tank removal and the fuel line?

Antonio, I have replace one gas tank in my life. I replaced a leaking yet full tank on a 71 Karman Ghia.

Here is how I did it. First rigged up a syphon using some tygon tubing my neighbor had. This works but I swallowed some gas, it was slow and every time my gas can got full I had to start from scratch. While I recovered from swallowing the gas I thought a pump of some sort would be a good idea. I used a hand pump, one that is normally put into a five gallon can to pump out kerosene or gas. The pump worked well and I was able to pump out most of the gas. I disconnected the fill and vent lines from the top and crawled underneath an disconnected the fuel line. I had a pencil(s) ready to shove into the cloth fuel lines, but as I remember the event there was not a lot of leakage. That said the tank had been leaking in my driveway for days so I may not have noticed the leakage.

My new tank did not fit correctly even though the guy at the shop that sold it to me told me he had just put on in a karman ghia. I eventually got it to fit but prefer to not discuss my method ?

I am not sure how it would work draining it form the engine it. My guess is you would have to crank the engine to get the fuel pump to drain the line but that is just a guess. My gut tells me that is maybe the hardest way of doing it.

Good Luck

Steve

Since my bug is a 64, the filler is all under the hood. To drain the gas from mine with the siphon method, I take a long length of hose and stuff it all into the tank except for just enough to keep hold of. Then, put my thumb over the end and pull the hose out enough to reach my container that I am putting the gas in and then (make sure the container is below the bottom of the tank) remove my thumb from the hose and you should see the gas start to flow. Just be sure that the end in the tank stays below the level of the gas or it will suck air and stop.

How it works is the hose fills with gas as you insert into the tank and when you cap the end you are holding and start to pull back out the gas remains trapped in the hose. Once you get the end to the other container, gravity takes over and then the flow of the gas makes the siphon start. No gas in your belly or mouth, YUCK!!

Not sure if this will work on externally filled tanks or not.

-- Terry B AKA VDUBBS Buggin in Bama

- vdubbs at highstream dot net64 Bug Rauchen

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Shure it would but to get the best results remove the filler hose from the tank that is inside the trunk and stick it from there...

4play (@\|/@)(.\~/.) of the tank) remove my thumb from the hose and you should see the gasstart

I recommend gettting a 3-In-One Pump. They cost about $10.00 US. I got mine at K-mart.

Do not use a syphon.

The gas can get into your lungs and give you a type of neumonia.Hehe,heh, not sure of the spelling.

Disconnect the battery.

Drain the tank as best as you can. Gas weighs about 6 pounds per gallon, so if you leave a couple of gallons in it won't be very heavy.

Read instructions for tank removal in your Robert Haynes or Bently manual.

Unscrew and remove the bolts that hold the tank in.

Disconnect the filler hose and evaporative emissions hoses.

Remove the fuel gauge sender so it won't get damaged when you move the tank around.

Lift the tank up and cut the hose.

Quickly move the tank over to a big oil drain pan.

Finish draining it.

Apply POR 15 tank liner or what ever you are going to do to the tank.

Paint the new one before installing it if you are installing a new one with Some type of fuel resistant paint like engine paint.

Before installation, install some weather stripping around the edges to help keep water out and cold air out.

Use a new gasket on the fuel gauge sender. Don't overtighten the screws. Use a new fuel hose. Use a new fuel tank filter. (finger shaped thing) Use new gasket(s)on the fuel tank outlet and possibly a new outlet. use new fuel hose and clamps. I have had bad experiences with the so called German made fuel hose they sell online and from parts catalogs.

I use the 4.8mm fuel hose that I got from a local parts store.

I had to stretch the end by spraying it with WD-40 and inserting it onto the carb fitting to enlarge the hole but I was able to get it to fit.

The new German hose deteriorates and needs to be replace about every 2 years.

When I pulled the tank out of my super, I drove the car around near my house until the fuel gauge was reading empty, then drained the remainder of the fuel prior to removing the tank. I disconnected the line at the FRONT of the car where it connects to the tunnel and drained it into a plastic fuel container. Just jack up the car in the middle to get the entire thing off the ground and stick your gas can under there. I wouldn't try to pull it with any fuel in it, you're liable to spill some and, at least on a super, the way the line is routed there is no practical way to "hold the hose" while you remove the tank. I suppose you could stick a screwdriver in the line if you were really adamant about pulling it with fuel still in the tank.

My line was so brittle it broke off at the bottom of the tank like a twig.

Chris

That works *if* the car runs........