thirsty. It's costing me around £10 a day to travel to work, 25 each way, and with petrol now about £5 a gallon that comes to about 25MPG - which sounds very optimistic, I'm sure I'm not getting anything like that.

Mine frequently smells of petrol, but I've had a good scout round underneath and can't find any sign of a leak! I did have a leak on the fuel pump pipe one day but that's fixed now. Still can't find the source of the petrol smell.

[campervanman]

Trying to push a T25 through the air at or about 70 mph will chew up fuel, even on a pop top. Try 60 to 65, the difference is amazing. You might get there a bit later but less poor!

[HarryMann]

Thanks guys, the help is much appreciated. Just under 20mpg is about what I was getting - at an average cruising speed of 65/70mph.

Campervan, you beat me to it... try 60-65mph!

Clarts, that 30mpg is quite spectacular, are you using a Hewlett Packard, Texas Instruments or an old Sinclair calculator

PS. If you can't top off you fuel tank with a brim-fill to the same place onec in a while, don't bother doing MPG figures

[maxstu]

Don't try forcing more petrol into the tank when the petrol pump trigger clicks for the first time, to stop the flow.
I did my calculations driving 1870 miles and using 78 gallons, back through Spain and France.
About 24 MPG in a DG1900, five speeder, pop top. Mind you we did some very steep second and third gear stuff hauling up The Picos and The Pyrennes (pair of knees as me poor old ma calls 'em)
As said before. keep yer speed to around 60 mph and take in the lovely scenery...but keep an eye on the road ahead

Safe journey

[asahartz]

Trying to push a T25 through the air at or about 70 mph will chew up fuel, even on a pop top. Try 60 to 65, the difference is amazing. You might get there a bit later but less poor!

That of course depends on your speedo... at 70 my satnav reports 63. 70 actual mph (about 80 on my speedo) is not easy to achieve! It will go there but you have to be patient. (BTW when I did this last week I was getting 40p/mile fuel allowance from the exam board I work for - even a T25 isn't that thirsty!)