Gas Tank Pick-up Pipe installation continued:
This is the fuel pick-up pipe I'll be install on the fuel hanger. It will have to be trimmed to fit.
Time for the main event. I've cleared my work area and locked away all supervisory personal. The tools I'll need are close at hand. I have most of the van doors open and a fan blowing into the garage from the outside to prevent any gas fume buildup. I'll admit to being more than just a little bit nervous at this point. Because of obvious concerns I didn't take as many pictures as usual.
I've removed the six bolts with a 5/16" socket. In the bottom of the picture you can see a old bed sheet I'll use to carry the fuel hanger from the van to the work bench. Since the tank is half full I expect there to be a good bit of gas run-off.
The hanger unit came off the tank surprisingly easy. I thought there might be some sticking around the gasket but that wasn't the case. It was easy to lift out of the tank with just a little maneuvering. I placed the hanger unit on the sheet then placed a board I had prepared across the hole in the van floor, just in case.
Did you ever see one of those movies that deal with a nuclear bomb and someone is either putting in or removing the part that sets the bomb off? The "trigger mechanism". The hanger unit is just about the same size as one of those movie "trigger mechanism" and I initially handled it like it was one. Fragile, radioactive and could blow up if I sneezed.
Here is the hanger after I moved it to the work bench. I felt a little safer taking pictures there since I had a fan blowing directly on me.
The float for the sending unit is partially obscured in the previous photo. Here's a better look at it.
If I'd known more about the fuel pump I'd have bought a new fuel pump strainer and swapped them out at his point. Once I had the hanger out I wasn't about to stop for a trip to the auto parts store. The thought of the open gas tank a few feet away made me really want to move this job along. In retrospect if I was to do this again I'd fab up a metal plate that could be bolted over the opening along with a new $8 fuel pump tank seal. This would close the tank while I had the hanger out. Live and learn.
I need to find a location on the hanger where I can drill a hole for the pick-up pipe that won't conflict with anything else. I didn't want to drill through where the hanger was spot welded together for fear of weakening it. This limited my options.
I decided this would be the best spot.
Before drilling the hole I wrapped everything in a plastic bag to prevent stray metal shavings from causing any trouble later on.
Here's the pick-up pipe installed in it's newly drilled hole. In my haste I didn't drill a pilot hole first which caused the larger hole to not be exactly where I wanted it. In the picture you can see that I had to notch both the rubber gasket and metal washer to clear the supply line. It doesn't hurt anything but I should have done better.
I've trimmed the bottom of the pick-up pipe so that it's at least an inch above the fuel pump inlet.
That's it. Install the hanger back into the fuel tank. Went back in without a hitch. The fuel pump tank seal looked to be in excellent shape so I didn't bother to replace it. There was a audible "click" when the fuel hose connections locked into place. I fixed the safety clip on the return line before I re-installed it. Connect back up the wiring plug. Put the engine compartment fuel pump fuse back.
I primed and spray painted the edges of the hole. It's not the same shade of white, but who's to know?
Added four foot of 5/16" ID rubber fuel hose. Clamp one end to the pick-up pipe.
Ran the fuel line to across to the other side of the van.
Just like with the fuel line for the Webasto heater I made a simple support from some metal stock that keeps the hose off the exhaust shield.
Cut off the top from a 16d penny nail and clamped that into the other end of the hose to close it off.
I'm not sure of the final location of the water heater so I'll "park" the fuel hose on the metal support for now.
Time to check my work. I cranked over the van and it started right up. No "check engine" light. As the van was running I went back to the open hole in the floor and stuck my nose as close as I get it to the hanger and started sniffing. No gas smells. Took the van for a test drive. Everything OK.
I positioned the cover plate over the opening and using a small bit drilled holes around the edge of the plate. Removed the plate and laid down a generous bead of Silicone II caulk around the edge of the opening. NOTE:
Silicone II is safe to use on metals. Regular Silicone I isn't since it contains acid and will cause rusting.
Used 1/2" long, #8 sheet metal screws to secure the cover plate in position.
OK that's the end of the scariest of the projects I've done so far.
I do have a sidebar comment on the engine compartment fuse panel. Never had to access any of the fuses before so can't say I'd ever paid much attention to it. When I first went to open it noticed the lid wasn't on all that tight. Same thing when I went to close it up after finishing with this project. Kept messing with it until I figured it out. Someone else might find this info useful.
On the right side of the fuse box lid are these two tabs.
On the right side of the fuse box base is this small bar with a gap between it and the base.
When closing up the fuse box the two tabs must slide into the gap between the base and the bar which then acts like a hinge. This wasn't obvious and the only way I found to fit them in there was to use both hands. One to move the lid around and the other down where the tabs slide into the the gap. Move the tabs into position by feel alone.
Once in position just swing the lid shut. These other two tabs are what keep the lid down.
That's it. Time to go play.
SilVan
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