I have removed my fuel expansion tanks

[irishkeet]

I know I know, some people will say i should keep them, other say the opposite
but they are rot spots & muck catchers and I figured while I had the tank out I may as well replace them.

firstly a big thanks to Pedro who invited me down to his house to drop the tank as he had done this before and i had not, his missus kept us full of tea and food and it was a good day

of course no VW job (for me anyway) goes to plan, the first bolt on the tank snapped and when we had the tank down I could not get the plug off the sender, it was rusted solid, suffice to say it broke and I had to put the tank back with no sender, anyway this weekend I dropped the tank again (at home this time, its much easier once you have done something once ) I managed to get a good used sender from evilbay for £4.99 bargain.

Below are some photos...
The tank is all painted and was in good nick, I had bought all the gaskets (which I didnt need in the end)
As you can see I have connected the two pipes that went off to the expansion tanks to a Y connector and then added a single length of fuel line.


Fuel line now sits neatly on a clip using the original expansion tank bolts.
I used top quality fuel line which is extremely thick and should last a very long time.



I have also inserted a filter in the ends of each line to stop any crud entering the tank. I used some brass pipe/bong filters.
When I dropped the tank one of the expansion tanks was not even connected to the fuel tank, I run on LPG 99% of the time and i only evey have about £10 of fuel in the tank.

all the best
irishkeet

[bigherb]

I wouldn't leave the breather where it can collect water a muck from the road wheel.

[irishkeet]

I wouldn't leave the breather where it can collect water a muck from the road wheel.

thanks
i turned the pipes in so they should stay clear

irishkeet

[PEET]

Welcome to the devils world of not doin it the way Vw say so...!

I also ran a van without the tanks for years and had no probs wotsoever cept I had to clean where they were more often!

[AngeloEvs]

Thinking of removing mine having seen this post especially since I run on lpg. The expansion tanks are, like you say, a rot trap. Good pics and I know what to do now........

[irishkeet]

Thinking of removing mine having seen this post especially since I run on lpg. The expansion tanks are, like you say, a rot trap. Good pics and I know what to do now........

No worries AngeloEvs
I got my fuel line from http://www.t2customs.co.uk/
is great quality and very thick
may see you on the streets of Norfolk next week as Im in Suffolk for a couple of nights then heading towards Cromer after that
irishkeet

[toomanytoys]

If you do ever fill it up... you may well get petrol coming out of them on a roundabout etc...... I personally would refit, giving the areas a jolly good waxoiling/dinitrol/etc... VW wouldnt have fitted them if they didnt feel they were required.. Those arches look to be in pretty good nick for 20 odd years of them fitted...
They allow vapours to condense and run back to the tank.. they also prevent petrol pouring out in the event of (heaven forbid) a roll over etc etc..

Those vent pipes will need to be moved away from the wheel arches if you dont refit.. you will get water in the tank from them...

[irishkeet]

If you do ever fill it up... you may well get petrol coming out of them on a roundabout etc...... I personally would refit, giving the areas a jolly good waxoiling/dinitrol/etc... VW wouldnt have fitted them if they didnt feel they were required.. Those arches look to be in pretty good nick for 20 odd years of them fitted...
They allow vapours to condense and run back to the tank.. they also prevent petrol pouring out in the event of (heaven forbid) a roll over etc etc..

Those vent pipes will need to be moved away from the wheel arches if you dont refit.. you will get water in the tank from them...

thanks mate
I have since moved the pipes a bit
yep the arches are good but they were waxoiled in the past

cheers
irishkeet

[toomanytoys]

I have since moved the pipes a bit
yep the arches are good but they were waxoiled in the past

cheers
irishkeet

"A bit"..... I mean they need to be moved out of the arches... relocate the ends to above the tank well away from the spray of the wheels and ideally into a vented container that cant fill up with water................... oh... VW already fitted some like that...

Just refit them... it works and is less hassle... if you ever drive on petrol, the day it breaks down in the peeing rain, miles from home with water in the fuel filter and carbs, you'll curse yourself..

[irishkeet]

TMT
you have me thinking now!

I have since moved the pipes a bit
yep the arches are good but they were waxoiled in the past

cheers
irishkeet

"A bit"..... I mean they need to be moved out of the arches... relocate the ends to above the tank well away from the spray of the wheels and ideally into a vented container that cant fill up with water................... oh... VW already fitted some like that...

Just refit them... it works and is less hassle... if you ever drive on petrol, the day it breaks down in the peeing rain, miles from home with water in the fuel filter and carbs, you'll curse yourself..

[R0B]

keiths next post."i keep getting a whiff of petrol in the cab any ideas what it might be" seriously though.with petrol fumes being inflammable is there not a chance of a fire starting from the fumes that will come from these pipes should someone flick a fag near the arch.

[jason k]

if vw didnt deem em necessary why would they fit em?? they could save millions over the production costs of the years the vans were made.

its petrol / petrol fumes your messing with, put em back on!!!

if your worries about rot then clean / paint / underseal behind em first.

[AngeloEvs]

Surely the reason they are fitted is to increase the range, simple as that! Its a 'van' and VW had to compete with other manufacturers general rule of around 300 miles between fills. The design of a T25 limits the tank size that can be fitted without affecting the load area or centre of gravity. Other peeps have run their vans without the expansion tanks and not reported problems. I don't know of another vehicle that has them or need them but the flat 'aspect' does make incorporating a suitable breather pipe a problem. The issue is how best to remove them and let the tank breathe and not whether they are needed.

[R0B]

who on earth told you that.these tanks do not fill with petrol.so nothing to do with mpg..

Surely the reason they are fitted is to increase the range, simple as that!

[jaylo264]

I recently refitted my exp "tanks" , having gobbed masses of waxoyly blackstuff over the whole caboodle , but i think if i were to leave them off the very least i would do is put on a non-return valve or even an old fuel filter , wrong way round maybe?, to stop ingress of water /muck.
I think angeloEvs is correct , tis to increase the range without spillage or smellage .
On my DG kamper , that tunnel thing is just a waste of space -- the cooling pipes etc could be routed otherwise . Does the Aircooled need that tunnel ?
jaylo