Club 80-90 Forums

Aircooled CU Engine.

I need a new fuel tank, but I'm left a bit confused with what I've taken off compared to the Haynes and Bentley books diagrams.
It's a 1982 Aircooled van, but the tank seems to be the later 48mm type and I have a plastic filler pipe. What the manuals show as a fuel return line back to the tank has been blanked off using a short piece of tube. Also, there are tubes coming from the float valves on the top of the expansion tanks which aren't connected to anything. The Bentley book shows that they connect to a Charcoal filter (USA only I assume), or the diesel diagram shows something on the ends, where as the Haynes manual doesn't show them at all.

So my questions are-
1. Which tank to I need for an Aircooled van, but fitted with the later plastic filler?
2. Should there be a fuel return line and where would this connect to?
3. Should the expansion tank float valve pipes be connected to something?

I'm sure someone out there has the answers to all of this.

Cheers,

Andy.

Here's one I did earlier

Aircooled, CU engine, plastic filler pipe

Andyroo wrote:Aircooled CU Engine.


It's a 1982 Aircooled van, but the tank seems to be the later 48mm type and I have a plastic filler pipe. What the manuals show as a fuel return line back to the tank has been blanked off using a short piece of tube. Also, there are tubes coming from the float valves on the top of the expansion tanks which aren't connected to anything. The Bentley book shows that they connect to a Charcoal filter (USA only I assume), or the diesel diagram shows something on the ends, where as the Haynes manual doesn't show them at all.

So my questions are-
1. Which tank to I need for an Aircooled van, but fitted with the later plastic filler?
2. Should there be a fuel return line and where would this connect to?
3. Should the expansion tank float valve pipes be connected to something?

I'm sure someone out there has the answers to all of this.

Cheers,

Andy.

The tank has been replaced before, luckily with the later type. The replacement tanks are a poor quality fit the smaller filler neck gives you more wriggle room. The two pipes from the top of the expansion tank float are the breathers they just sit above the tank, there should be a rubber bellmouth on the end of the pipe to stop it getting blocked if touches the top of the tank, when refitting the end of the breather pipes should point towards the centre and away from the direction of travel. No return line was fitted to the CU engine the tank stub should be blanked off.

Thanks guys.

So it looks like everything was done correctly, replacing the original tank with a later model type.
I found a faded label on the tank with a part number (251 201 075 AE) which seems to check out at Just Kampers (how much?? ).

I also found these lying in the gunge on the top of the tank-


I'm guessing these are the bellmouth pieces you mentioned? I'll need some new ones.


Andy.

Yes they're your 'shreks ears' from the breathers off the top of the expansion tanks, looks like they need replacing...

Evening
Not sure if this helps but you but it helped me figure out how the expansion tanks, filler etc worked with the fuel tank.
Cheers
Izzy

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Nicely painted tank. I think I'll paint mine too.
The pipes from the expansion tanks to the main tank are made up of short rubber tubes and what look like brake pipes. Yours look new where as mine need to be binned. Did you buy some new parts or is there a more modern solution?

Cheers,

Ant-t wrote:Yes they're your 'shreks ears' from the breathers off the top of the expansion tanks, looks like they need replacing...

Can you still buy these parts?

bigherb wrote:
No return line was fitted to the CU engine the tank stub should be blanked off.

Hi bigherb,
What have you used to plug your tank? There's just an M8 bolt shoved in a bit of pipe on mine.

A bit of 6mm (1/4") brass rod.

Andyroo wrote:

Ant-t wrote:Yes they're your 'shreks ears' from the breathers off the top of the expansion tanks, looks like they need replacing...

Can you still buy these parts?

Not easily and they are expensive if you can find them some on Amazon & Ebay. The part number is 321 201 890
I use cable grommets as a standoff.

And for the breather tubes, you might be able to reuse the hard plastic tubes and make up all the unions from the tank to the breathers with new fuel hose cut to size from the old crusty ones you'll be taking off.

Ant-t wrote:And for the breather tubes, you might be able to reuse the hard plastic tubes and make up all the unions from the tank to the breathers with new fuel hose cut to size from the old crusty ones you'll be taking off.

+1

That's what I did on my WBX van. I'll need to check my CU van tank as I'm sure mine had a connected return ???

These are worth a look:

https://vwt25.blog/2016/05/03/replacing-the-fuel-tank/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziAmP7y9Psk

Ant-t wrote:And for the breather tubes, you might be able to reuse the hard plastic tubes and make up all the unions from the tank to the breathers with new fuel hose cut to size from the old crusty ones you'll be taking off.

Ok. I'll do that.