Fuel tank, fuel filler pipe and fuel cap - talk to me please

WorldClassAccident · #1 10th October 2012, 11:59

Sorry for the lack of specific photo's but I am not very mobile at the moment so I am using ones I have taken previously.

I have a fuel tank with the filler tube protruding.

With the body on the filler tube stops about an inch and a half short of touching the body where the filler cap will need to be mounted. (There is a bit of cardboard around the filler tube to stop stuff falling in)

I want to fit a fuel cap something like this

Am I best connecting the cap and the tank filler neck with a short length of rubber hose and two fuel clips? I assume I can get the appropriate hose in the appropriate size.

Lots of the sites I have looked at talk about welding the filler neck but I don't think this is practical on the G46.

Any advice welcome.

Paul D · #2 10th October 2012, 12:35

Hi Nick,

With our Sammio Spyder I went to the local motor factor for a piece of connecting hose and they couldn't help at all since modern cars don't use them. They sent me off to a commercial hose company called 'Hyphose Ltd' in Farlington, Portsmouth. They deal with all sorts of hydraulic hose stuff for lorries & diggers, anyway they fixed me up with a section of marine engine exhaust hose of the correct size. It was reinforced with a steel band between the inner and outer layer of rubber material to prevent collapse, and it is virtually impervious to fuel and heat.

For an official 6" length (actually nearer a foot!) and two zinc plated 'jubilee' clips they charged me the bargain price of £6.54 inc. vat.

I am sure there are plenty of other similar companies out there, but if you wish to contact them the Portsmouth branch number is 02392 324644.

I would also add that the exhaust hose was a stop-gap for them since it was all they had available in that size on the shelf, and I didn't want to wait a couple of days to get the proper hose in from another site.

We went for modestly priced filler from Demon Tweeks. No locking filler cap option, but it does have a proper internal seal. Good value at £46.32 delivered inc. vat I thought compared to some, and it includes a good solid neck for the hose to fix on to.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/perfor...uel-filler-cap

Hope this helps & you are not going completely bonkers with boredom,

Cheers,

Paul.

WorldClassAccident · #3 10th October 2012, 12:52

Thanks for the pointer, there is a hose specialist just down the road from me here in Southampton who sorted me out for the radiator hoses. I had forgotten about them.

Now I just need to find an Aston or Monza style fuel cap for less that £100.

Loads for Minis that appear just to cover the existing fuel filler which in no use to me.

It also needs to be about 2.5" - 3" to be the right size for the G46, the 2" ones look too small.

WorldClassAccident · #4 10th October 2012, 13:01

Just seen the flush mount ones on the Demon Tweeks site. I wonder what those would look like...

davecymru · #5 10th October 2012, 13:09

I joined my tank/filler in the same manner as you are describing, so seeing as you're not going anywhere atm, have a look on these two site as both sell fuel filler hose and all manner of filler caps!:

https://www.europaspares.com/
http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/

Or if you want a more period filler then trawl fleabay, as the aged Spitfire filler i ended up with fits the look of my car nicely and was only about a tenner

Mister Towed · #6 10th October 2012, 13:38

Demon Tweeks also sell the fuel filler pipe - that's where I got mine from.

Paul D · #7 10th October 2012, 14:00

Just thought I would add a few pictures of the budget Demon Tweeks cap and fuel hose.
Everybody likes pictures!

I appreciate what you are saying about the size WCA, I think we can get away with it on the Spyder - it looks o.k. in the flesh. Maybe a tad small for the G46 ? Difficult to know without actually trying one out.

Paul D.

WorldClassAccident · #8 10th October 2012, 14:16

Thanks for the photos. I like photos.

I think the length of pipe on the G46 will be about the same as two juibilee clips.

The cardboard cover I carefully crafted to keep crud out of the the tank you can see in the second picture Touches the bodywork at the top edge.

davecymru · #9 10th October 2012, 15:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul D

and on a related note, something i spotted from this is pic is:
* which way around are people fitting their fillers?
And
* does it really matter?

