Morning all Right I've had my tank out and found the original tank has heavy corrosion on the out let pipe it's the brazed in type I also have a good tank from a prototype bay but it only has the one breather pipe which I believe is attached to pipe going up to fuel filler Any ideas which would be the best course of action to fit the early tank into my late bay Could I join the two breathers together on the bus and t piece into the tank Or would I be better running the single breather off out somewhere safe
Is the late tank itself ok? If it's just the pipe that's corroded, get a new one brazed in, they're only a few quid from heritage. That would be a lot less hassle than adapting the breather system.
Leave it out until it's dry inside and a few days more, take to selected potential brazer, say "watch this mate" and chuck a match in?
if the tank's OK and the area surrounding the outlet isn't too bad, I'd be sorely tempted to use JB Weld, Chemical Metal, or Petro Patch....it's only a breather after all This works
its the outlet pipe thats corroded so would need a new pipe brazing on so the least hassle route would to fit the early tank and run a fresh breather out to the side somewhere but where is the question this way the original pipework would be left intact if the next owner wants to fit a latebay tank at another time
My tank is like your new one. The large breather first heads to the left side of the tank, then loops round and back across to the right where it enters the side of the fuel filler cap area outside the filler cap (but inside the flap). From here there is a hole in the bottom of the same area to catch overflow and a solid pipe inside the engine bay, down over the wheelarch and out of the bottom of the van to the road. Hope that helps, but obviously you won't want to install that lot.
hard to tell from the pic...but if there's enough outlet pipe left to get a hose and clamp on, I'd clean it up, derust it and fit the hose back on....and rectify the fault that caused it to corrode in the first place. I understand your reluctance to bodge it, as it's not everyday you take your tank out
My new tanks the one of the top Was thinking of running a fuel grade pipe out to the rear inner wheel arch instead of that lot What do you think
Yes mine is like the top one. prototype bay. Mine's 68. Actually, what I think is while you've got the engine and tank out, sell the early one on earlybay.com and either have yours fixed or replace it with one you can attach your breathers to as VW intended. Job done then and you can forget about it.
It's proper gone if I put rust eater on it there would be nothing left !!! I few people on here may remember I've had intermittent fuel flow problems for a year or too now and was one reason the tank was taken out with the intent of re coating the inside of the tank but on inspection it was clean I then put a peace of cable up the outlet which went up fine But on removing the cable it stripped the cable plastic outer which could be seen coming through the outer of the outlet pipe
I found a pic of the tank and part of the breather. The breather travels gradually uphill, supported at the end with a bracket. The whole thing looks like part of the tank though I haven't had the tank out.
I would do that but I hopeing for a visit from A very reputable engine (you know the one zed )builder in the next week or so with a new bottom end so time is a big factor If the general consensus is I'd be a lot better off with a late bay tank I could always rob the tank off the westie as a temp measure
If you flush the proper late tank out with something that will remove all excess petrol residue and then dry it out thoroughly, cant a petrol tank be welded then?
Agghhh not haveing a good day phoned a few local radiator places up to see if they'd braze a pipe all said no !!! Just phoned a vw breakers up 165 !!!! Think it's getting a prototype bay tank in after all !!!
Why don't you come out of the early breather pipe, by ~1" into a t piece then split them as per the latebay breather method of twin pipes, will that not work Ste?
That is a option mark and one I've thought about but not sure of if it would work and be safe ? I may be getting the pipe work of the donner bay yet if he can find it lol
how long do you have to leave a tank before it is safe to weld? does the steel absorb fuel? Just don't understand why you cant just wash them out and then get them welded.
