Aux fuel tank sucking in air

[The_Handier_Man1]

From: FHP_AB1  (Original Message)
Sent: 2/13/2004 8:58 PM

Still working on a few items on our recently 73 Brave. All the big stuff is out of the way except for one. Although it has a 50 gal aux fuel tank in the rear, when we got it, the hoses were disconnected from the tank switch and the switch was seized. So, today I got a new switch, hoses, and filters and replaced that whole end of it.

Once everything was in place, I put about 6 gallons of fuel in the tank…nothing. But another 6 gallons in and it starts to draw fuel but also a lot of air…then another 3 gallons. At times it will fill the filter up and run but then before long it sucks more air than fuel and the line empties out. Now I checked the lines (compressed air) from the front to where it connects to metal line at the tank and there are no leaks there so I have to assume that the tube inside the tank is not all the way down or something else wrong. With the 15 gallons in, if I blow back through the line (not compressed this time, just me), I can hear it bubble through the fuel although there doesn’t seem to be much resistance â€" like the tube is too high and just barely in the fuel.

Anyway, my two choices seem to be to take it into a shop and have them pull the tank and sort it out. On the other hand, for far less I could buy a floor jack and get the tank out myself and make the repairs. The tank is fairly well exposed so just a drop straight down and it’s out.

What I was hoping is for some experience out there as to what I might need to do. Assuming it is the tube, it this pretty easy to pull out of the top and replace. Any suggestions and advice from anyone else who has had to do this would be much appreciated.



From: DaveVa78Chieftain
Sent: 2/14/2004 7:29 PM

Several good posts about gas tanks in previous messages. Use the Message Search selection to the left.  Enter gas tank for search criteria.

Dave



From: denison
Sent: 2/14/2004 8:41 PM

The job is dirty but I would not call it complex. I would raise the tail end by driving the rear wheels onto wooden ramps. stacks of 2 by 10s. Use penetrating oil early. Goggles will be useful. If there is no drain to let the fuel out, the tank will be heavier thats all. A truck inner tube inflated under it will break its fall. Once dropped down and slid out, you can unscrew the tank sender and pickup assembly. Use penetrating oil and a quality screwdriver. I might have used a hand impact driver on the phillips head screws, cant recall. You might want to replace the sender for the fuel gauge, and if you are ambitious you could use a fuel tank sealer product, like por-15. Or you could just clean out as much muck as possible and give the outside a good cleaning and painting. Usually when you see the problem you wonder how it worked at all. The pickup tube might be rusted out or have a bad solder joint, and need replacing with a copper tube. I think I made up my own cork gasket around the new sender unit, and used RTV as a sealant. Use antisieze on all the bolts and nuts you put back in. You will still have rust coming from the tank, on bumpy roads, but probably only the fine silty stuff that the filter stops. denison



From: FHP_AB1
Sent: 2/15/2004 8:21 PM

Thanks Denison, it does sound like a dirty job but not too difficult. Tanks looks to be in good shape and most people I have talked to also mentioned the likely suspect is the pickup tube in the tank. As soon as the next warm spell comes it'll be out.

Thanks



From: papamgb1
Sent: 2/16/2004 8:34 AM

Sorry can't help you with the tank but was hoping someone can help me with a water pump problem on a 1992 Chieftain winne.   Pump is making noise, when it comes on ...is it going?  Also how and where in the home is the pump?? lastly where do I get one??   thanks in Advance    Papa Smurf



From: FHP_AB1
Sent: 3/24/2004 9:55 AM

Finally got the fuel tank sorted out. I ran all new line back to the tank (after replacing mechanical switch over) and still sucked air. It didn't fix the problem but the hose was in bad shape so it needed it anyway. Decided to bite it and remove the tank. I pulled the line for the takeup and as best I could tell, the fill tube was resting at an angle against the drain plug on the bottom and I think it must of either cracked or was causing the top not to seat right in the fitting.

Couldn't seem to get the fill tube out and as I was thinking of what to do next, I see another fitting about 6 inches over and when I removed the plug, it had another fill tube - must have been set up to tap another line to a gen. I moved the line over to that tube and that works just fine. I now have another 50 US gal (190 litres) of fuel capacity!

Getting the tank back up was not fun. I did it on a day off and of course had no one around to help. Just about at the point of giving up when I got it back up...used jacks and blocks to work it up a few inches at a time.

Added a solar panel the next day and now I'm down to one last project - shoulder seat belts. All that's left after that is to pack it and go...finally.