I only ask as mine opens the other way to Pauls, i.e. the hinge is facing forwards, as i've got an older Spitfire filler and i thought it could do with all the help it could get to keep shut

WorldClassAccident · #10 10th October 2012, 15:56

I wondered that. I would have the hinge flip forward towards the cabin. I think the one in the pictures does too. It is the clasp, not the hinge that you can see below where the word Gas is engraved.

This photo shows it

davecymru · #11 10th October 2012, 17:18

ahhh

WorldClassAccident · #12 10th October 2012, 17:45

Anyone got any thoughts about flush mounted fillers?

I have only seen them looking carp on Max Powered Citroen Saxos and similar, I hadn't considered them on a nice car.

I guess they would work well, especially as I am going for the streamlined look with internal hinges, no door handles, flush bonnet catches etc

WorldClassAccident · #13 10th October 2012, 18:10

Just looking at the fuel caps on the originals and they weren't that pretty or smoothly integrated, even on the pretty cars.

HouseMartin · #14 10th October 2012, 21:59

Andrew hush suggest to me that the petrol tank be relocated.
The standard scimitar tank is huge 17 gallons ( 80 litres or over £100)
At 25mpg on a long run thats over 400 miles!
Better to put a smaller one in all that empty space between the driver and rear axle and have a decent size boot with the free space released by removing the existing tank, rather than the exiisting G46 letter box.
Also not the best place for a petrol tank with no bumper, if you happen to have a rear ended colision when the driver behind get too close trying to figure out what you are driving.
Relocatingthe petrol tank also gives you more room to fit a flush flip lid filler into somewhere on the rear wing.
The standard scimitar hose is 2" or 51mm diameter
HM

Charman.tech · #15 11th October 2012, 04:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by HouseMartin

Andrew hush suggest to me that the petrol tank be relocated.
The standard scimitar tank is huge 17 gallons ( 80 litres or over £100)
At 25mpg on a long run thats over 400 miles!
Better to put a smaller one in all that empty space between the driver and rear axle and have a decent size boot with the free space released by removing the existing tank, rather than the exiisting G46 letter box.
Also not the best place for a petrol tank with no bumper, if you happen to have a rear ended colision when the driver behind get too close trying to figure out what you are driving.
Relocatingthe petrol tank also gives you more room to fit a flush flip lid filler into somewhere on the rear wing.
The standard scimitar hose is 2" or 51mm diameter
HM

What an excellent idea AH, we do not have a petrol tank (rusted out) anyway and have been fretting with the boot aperture for the insertion of a spare wheel, which is impossible for our 5.5J x 15's plus tyres.

New rectangular tank at rear bulkhead, inherent safety for the old rear ender nice fuel filler detail on upper body and position spare wheel under the car in the old fuel tank location, sure that would all work, now where did I leave that tape measure.

Could also leave a small boot for the storage of a jack, cover, cloves and other bits and boibs

Charman.tech · #16 11th October 2012, 05:15

Does the fuel tank have to remain in the same original location for the the inspection for the re-bodied vehicle??????

froggyman · #17 11th October 2012, 07:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charman.tech

Does the fuel tank have to remain in the same original location for the the inspection for the re-bodied vehicle??????

No, as the Spyder utilises a Spitfire tank in a different location to the original Herald/Vitesse design.

Mister Towed · #18 11th October 2012, 07:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by WorldClassAccident

]

Do you think the owner of the blue car (Zagato?) said to the coach builder 'I want Borani wires, mineral blue paint and a big fuel filler...'

Mister Towed · #19 11th October 2012, 08:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by davecymru

* which way around are people fitting their fillers?
And
* does it really matter?

I'm with you Dave, mine hinges forwards. I did it that way for ease of access with a pump nozzle.

On a separate note, I do like the bolt-down filler cap look.

MoriniMan · #20 11th October 2012, 08:31

I've got paranoid about fuel compatibility these days.

I submerge a sample of hose in fuel (ideally in both unleaded and super-unleaded) for several days to see if it reacts. Some samples swell up within hours or even minutes!

Some hose is only fuel resistant on the inside. The problem there is that you only need a slight leak and the outside swells and the leak gets worse causing more swelling and so on.