Gas Tank Lesson

[colin1928]

Hi it is summer here in Australia and today was warm around 110 deg F in the shade who knows in the sun
I was out in my 28 RPU and stop for fuel and filled to the normal spot the pump clicks off about a inch or so from the top of the tank I going inside and pay when I come back out to the car there is Gas pouring out the gas cap all over the cowl and hot engine well I start pour water over the cowl for 5 minutes until it stopped leaking
The sad thing is this happens to me once every summer and I still forget how much gas expands in the sun and hot fire wall
I hope others can learn from this
Colin

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by colin1928

Hi it is summer here in Australia and today was warm around 110 deg F in the shade who knows in the sun
I was out in my 28 RPU and stop for fuel and filled to the normal spot the pump clicks off about a inch or so from the top of the tank I going inside and pay when I come back out to the car there is Gas pouring out the gas cap all over the cowl and hot engine well I start pour water over the cowl for 5 minutes until it stopped leaking
The sad thing is this happens to me once every summer and I still forget how much gas expands in the sun and hot fire wall
I hope others can learn from this
Colin

I sure can relate to that one...It only took once for me back in 1982 to remember it forward...Gas all over heck! Haven't done it since.

Pluck

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Did you have the spark arrester installed in the tank?

[colin1928]

Thankfully yes and today was really hoping not find out if it works
By the way do you think they really work ??
I can not see how they are going to stop a fire from the gas tank

[QGolden]

Those of us who ride old Harley's with 5 gallon fuel tanks learn this early as well. Never top them off in the hot summer. Good lesson here, thx.

[Mitch//pa]

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ooohhh that sucks i would have cried

[Steve Plucker]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

Did you have the spark arrester installed in the tank?

Yes...I did to.

Pluck

[Bill Goddard]

Can someone explain how a sparkarrester works? I mean scientifically what is happening to prevent fires. Then maybe I will beleive they work.

Bill G

[Tom Wesenberg]

Originally Posted by Bill Goddard

Can someone explain how a sparkarrester works? I mean scientifically what is happening to prevent fires. Then maybe I will beleive they work.

Bill G

The holes are so small that they put the flame out before it can pass through. I won't drop a lit match in mine ti try it though.

[Purdy Swoft]

The holes are so small it causes the gas pump to click off. Gassing up with the spark arrester is a pain that I can do without. I removed and sold all of mine, several years ago.

[MikeK]

The spark arrestor works by providing a heat sink to reduce the flame temperature below the self-ignition point. The same thing happens on your kitchen gas range. You feed a fuel air mix to the burners, but the flame stays outside the burner head, which acts as a heat sink.

If you have difficulty filling the tank (I don't) the "A" tank arrestor will work without the bottom screen as long as you do not permit the fuel level to drop below that point.

I would never run one of my A's without a functional flame arrestor in place.

[Purdy Swoft]

I'm not surprised!!! smiley face

[freak]

So the idea is that it would burn but not explode?

[Bill Goddard]

What do modern cars have? Bill G

[glenn in camino]

Next time don't fill it and think of the expansion as free gas.

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Bill Goddard

What do modern cars have? Bill G

There is a vapor control flap that you will see about an inch or two down the filler. It swings open when the nozzle is inserted.

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by MikeK

[COLOR="DarkRed"]There is a vapor control flap that you will see about an inch or two down the filler. It swings open when the nozzle is inserted.[/COLOR]

thats not a vapor control flap, its called a fuel inlet restrictor which prevents fueling up the vehicle with a larger sized gas pump nozzle. it is not to prevent explosion or fuel to back up due to expansion. in PA if the fuel inlet restrictor is missing on the visual part of an emissions test the vehicle fails that portion and would need a new fill neck assy. on most modern cars at the bottom of the fill neck near where it enters the fuel tank is a ball that prevents fuel from coming back up the neck..

[freak]

Someone with a spare tank care to test this? I would gladly if I had one. Make a video please!!!

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

thats not a vapor control flap, its called a fuel inlet restrictor which prevents fueling up the vehicle with a larger sized gas pump nozzle. it is not to prevent explosion or fuel to back up due to expansion. in PA if the fuel inlet restrictor is missing on the visual part of an emissions test the vehicle fails that portion and would need a new fill neck assy. on most modern cars at the bottom of the fill neck near where it enters the fuel tank is a ball that prevents fuel from coming back up the neck..

Don't forget that new cars all have "vapor control systems." The flapper also blocks vapor from coming out the tank during withdrawal of the nozzle.

Just like those "glug-glug" nozzles on all the plastic gas tanks now - thanks to your EPA.

Heh. I gave a 1978 Chevy Truck a ream job to eliminate the barrier and allow fueling with regular gas (both regular and unlead were around for a few years after 1978.) That was the same truck that got the "ream job" also on the catalytic converter.

It never ran quite so well after the cat was gone. The whole engine timing and stoichiometry was set up around that cat being there.

I still have my timing light. I might even use it on the Model A someday.

Joe K

[MikeK]

Originally Posted by Mitch//pa

thats not a vapor control flap, its called a fuel inlet restrictor which prevents fueling up the vehicle with a larger sized gas pump nozzle. . .

Mitch, I'm no talking about the specific size hole, there is also a flap. Maybe yours is missing, bent, or broken. Looks like this:

Note the closed flaps BELOW the restrictor that are pushed open by the nozzle