Urgent help Petrol Tank problems

[Dave Buckley]

Here I am after fitting new water pipes struggling to get the petrol tank back in and on holiday in two weeks.
Am I missing something vital here, I have a 1985 1.9 DG and I am having great difficulty again getting the breather grommets to go in. I read the Wiki but my van must be slightly different since you have to put the front in first since it has a lip the back then pushes up. The problem is that the plastic tube connecting both side of the tank is held by a bulkhead bracket so wont lower so I end up having to try to fit the pipes with the tank in situ and leaning in the wheel arch and puttin my hand between the floor pan and the chassis and I am finding it very hard and am very worried I could damage the plastics and I know these are difficult to come by
Anyone got any suggestions if I am going wrong somewhere?

Thanks

Dave

[Ian Hulley]

The usual way is to put the cross pipes on and the grommets in with the tank as high up as possible and then feed the breather tanks pipes through their holes and then jack the tank up while watching the grommets don't pop out again. It's a hatefull job, which is why the JK stainless front>back pipe set come in halves

Enjoy. BTW grease the front handbrake cable and check the clutch hydraulic pipe thoroughly and grease (especially where it levels off)

Ian.

[Dave Buckley]

Hi Ian
thanks fo rreply I am a little confussed though the plastic pipe runs through a bracket on the bulkhead and runs the top side of the heating pipes so the tank has to be almost in postion before they will reach?

Yes I got the pipes but the heater cables had been tye wrapped to the old pipes so I could not get them out without dropping the tank. Problem I also have I started the job in Feb but between JK and (me_ the wrong pipes were sent and the new only came in yesterday so its hassle I dont need

Dave

[Ian Hulley]

I am a little confussed though the plastic pipe runs through a bracket on the bulkhead and runs the top side of the heating pipes so the tank has to be almost in postion before they will reach?

Welcome to the world of contortionism You need arms about 5 feet long with broken fingers to manipulate the last grommet in .... and that's on a 4 post lift

Sorry not to be more help. Ian.

[camper]

I have removed the fuel tanks & replaced perished pipes on two diesel T25s.The way i refitted the plastic pipe that runs along the bulk head is . Fit the rubber gromets to the tank & position the plastic pipe across the bulk head with the white inserts so that when you raise the tank the pipe ends will be close to the rubber gromets.Once the tank is held up by the tank straps&bolted you can reach through the wheel arch and hold each plasic end of the pipe and push them into the gromets.If you put some grease on the ribbed plastic insert that goes into the gromets that will help you.Oh i struggled for hours with the problem of the bracket on the bulkhead and the plastic pulling out before the solution i have discribed works okay.

[CovKid]

Spot on. I found that was only sensible way to do it although I used spit rather than grease.

[neil3965]

Once the tank is held up by the tank straps&bolted you can reach through the wheel arch and hold each plasic end of the pipe and push them into the gromets.If you put some grease on the ribbed plastic insert that goes into the gromets that will help you.

Yup, that's how I did it, after failing miserably trying several other ways. Slightly easier if you turn the front wheels full lock one way, then the other (or easier still if you remove the front wheels) to give you more room to wangle your arm in there. Helps a lot if you have small hands!

[CovKid]

Or a broken arm

[Ian Hulley]

Next time I need to do it I intend to enslave one of the local knuckle scrapers and starve it for a week or 2 until he/she or it is thin enough to complete the task

[Dave Buckley]

Hi Guys
Thanks for all the help, I went home last night and managed to complete the task in 20mins without any damage so its on to the MOT monday and hopefully Spain the week after

Thanks
Dave