Tony68 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Has anyone else ever made a right-hand fitting fuel tank?I had a second tank in my vitesse 2.5 some years ago when I did a lot of miles on trips and got fed up with filling up twice in one day. But this had the filler inside the boot which wasn't ideal, so I made one with the filler pipe on the right-hand side. (It was the narrower Herald tank, not the 8-gallon Vitesse tank).Despite all the warnings about welding petrol tanks I managed to do it without blowing myself up, and it doesn't leak either. I never got around to actually fitting it in the car, though, and as I don't do so many miles now I'm not sure if I'll bother. Anyone else tried anything similar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard B Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Adam C from Surrey had a twin tank (aluminium) installation in his Vitesse. I think he had two fillers (a la Jaguar).IIRC his steel tank had rotted out and he got a quote for an aluminium tank. The price fro two tanks was not that much more than for one so he went for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heraldcoupe Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The factory approach was to take a standard tank and add a neck on the opposite side, welding a neat patch into the original aperture. I have an early tank modified this way in store, but it's never been fitted to any of my cars.Cheers,Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony68 Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 heraldcoupe wrote:The factory approach was to take a standard tank and add a neck on the opposite side, welding a neat patch into the original aperture. I have an early tank modified this way in store, but it's never been fitted to any of my cars.Cheers,Bill.That's basically what I did. I had twin SU electric fuel pumps with a changeover switch on the dash (and two fuel gauges!) a la Jaguar. The original reason for that was that the mechanical pump couldn't keep the engine supplied with fuel at full throttle . . . so when I found two pumps in the back of a Jag in the scrap merchants, it seemed a pity not to use them both. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elma fud Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 A trick for welding a fuel tack is to run the exhaust from a car through it for about an hour or so this will purge any fuel residue out of the tank, but if you get an tank that has not been used for a few years you will be safe. You could fit a spitfire tank under the scuttle weld up the filler and just run two pipes to it about inch bore from the herald tank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Can the tank from an estate be fitted to a saloon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heraldcoupe Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 1505 wrote:Can the tank from an estate be fitted to a saloon?Yes, but you will need to open out a hole int he floor for the outlet chamber. There's a shallow pressing where the hole needs to be cut,Cheers,Bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Guy in Norway - name escapes me Ill look him up - has two tanks for long distance touring.Clever Jaguar thing was the electreically controlled valve by a switch on the dash that controlled which tank the engine drew from AND which tank tthe gauge sowed from. No nedd for two dials!John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goody Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Will a Spitfire tank fit with little or no problem? I know a fuel filler hole would have to be cut. What is the best way to secure the tank to the car? How may gallons does the Spit tank hold? To be real I would like to find 2 very good Vitesse tanks here in the states. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Works Vitesse's have a balance pipe between the two tanks. So no need for two senders, two gauges, or changeover valves.Simples. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 We built a Herald to do the trans Africa run many years ago with both a Spitfire tank, and an Estate tank.This hardly compromises boot space at all, still loads of room for spares/luggage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgetone Triumph Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 5820 wrote:A trick for welding a fuel tack is to run the exhaust from a car through it for about an hour or so this will purge any fuel residue out of the tank, but if you get an tank that has not been used for a few years you will be safe. You could fit a spitfire tank under the scuttle weld up the filler and just run two pipes to it about inch bore from the herald tank...Would this also apply by blowing compressed air through the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Hammond Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 No, I think it is the carbon monoxide in the exhaust that gets rid of the gasoline fumes.Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Moore Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 Leon Guyot fitted two tanks to one of his cars. He found that they needed a valve between them on their link pipe - if the car was parked on a cambered road, petrol from the uphill tank would flow into the downhill tank and then exit through the fuel filler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunky020 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 two ways to make a fuel tank safe to weld You would need to ether steam clean the inside of the tank to remove any petrol residue /vapour or wash out with washing powder and hot water this works very well I know as I have have worked on several tanks with good results, the tank is obviously out of the car and the washing powder is dissolved into very hot water before adding to the tank, give the tank several washes with the soapy mixture sloshed/shaken vigorously around the tank (wear gloves it will be hot to handle) then given a good flush with clean water use distilled water if you like to stop any rusting and then allow to dry properly before any welding is undertaken!Do not attempt any welding work on the fuel tank if you are not a competent welder! the welding work has to be a fuel tight obviously or it will leak! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIMPUS Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 10402 wrote:That's basically what I did. I had twin SU electric fuel pumps with a changeover switch on the dash (and two fuel gauges!) a la Jaguar. Also like in a GT40 ! It also has 2 filler caps, 2 gauges and a switch to switch between pumps... i do know it as we have a GT40 here at home :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elma fud Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 This is a TR3 tank fitted to my Herald, the filler is in the middle of the rear deck, used the TR tank because it has internal baffles which should help stop fuel starvation with the fuel injection, but l did add a swirl pot and fuel pump from the escort tank.I chucked a tin of tank seal afterwards which was worthwhile because there were a couple of tiny hole :B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Nick_Moore wrote:Leon Guyot fitted two tanks to one of his cars. He found that they needed a valve between them on their link pipe - if the car was parked on a cambered road, petrol from the uphill tank would flow into the downhill tank and then exit through the fuel filler.Strange, its never happened to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 1218 wrote:No, I think it is the carbon monoxide in the exhaust that gets rid of the gasoline fumes.MarkAir will have a lot more oxygen in it than exhaust fumes, but CO will still support combustion, and I doubt if it has any scavenging properties.More likely. the raised temperature of exhaust will help evaporate any residual fuel.To which end a steam cleaner may be best, but it should be a proper, 'live' or dry-steam cleaner, not one of those wall-paper removers.And my Norwegian friend is Morten Larsen.We discussed this subject before: http://club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/forum10/Blah.pl/Blah.pl?m-1356659599/s-5/highlight-Morten+Larsen/#num5John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikew Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Slimboyfat wrote:Strange, its never happened to me.Only because you are too "tight" to fill them both to the top ££ ;) ;D ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 I'll let you know that I have filled them to the brim several times in the last 15 odd years!However never when I do a track day, autosolo, or such like as it gets very heavy with 16 gallons of fuel in the back!Its only really useful extra capacity for the long stretch's of the RBRR, 10 Countries, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikew Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Slimboyfat wrote:I'll let you know that I have filled them to the brim several times in the last 15 odd years!However never when I do a track day, autosolo, or such like as it gets very heavy with 16 gallons of fuel in the back!Its only really useful extra capacity for the long stretch's of the RBRR, 10 Countries, etc.I am tempted to reply that its not the weight of the fuel that you need to worry about, but then I cannot say much on that front either ;D ;D ;D ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slimboyfat Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Fair play, can't argue with that. :PI could say however that those few extra lb's I carry could be negated by the plastic windows throughout, and the lack of carpets/trim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony68 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 JohnD wrote:Guy in Norway - name escapes me Ill look him up - has two tanks for long distance touring.Clever Jaguar thing was the electreically controlled valve by a switch on the dash that controlled which tank the engine drew from AND which tank tthe gauge sowed from. No nedd for two dials!JohnYes, I was going to do that but decided I wanted to know how much fuel was in the *other* tank too!And on the Jag it is simply a changeover switch with fuel pumps, the same as I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony68 Posted April 15, 2015 Author Share Posted April 15, 2015 Slimboyfat wrote:Strange, its never happened to me.Hmmm, on mine it did tend to equalise the fuel level in two tanks if you'd filled one up and left the other near empty, but it didn't bother me too much. In theory it shouldn't happen at all with two pumps, but I always assumed the non-return valves in the Jag pumps were a bit too weak or didn't seat fully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.thumb.jpeg.b15b81ef10abeea1c3039ae03c4a9f3a.jpeg)
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.