P38 Diesel fuel tank Removal Query

[Blanco]

One of the things I failed the MOT/DOE on was rusty brake pipes at the rear. On mine (later model) there are two little short but bendy pipes just forward of the axle connecting the flexibles one each side. To see things more clearly I removed the wheel arch liners and that enabled me to see a bit more....... but most disturbingly it revealed that the cross-axle pipe where it passes above the short pipes in question was badly corroded as well. 

I pondered trying to splice a bit in but really the only proper solution is to change the whole thing so........ fuel tank out for access.

Have drained the tank and removed the filler as per RAVE, but the next step is to disconnect the fuel supply and return lines. RAVE says just that 'disconnect', but looking at them it isn't obvious how they work, in fact I thought they were little directional valves in line, any one been there before me please?

[Blanco]

Well just been to have a fresh look in the (damp) morning light. They are push fit of a sort, push the collar back and pull the pipe..... a bit like the air fittings. They are slightly different, only one has in inner collar. Came apart much more easily than I hoped, knowing how that plastic pipe can get brittle with age.

[miggit]

I had to drop a friends tank a few months ago, after he suffered fuel pump failure... and having cut the easy access hole in the floor under the seats, we discovered that the feed and return pipes were corroded through, and couldn't be changed with the tank in place. However I will say that dropping the tank is fairly straightforward and there are 2 unions in the fuel pipes about a foot away from the tank, which allow you to take the tank out without having to disconnect from the top of the pump / sender.