Snagger Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I think seam welding a reinforcing plate will just introduce more stresses and failure points. I would rather make a support cradle that takes the weight off the lower skin so that it doesn’t flex under its weight, but also allows some degree of flex on rubber mounting buffers like the Series tanks have (think miniature engine mounts). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Junglie Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 How about adding the foam blocks that have to go in race bike tanks? The intention is to reduce vapour but the effect is to reduce sloshing as well - maybe it would take the load off the baffle plates? It's a very large cell foam - kinda like the filter you get in a pond pump 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeffR Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 In my youth we used to use and expanded stainless mesh type stuff to stop fuel slosh in rally cars, couldn't find any on ebay when I looked recently 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigi_H Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 Both will interfere with the fuel sender. Since working fuel tanks are no rocket sience ... why not having one made in africa with more solid baffles or no baffles? Shouldn´t be to expensive and can save problems for ever and store more fuel. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eightpot Posted March 13 Share Posted March 13 I had a good look at a new britpart tank today. The spotwelds for the baffles are very feeble looking, they are quite difficult to see. I see you dont have the standard tank guard fitted, but probably a beefier guard that bolts underneath? The standard guard might actually help if you added some thin rubber or similar padding between it and the tank? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamingyak Posted March 14 Author Share Posted March 14 (edited) 9 hours ago, Eightpot said: I had a good look at a new britpart tank today. The spotwelds for the baffles are very feeble looking, they are quite difficult to see. I see you dont have the standard tank guard fitted, but probably a beefier guard that bolts underneath? The standard guard might actually help if you added some thin rubber or similar padding between it and the tank? Thanks mate, yes, they are practically made from tinfoil they are so thin 🙂 But it's all you can buy locally unfortunately, nobody can afford anything else so its not stocked... Getting a Stainless tank made is possible, but mostly in South Africa, so that would require 5 days of driving, likely a week long stay, plus a weeks break from editing, plus the costs of everything, so quite a expensive all round. I was hoping to be able to buy something decent instead. My local (German) mechanic is seeing what plastic tanks we can get and what's else I'd need to change etc so thanks for that suggestion - any more details would be appreciated on that front please. Asking the local LR parts place if anybody makes tanks from stainless and will look to cradle it more with rubber mounts if so etc Edited March 14 by roamingyak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sigi_H Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 Just brainstorming ... Another idea with a new tank is to solder the connection of the baffles with a tin solder. Only possible with new tanks and the possibility to get inside with a soldering iron good enough or with a small burner. The connection of the baffles will be much stronger then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 I've already said it but I would not jump to stainless or ali for a tank if you're cracking steel ones, steel is likely to be a lot more tolerant of the abuse. Assuming the tank is otherwise in reasonable condition I would be cleaning it out & welding it up, maybe with a little extra beef round the areas that cracked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snagger Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 I would be considering opening the tank entirely, drilling the spot welds of the baffles from the inside (carefully, so they don’t puncture the skin) and then bonding the baffles back in place with a thick bead of PU adhesive. That should have much more flex and also distribute any stresses over a far wider area than a run of spot welds. You could substitute low density, fuel tolerant foam for the baffles like motorsport use, but that would impede occasional tank flushing or cleaning, which I think is an important ability on a tank in Africa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 43 minutes ago, Snagger said: bonding the baffles back in place with a thick bead of PU adhesive I'd be very careful of using sealants & adhesives inside a fuel tank, very few substances will actually live happily submerged permanently in fuel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 1 hour ago, FridgeFreezer said: very few substances will actually live happily submerged permanently in fuel. Agreed, especially with ethanol becoming more and more part of it. 2 hours ago, FridgeFreezer said: I've already said it but I would not jump to stainless or ali for a tank if you're cracking steel ones, steel is likely to be a lot more tolerant of the abuse. Yeah, steel is great for tanks, as it bends and recovers most of the time, aluminium and especially stainless really don't like being flexed about. If it were me, if I hadn't already decided to go TD5 I'd be making a new steel tank with a nice thick bottom (maybe 5mm?) so there's no need for a tank guard, and the rest in 3mm, including the baffles. But TD5 is WAAAY easier and cheaper. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 3 minutes ago, Bowie69 said: aluminium and especially stainless really don't like being flexed about The tip I got from Dirtydiesel was you clamp the tank in a cradle or cage so it can move/flex, but that's then more hardware & more work & more weight compared to a boring old steel tank... Also steel is fairly easily welded/patched with any old welder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arjan Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 I'm happy to sent a spare "plastic" Disco I tank to you to play with if that helps. