I have removed my fuel expansion tanks

[R0B]

angeloEvs is wrong.they are not for increasing the milage.how would you fill them.on mine they are higher than the top of the tank and the filler neck.you would flood the forecourt with petrol first...

I think angeloEvs is correct , tis to increase the range without spillage or smellage

[Simon Baxter]

Put them back!
Put your van on it;s side and it will pour fuel everywhere, you may not be arsed but if there are other vehicles around you they aren't going to thank you for filling the accident scene up with fuel.
The factory tanks have special valve is that shut if the vehicle is tipped to stop fuel loss during accidents.
If they didnt need to be there, they wouldn't be there, it's a safety measure so leave them alone.
if you want to leave them off then vent them into a carbon canister or something, but that sounds like lots of messing about when you could just put the tanks back and have it right and more importantly, safe.

[Mocki]

whs ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

there are there for a reason, and although that van runs on lpg, he still has petrol in that tank, which on a day like today can quite possibly expand enough to pi$$ everywhere under the van with no expansion tanks, and was he to want to more than 1/2 fill the tank , he wouldnt be able to, they are to compensate for the odd shape of the tank, which would have a everlasting airlock each side that wont fill without those tanks, the open pipes wont allow for the contracting later when the temp drops.

mr vw knew waht he ws doing.....

[AngeloEvs]

Nobody told me that because I didn't say they were filled with petrol! They are breather tanks not fuel tanks. The range is dictated by volume and the the shape of the tank is a flat plane U- shape in order to increase its volume and meet the range requirement. Unfortunately, its shape demands that both sides of the U must have their own expansion/breather systems. A regular shaped tank would only require a conventional breather system as fitted to the majority of vehicles but its range would be impaired. How many other vehicles have expansion tanks under the wheel arches.........?

[R0B]

bit of a misunderstanding.by me then.

[AngeloEvs]

more like me not being explicit Rob......

[irishkeet]

weeee i like a good debate
i had a feeling this would get some ideas flowing

I have to say Im tempted to put them back, but we shall see
i need new grommets for them but i have no idea where to get them over here
vw don't have them and i only found one place in the US who post fed ex and the P&P was triple the price of the grommets

[Simon Baxter]

VW sell the grommets, I just bought a load.

[irishkeet]

VW sell the grommets, I just bought a load.

cheers Simon
I was trying
http://www.volkswagen-classic-parts.de/

irishkeet

[lloyd]

Having seen petrol fumes ignite I say keep the expansion tank in place. VW put them there for a couple of reasons; because they were needed for fill / expansion and because many countries require them for safety.

[Mr Bean]

If anyone is interested I have a 12 gallon alloy fuel tank in the engine bay of my 1960's aluminium ski boat. I was worried about venting into this hot and enclosed area (The Delorto twin 45 sometimes belches a flame when I shut down after a full throttle run) and so ran a breather pipe out of the back of the boat into the fresh air. Hoping to prevent ingress of water and flash back in the event of external ignition source I fitted an aftermarket fuel filter in the line. It seems to have been sucsessful for about 25 years so far. Catching fire to petrol with a lit cigarette is bordering on the imposible in my experience but you never know what you might get invoved in - a grass fire on your country car park for instance.
Cheers
Wolfie

[R0B]

so it must be ok to fill up at the petrol station,with a fag in yer gob then the fools.fancy wasting money on signs telling you not to smoke.

Catching fire to petrol with a lit cigarette is bordering on the imposible

[lloyd]

Think Wolfie is correct.
http://www.forteantimes.com/strangedays ... ettes.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[R0B]

i have seen someone in the past flick a lit dimp into a pool of petrol and it went out.so yes hes right in that respect.still not a good idea to smoke around petrol/petrol vapours...

[lloyd]

Agree Rob. Have seen a couple of petrol fillup fires.. Not a pretty picture.