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KN Registered User
Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 10:15 pm Post subject: Ethanol blended Fuel |
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Hi All
Last week the boating industry of Australia put out a warning on using ethanol blended petrol in fibreglass fuel tanks,as it seems the ethanol in the fuel has a detrimental effect on the fibreglass. It doesn't matter what ratio of ethanol to petrol is, E5 upto E85, It is not recommended. As some of our cars such as the Olympic may still have similar fibreglass tanks, only older, the same warning should apply.
Regards Keith. Ph2 ESU816 _________________ Olympic Phase 2r ESU816 |
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Rodsmith Registered User
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 187 Location: Pembrokeshire, West Wales
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Posted: Sun Feb 01, 2009 12:30 pm Post subject: |
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Good advice Keith. I have both fibreglass tanks, in use, in my Olympic. What alternatives have been fitted? I believe that the Club supplied steel ones, at one time, but for some reason they were not a success ?
How have others got around this for the Olympic?
Rod _________________ " Stay lucky " |
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KN Registered User
Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 9:52 am Post subject: |
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Hi
My Olympic has had stainless tanks glassed into the orginal position, it was like that when I bought it fortunatly.
Regards Keith N _________________ Olympic Phase 2r ESU816 |
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Rodsmith Registered User
Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 187 Location: Pembrokeshire, West Wales
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 10:31 pm Post subject: |
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I think, when I start on the rebuild, that I will have to put a metal tank inside, or underneath the boot. I reckon the fibreglass may be getting porous by now!
Rod _________________ " Stay lucky " |
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Paul Narramore Registered User
Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 181 Location: Aylesford, Kent.
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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Club stainless steel tanks? Ah that old chestnut.
These were made at the instigation of a former chairman of the club but were disliked by the members who bought them when it was found that (a) their capacity was a fraction of the original tanks, and (b) the inlet was often not in the right place.
My take on all of this is that the problem with the original tanks, and there certainly is a problem with them. After forty years, the petrol often leeches through to the outside gelcoat. In addition, any sort of rear end collison will result in spilled petrol. It really doesn't bear thinking about does it?
There are a number of solutions.
(1) Install a steel or plastic tank in the shape of a suitcase. For the PhI, this is easy peasy. An old PhI I had, had a steel Bedford Dormobile tank across the rear 'floor'. With a PhII, with it's raised floor, a thinner tank could be suspended from below the raised floor. Some French vans have slimline plastic tanks which may well he suitable. But you then have the problem of where to put the spare wheel.
(2) Another idea is to cut the sides out of the existing fuel tanks and take a mould of the recesses. Then make individual GRP tanks which are removeable. |
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KN Registered User
Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:27 pm Post subject: |
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I do not know if miy stainless tanks are club ones or not, the filler is in the right place and they hold roughly 4+ gallons in each side. As to making fibreglass inserts to slot into the existing cavity, I would suggest consulting with the fiberglass suppliers about the corrrect materials for the end use.
I am also not certain that inserts made of fibreglass would fare any better in an accident than the original moulded-in ones.
Regards Keith N _________________ Olympic Phase 2r ESU816 |
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Paul Narramore Registered User
Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 181 Location: Aylesford, Kent.
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Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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Keith
For years certain motorcycles were fitted with GRP petrol tanks, mainly the boy racer ones. The Royal Enfield Continental GT also had a GRP tank as standard.
As for resistance in a crash, I think seperate GRP tank(s) with a small foam filled gap would be better than what many Olympics have. |
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KN Registered User
Joined: 21 Jan 2006 Posts: 62 Location: Sydney Australia
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:36 am Post subject: |
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As to motorcycles having fibreglass tanks, my Bultaco Sherpa T had one. Fine for ordinary petrol, but not for the new ethanol blends which act as a solvent on older tanks, which is what this thread is about. Google fiberglas tanks and ethanol for further info.
Foam around the insert to protect it in an accident would mean reduced fuel capacity. Alloy or even a bladder type tank would be worth considering.
Regards Keith N _________________ Olympic Phase 2r ESU816 |
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Paul Narramore Registered User
Joined: 13 Mar 2006 Posts: 181 Location: Aylesford, Kent.
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Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2009 9:46 am Post subject: |
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Anything would be an improvement on what the standard Olympic has, and 3/8"-1/2" of foam twixt tank and bodyshell would barely make a difference to a tank's capacity. |
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Mike Wood Registered User
Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 17 Location: Scotland - SW
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Posted: Sat Nov 28, 2009 8:15 am Post subject: Re: Ethanol blended Fuel |
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Maybe some of these tanks were made using the wrong type of resin - there's a chemical resistant resin you can buy that is used for fuel tanks (e.g. on homebuilt aircraft such as the Evans Volksplane VP1). See: http://www.allscotltd.co.uk/RESINS-&-GEL-COATS/c-1-91/
Thanks
Mike
KN wrote: |
Hi All
Last week the boating industry of Australia put out a warning on using ethanol blended petrol in fibreglass fuel tanks,as it seems the ethanol in the fuel has a detrimental effect on the fibreglass. It doesn't matter what ratio of ethanol to petrol is, E5 upto E85, It is not recommended. As some of our cars such as the Olympic may still have similar fibreglass tanks, only older, the same warning should apply.
Regards Keith. Ph2 ESU816 |
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