Replacement Fuel Tank - Just some info really....

[orchid66]

Well as the above says, just some info to put out there.....

I've replaced my fuel tank this morning with one purchased off ebay....this one on fact

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330788607025?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Now, with it being so cheap I figured there was bound to be a problem or two as these things rarely go smoothly.....so....

Firstly, there are minor profile differences between my existing tank as taken off the car and the one purchased...the breather pipe on the new one is at a slightly different angle but will fit with a little persuasion, however the main issue is the swirl pot in the tank itself...

In the original tank, the swirl pot is a large square/rectangular basin directly beneath the opening for the pump/sender unit.

In the replacement tank, the swirl pot is a circular formed bowl offset from the sender opening by about an inch and a half, which results in the submerged parts not sitting properly and the whole pump/sender unit sitting proud of the gasket by about 5 mm and at a slight angle too.....not the best of fits!!!

I've had to get round this with a pair of tin snips and a hammer.....the usual diy tools I'm sure you'll agree!! I've cut two slits in the edge of the swirl pot and hammered one edge over slightly in order to accommodate the pump/sender unit....the slits didn't need to go all the way down, just enough to let me reform the swirl pot enough to fit....awkward as has to be done through the sunder unit hole but manageable....

Yeah I know this will reduce the effectiveness of the swirl pot sightly but I'll live with this as opposed to the £600 plus cost of an original replacement tank!!

Hope this helps anyone planning to replace their tank with one of the fleabay ones above

Cheers guys

Paul

 

[Ian G]

There are a few variations and that one shouldn't be listed as fitting 97-2001 as no one single tank will do.

You could have also got around that issue by changing the pump although on some that would result in the fuel gauge reading backwards as the pins are transposed in the plug part way through production.

I wouldn't have said it was cheap though - seems about the going rate for a reproduction tank of that size. I've come up against it with used ones as the buyer told me the car was newer than it was and my solution was to send the right one, not ask him to take a hammer to it.