Bad Bug Day - if your really bored or want to see how stupid I can be.....

[matt]

My supers problems are always fuel related.

That is its' only curse

Day before to leave on vacation, I got sick and tired of my fuel guage not going below 1/2 tank

From a lot of experience, I knew the float was not positioned right from when I put the guage in after sealing my tank.

I was going to remove it, and reset it.

Undid all the hoses (!), removed wiper motor cover and 4 clamps holding the gas tank down.

Made sure tank had little fuel.

Ok, lift and pull the tank forward and out....ok, lift..good.... now pull.....pull...pull ...- everything clear?  even  outlet pipe below? s#r  yes ..ok pull....pull!!!  what the??! pull!!!!   PULLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!! heard a SNAP!  and it came out.  What the?? !!!  did not see anything broken.  :icon_eek:  888  :icon_eek:  888  :icon_eek:  888 888
I decided to turn the guage sending unit lock cap thing a bit, and hit it with rubber mallet and screwdriver. Now surpringly, that set my float right. could not beleive it!! guage was reading as it should

Then I got a call to meet someone in King of Prussia ( 30 min away) who wanted to sell me something off of craigs list - long story ...blah blah blah.

Threw everything together in record time and took off.

Stopped to get gas - 5 gal - not sure why I did that but just 5

From the station immediately got on  a highway.

I smelled gas.

No I didnt

I was swimming in gas, and I could not come up for air

With all the windows down and I was a-gaggin - seriously thought I was gonna throw up. I was getting so nauseauted

Made it 15 min early to King of Pruss

Looked under my car by the tank

gas was streaming out. - could have filled a dixie cup  in about 15 seconds

Jacked up the car I looked better under the tank but the fuel was spraying me in the face due to the wind..

I was pissed.

in less than 10 min I had my tank just about all the way out - in the parking lot.  saw when I tilted the tank back, gas  streamed out from somewhere.

The whole area smelled of gas bigtime!

I put the tank  back in with some hoses attached and moved my car far to another part of the lot  as I was now standing in a large bug size puddle of gas, on very very  hot pavement. I thought if even someone came up to me smoking - ..the whole area would be smokin!   Poof.

& I thought someone already called the cops due to the smell and puddle  888


I parked my bug on a steep hill and that stopped the flow..

Ran to meet the guy I was to meet, ( i'm sure i smelled sweet)  then to my car, ..top down and get home.

Even with the top down gas smell  was horrendeous - guessed I would make it home before I ran out of gas.

Got home parked on a slant pulled my tank all the way out felt around ...

and found a small hole about a 1/3 the way up the tank.

Where did that come from???????????? &m& m-d2


As I was laying the tank down, I saw ....

a screw, point sticking up.

Turned out to be my grounding screw for my GPS I put in about 6 months ago from the inside of my car.

Seems like about a 1/4 of the screw went into the tank.

It did not leak  shocked  but that was what was holding my tank in intially when I was trying to pull it. The snap was when I pulled the tank from the screw

I was so  m-d

As it was late in the day, and I was angry, I tried something - what have i got to lose?

filed the hole down, removed the paint from the area, got a slightly fatter short screw, got JB Weld...and... you can guess. .........rest is history.

Left on vacation the next morning.


Ted came over the next day and installed the tank, & filled it. No apparent leaks. and gas guage still works.

What fun. That was a nice german tank, sealed and all.........

Watch were you put new screws................ 888


Matt


Oh, some of you would love to know how much tar was washed away ..... dont want to talk about it except to say
I think that puddle in the lot will be stained for a loooooooooooong time.

[6T5 square]

 @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@ @7@


You know it's another classic VW moment brought to you by Geritol! When your old enough to not be able to give a crap!

[lovebus (jack)]

 c23 Matt, what can I say... I can feel your pain...

As John said, another classic VW moment.

[njgt-1]

Good thing you didn't hit a spark or lit cigarette butt  Poof Poof

I'd think drilling into the tank is more common than you'd think. My Corvair has a heater duct running up the front firewall and its common for people to remove it and some time later loose the screws and replace them with the wrong size, longer - you guessed it! big time leak and not an easy removal like a vdub. The shop manual states the importance of this and make note how Chevy used special self tapping but blunt nose screws. Just a good thing you were able to fix it and nothing got burnt in the process!

[kiko]

I guess you really got screwed on that deal  (sorry had to be the one to use that pun)  Wel Its good you found the issue with no bad accidents Matt

[matt]

Thanks all

Just wondering how long the plug will last.

If it gives out, I'm sure it will happen at work,  and my job is super safety conscious: I'm sure they will have a fire truck there, police, they will rope off the whole area for over a block, with warning announcements...washing down the parking lot with chemicals.....and tow my bug ..............and I will be  uh, famous...


Maybe we should have a " the most stupidest vw thing I've done yet" thread.

"yet" cause there is always still time to outdo oneself


M

[6T5 square]

Maybe we should have a " the most stupidest vw thing I've done yet" thread.

M

Too much competition! Jack doesn't have enough band width here.

[dawelder]

Lets weld it........ weldface

[lovebus (jack)]

Thanks all


Maybe we should have a " the most stupidest vw thing I've done yet" thread.

Too much competition! Jack doesn't have enough band width here.

So true John.

I told Matt yanking his tank to much would make it leak.

[Mikecoast]

Hey Matt ... short story of when I purchased my Vert from the VW shop/junkyard. I kept smelling gas ... found a WET SPOT in the drivers wheel well carpet. Complained to "you know who" ... turns out that some genius decided to put my carpet in with SCREWS and must have caught the tank. The shop/junkyard patched the hole (or so I'm told). I guess they fixed it ... I haven't gotten that gas smell (like that) in over 8 years.

Nice story ... you have me beat!

[matt]

Didn't want to beat anyone on a story like that! - especially when you do it to yourself!   @7@



       

Lets weld it........ weldface

  Now I did think about that on the way to w_rk this morn. - (still smelling a little gas - have to check the hoses - if they were put back on right)




   I thought if I empty all the gas out of it, let is sit in the hot sun all day,

  then put my BIG shop vac blower ( powerful as a leaf blower) port into the neck of the tank, blow 40 mph large vol air through it,  can it be welded safely?


                 s#r              s#r           


  Even if there were gas fumes in there, there would never be enough fumes in there to "cause a prob"  ... right?

I could try to make some time to go to NJ if DaWelder  feels it can be done.....   ;D

I don't know if I can weld a liquid-tight hole that is 1/8" round


Matt

[dawelder]

Empty gas. Clean it out as good as you can. Fill it with water, purge it with co/2. No oxygen= no boom. Tack weld. Invert tank to see if it leaks. Job done. Drink a cold beer........... weldface  P.S Tar is petroleum based and will not work!

[dawelder]

Matt, also remember the electric motor on your blower around all that gas fume. Very detrimental if it is on vacuum when you turn it on.

[6T5 square]

Remmember Matt

[matt]

Thanks Pat for the info, I was first thinking I do not have a co2 supply, then realized I can get some by buying dry ice, put some  in the tank and add hot water,  the thing should be smoking  c02 and displace the 02


I will rinse the tank,  a few times and put my blower to it, it has a 20ft hose, so I can blow a ton of air into  it for an hour or so before the dry ice. I think after the blower there wont be any gas fumes left, but still will use the dry ice.

I'll get some steel drill a few holes in it and practice sealing those holes up.

I'm wondering if the epoxy sealer I put in there will interfere with the welding...?




What would you guess is the guage of tank steel?


Thanks

Matt