fuel tank strap broken whats the worst case scenario?

[hotpod]

i was just replacing my fuel sender seals this afternoon and noticed that the off side tank strap has parted in the middle.
on that side, the tank overhangs the chassis and is wedged on the top of the back of the spring mount.
i am driving to holland ( hopefully on sunday) so am not going to try to remove the tank to replace the strap.

firstly: what is the worst case scenario with that strap broken?

and secondly: if the answer to the first question isnt very good, does anyone have any ideas about how to avoid said nastiness till i get a chance to do it properly?

any and all help and advice extremely welcome.
thanks in advance.

[peasant]

I've been driving around for months (probably), certainly weeks with a broken strap, no scenario whatsoever

Also, the top part of the strap is usually still ok and only the bottom bit needs replacing. My mechanic did that (the r/h one) without removing the tank, took him about an hour and some long extensions on the ratchet.

[hotpod]

hmm. i might have a sneak under there tomorrow then....with a copious amount of wd40.
thanks for that.
anyone else??

[axeman]

i was driving for at least 6 months with a broken strap, i say 6months i only saw that it was snaped about 6months ago, the lower sections can be replaced with everything in place but it will be a pain in the back side to do, saying that it is a bit of a pain to do when the tank and box have been removed, would recomend if your gonna do it may as well go the whole hog, would have to the straps from simon are very well made and fit very well,

long and short of it, go away and add it to your list of to do things.

neil

[hotpod]

ok. so nobody thinks the tank is going to try and exit the vehicle..
or at lease sit on the gearbox and strain its mountings.
thinking about it, it does have quite a few well mounted obstacles before it meets the tarmac.

an engine mount broke on the diesel in the pickup last year but it was all held up by the armour. was very noisy, so i jacked it up and jammed loads of rubber bits (doughnutty things off the top of old shocks) between the engine and armour till i could get it fixed. sweet as a nut after that.

i do like having that extra line of defense!

thanks chaps.

[Simon Baxter]

Loads driving around with the tank loose, they don't go far even when full.
If your scared, just ratchet strap it up.

[hotpod]

That sounds like a sensible temporary measure. I hope it isnt raining tomorrow!

On another note, I mentioned redoing my sender seals which have had a persistent leak for a long time. I have been trying to find out a sealant to use with the original rubbers thats fine for permanent use inside a fuel tank. Blue hylomar was a common answer, but a mate who is a motorcycle restorer swears by some shellac based stuff called wellseal. I tried it today and for the first time since I had the van, it doesnt smell of petrol under the ns rear arch. Lets hope it stays that way.
While I was at it, I slightly bent the float arm on the sender and after I put 64 litres in the tank, the gauge reads full instead of 3/4s. I now have to hope I didnt bend it too far and that it will read empty when all the fuel is gone.
I'm sure it won't take too long to find out...

[syncropaddy]

While I was at it, I slightly bent the float arm on the sender and after I put 64 litres in the tank, the gauge reads full instead of 3/4s. I now have to hope I didnt bend it too far and that it will read empty when all the fuel is gone.
I'm sure it won't take too long to find out...

VW fuel guages were never known for their accuracy anyway. Brim the tank, drive for 400 miles and then brim it again, keep doing that and you'll be fine. Do you not carry a 5l can in the back?

[lloydy]

I've just done a 900k trip on a tank and a bit ( two fills from 1/2 a tankish), not to bad i thought. Shame half a tank = £55

[hotpod]

VW fuel guages were never known for their accuracy anyway. Brim the tank, drive for 400 miles and then brim it again, keep doing that and you'll be fine. Do you not carry a 5l can in the back?

400 miles?? what engine do you have? i can just about manage 300 ( 500ks) in the camper with its DJ.
i dream of doing 400 miles. ( well the pickup does easily but not very quickly ( golf NA 1.9 diesel ))

i have had vws since i was 16 so of course i carry a 5l spare. its like the reserve tap on a motorcycle.
i always just use the trip counter as the fuel gauge.
but i do love stuff working properly and it has been bugging me for ages. I wont know if its fixed till i get to the m25 though. (from lands end).

and what engine have you got lloydy?? i want one of those.

[lloydy]

A very slow 1.6td, but i didn't drive over 100kph (6.16 final drive) . My straps are broken too, got a set of stainless ones to put on. The side with the water pipes looks a b*gger

[syncropaddy]

i have had vws since i was 16 so of course i carry a 5l spare.

[torchy]

That sounds like a sensible temporary measure. I hope it isnt raining tomorrow!

On another note, I mentioned redoing my sender seals which have had a persistent leak for a long time. I have been trying to find out a sealant to use with the original rubbers thats fine for permanent use inside a fuel tank. Blue hylomar was a common answer, but a mate who is a motorcycle restorer swears by some shellac based stuff called wellseal. I tried it today and for the first time since I had the van, it doesnt smell of petrol under the ns rear arch. Lets hope it stays that way.
While I was at it, I slightly bent the float arm on the sender and after I put 64 litres in the tank, the gauge reads full instead of 3/4s. I now have to hope I didnt bend it too far and that it will read empty when all the fuel is gone.
I'm sure it won't take too long to find out...

I had to change the sender in the JX because it didn't work. Replaced complete with new back plate, seals etc etc. BUT now it leaks....or weeps, no matter how much I tighten (have stopped tightening now in fear of striping a thread). Is this stuff, wellseal still working OK and where can I get it?

[Simon Baxter]

If you bought my seals and they are leaking, get in touch, theres an "issue"
replacements in manufacture as we speak.

[hotpod]

the wellseal has worked a treat. i have just driven to holland from lands end and have brimmed the tank 3 times now each time expecting the whiff of fuel from under the rear arch. i check it with a torch every time i stop and its dry as a bone.
i got it from a local auto parts supplier called mill autos but i just googled it and it is this stuff.
If you did get the seals of mr baxter then really do give him a call. it seems they had a dodgy batch at some point and no ammount of well seal would have cured that leak.
i have also been getting 23-25 mpg?? which is a record for my camper...by a lot.
i cant believe i was losing that much fuel before (last big trip to switzerland last easter 18mpg)
i tried some stp fuel treatment for the first time which claimed to clean my injectors etc and i have a feeling it has done a lot of good.

and very good news on the bending of the sender arm. full tank says full then 250kms on the trip meter and the needle says half a tank and takes 33 litres to brim it. it just touched on the reserve box today so i filled it again and squeezed in 53 litres so it is looking pretty damn good.

i put my lucky bending down to a blacksmiths instinct on just how hard to hit something for the desired result. (can work in many aspects of life).