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Moving a fuel tank..possibly to under the bonnet.


Lankytim

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The Audis in for its MOT soon and its going to need welding to the body behind the fuelfiller pipe in the O/S/R wheelarch area, hence the fuel tanks going to be removed for better access and to cut down the risk of blowing myself up.

 

The tank is bound to be rusty and need work and as the Audi runs on LPG a 60 litre petrol tank isnt needed, it just sits there with a gallon of petrol in the bottom, getting rustier. It would be much more useful to fill the space with a second gas tank to improve the Audis 250 mile gas-range.

 

Does anyone know the law on the moving or modification of petrol tanks? A gallon tank would suffice. It could live in the space vacated by the exisiting tank or live under the bonnet. Theres loads of space there well away from the engine. The underbonnet option may be risky as it would get damaged in an accident and have insurance implications.

 

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Any advice or opinions welcome!

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The only thing I remember about the law ons fuel tanks is that it must be sealed away from the inside area, I have a distant memory that there were cars with fuel tanks near the engine, I personally can't see where the extra danger would come from, think about Bikes?? trikes?? etc.You could fit a foam filled fuel cell if your worried.....

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If its inside the car - really needs to be foamfilled, in a sealed box. No rubber fuel lines.But -if the boots sealed from the interior,no real reason why you couldnt add a tank there.I'd be loathe to put one under the bonnet-unless its a Trabbie of course.

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do these have a space in the rear wing each side of the boot?on my old Passat I managed to find a tall thin 5 litre spare fuel can that would fit in there.You could then cover the normal door whole with steel plate if you wanted to segregate it from the passenger spacemy wife's old Audi 80 had a big space in each rear wing as well if I remember right

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Yes, the tank on these is steel. The type 44 Audi 100 does look quite modern but is pretty low-tech under the skin. Its so low tech my particular 100 has an 8V 1800cc Golf engine under the bonnet fed by a carburettor. The fuel pump is mechanically driven by the engine. This atleast makes it easy to site a fuel tank where I like without having to worry about fuel pumps e.t.cThe boot isnt sealed from the interior and the cubby holes under the boot floor arnt really big enough to shove a fuel tank in. I guess the only options are under the car, around the "secondary" LPG tank somewhere or under the bonnet, sealed away from the interior cabin but at risk from frontal impacts.I actually do have an aluminium tank of approx 1 gallon capacity in the loft somewhere. I bought it from an aerojumble years ago. Its apparently from a crashed WW2 american aircraft, a P47 I believe. Its the de-icing tank for the windscreen. I could use that but it would be a shame to cut up an historical artifact!

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I actually do have an aluminium tank of approx 1 gallon capacity in the loft somewhere. I bought it from an aerojumble years ago. Its apparently from a crashed WW2 american aircraft, a P47 I believe. Its the de-icing tank for the windscreen. I could use that but it would be a shame to cut up an historical artifact!

I wants PICTURES!!!!!!
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I actually do have an aluminium tank of approx 1 gallon capacity in the loft somewhere. I bought it from an aerojumble years ago. Its apparently from a crashed WW2 american aircraft, a P47 I believe. Its the de-icing tank for the windscreen. I could use that but it would be a shame to cut up an historical artifact!

I wants PICTURES!!!!!!
Pics later, when I get it out of the loft!

 

Ebay has a nice selection of tanks, such as this one..

 

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1 gallon, nice and compact. Looks ideal.

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I've seen banger racers using fire extinguishers and Calor gas bottles as fuel tanks, would you be able to do anything with one of those?

Possibly yes but I dont want the whole thing to look like a scrapheap challenge effort.

 

Heres the space under the bonnet where the tank could go. A 5 litre petrol can fits in easily and its well away from the engine, well as far as it can be. This space is filled by the radiator on 5 cyl models, but as mine is only a 4 potter the space is redundant.

 

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For anyone whos interested heres the mystery tank that may or not have come from a crashed WW2 American aircraft. Its a great pity theres zero history with it! Its deffo aeronautical in origin as it has wire locking on every nut and bolt and appears to be painted in USAAF "olive drab"

 

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Apologies for the shite photos. Someones going to tell me its a tank fom a 1985 mountfield lawnmower now I bet.

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That tank is fantastic! If my mate didn't already have a period sixties "Eelco" one for his slingshot dragster I'd be bending his ear about this (if you were willing to sell it that is...) I don't know what you paid but should you ever decide to sell I'd strongly suggest trying to attract old stylee hot rodders/drag racers :wink:

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I think I paid about a fiver for it back in 1995. Im not sure if I could be bothered to sell as I doubt its worth very much- Id just really love to identify what it came from.That bacolite filler cap has a snazzy dipstick attatched too. Its very snazzy!

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Love the colour of that thing^^I'm curious about fitting a wee tank in the engine room. Wouldn't the engine heat case it to expand and evapourate off lots of petrol every time you run it? If so after a week it'll probably be empty!

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Love the colour of that thing^^I'm curious about fitting a wee tank in the engine room. Wouldn't the engine heat case it to expand and evapourate off lots of petrol every time you run it? If so after a week it'll probably be empty!

NAH ... assuming the tank is vented, the residule heat from the engine at that distance the contents would take months to evapourate, try putting a gallon of water there.......... :wink:
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