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hurbie Posted March 14 Share Posted March 14 could it be that the tank breaks because you don't have the cradle installed ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285396390718?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-169684-531343-4&mkcid=2&itemid=285396390718&targetid=293946777986&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9063941&poi=&campaignid=20649934318&mkgroupid=153764631759&rlsatarget=pla-293946777986&abcId=&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwMqvBhCtARIsAIXsZpbOA0u2F2CVXYJmRMyUd5C_aHPIUm7eB1zMwBBbtxnZlRlyX71z-bEaAheEEALw_wcB 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamingyak Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 9 hours ago, hurbie said: could it be that the tank breaks because you don't have the cradle installed ? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285396390718?chn=ps&_ul=GB&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-169684-531343-4&mkcid=2&itemid=285396390718&targetid=293946777986&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9063941&poi=&campaignid=20649934318&mkgroupid=153764631759&rlsatarget=pla-293946777986&abcId=&merchantid=6995734&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwwMqvBhCtARIsAIXsZpbOA0u2F2CVXYJmRMyUd5C_aHPIUm7eB1zMwBBbtxnZlRlyX71z-bEaAheEEALw_wcB I don't know. I have a huge thick Safety Devices guard mounted so never saw the need for the cradle, which I assumed was for protection only as well? Doubt it would help, the Britpart tanks are so wafer thin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamingyak Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 17 hours ago, Arjan said: I'm happy to sent a spare "plastic" Disco I tank to you to play with if that helps. Thanks mate, but I'm in Africa so it wouldn't work out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elbekko Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 1 hour ago, roamingyak said: I don't know. I have a huge thick Safety Devices guard mounted so never saw the need for the cradle, which I assumed was for protection only as well? Doubt it would help, the Britpart tanks are so wafer thin... That cradle, a thick rubber mat, and then the tank would probably do a whole lot to support the mass of fuel. Are the spot welds getting pulled out vertically, or sheared off? Because it might not be the fuel sloshing breaking them, but the fuel bouncing up and down pulling them out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 15 Share Posted March 15 I think the lack of cradle may well be significant here... tank guards may be designed to leave clearance below the cradle, then the tank is only being supported by the mounts on the ends with rubber bobbins, which I suspect are more to keep the tank in roughly the right place while the cradle takes the weight. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamingyak Posted March 15 Author Share Posted March 15 Thanks elbekko & FridgeFreezer, but the chap who runs Foley's old operation in Zambia and another British mechanic down here all said the same thing "all tanks do it here, even the genuine ones" so I assumed most of the others talked about had the cradle as it is a normally fitted part I assume? I left it off as a protection plate it is pointless compared to the other bash plate I have, which also makes it super easy to use the exhaust jack as its bolted to the rear chassis etc. I also assumed the tiny gap would fill up with sand and dust and water and rust things pretty quickly, so best to leave it off, I didn't realise its supposed to take any weight from the tank - but also seem to remember it wouldn't fit with the huge Safety Devices tank guard I have.. Anyway, thanks for flagging that up, I will add it to the list of things to look at, but will look at a plastic tank now to see if its viable... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 16 Share Posted March 16 (edited) If it were me i would go for a secondhand 2.4 puma plastic tank which will hopefully come with its original fuel pick up, suitable for use with a Tdi rather than a pump (used on Td5 and 2.2 puma). Saves pennies 😉 HTH Mo Edited March 16 by Mo Murphy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roamingyak Posted March 17 Author Share Posted March 17 16 hours ago, Mo Murphy said: If it were me i would go for a secondhand 2.4 puma plastic tank which will hopefully come with its original fuel pick up, suitable for use with a Tdi rather than a pump (used on Td5 and 2.2 puma). Saves pennies 😉 HTH Mo Oh, so a TD5 and 2.2 Puma have a pump in the tank? (Another thing to break!?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mo Murphy Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 4 hours ago, roamingyak said: Oh, so a TD5 and 2.2 Puma have a pump in the tank? (Another thing to break!?) Yup, 2.4 has a fuel pick up and gauge float assembly. Mo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 5 hours ago, roamingyak said: Oh, so a TD5 and 2.2 Puma have a pump in the tank? (Another thing to break!?) In the tank is a decent place for a fuel pump - it's cooled and lubricated by the fuel, it's out of harm's way, etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bowie69 Posted March 17 Share Posted March 17 An kept quiet! Anyone that's stood next to a vehicle with an external 044 pump will tell you how noisy they are... LGT has one in a 2l swirl pot in the engine bay and I can hear it over the V8 running.... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FridgeFreezer Posted March 18 Share Posted March 18 16 hours ago, Bowie69 said: Anyone that's stood next to a vehicle with an external 044 pump will tell you how noisy they are... Mine are under the driver's seat and moving to an in-tank pump is fairly high up my to-do list for all these reasons! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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