Welding Near Fuel Tank

Tim Jewitt

Tim Jewitt

Well-Known Forum User
I think I probably know what the consensus will be, but thought I'd see if anyone has any bright ideas nevertheless. I need to replace the driver's side lower rear quarter, and I haven't had a proper look and dig around yet, but will probably also need to put a small patch at the back corner of the inner arch area (I did on the other side) very near where the filer neck goes through. And possibly a tiny one on the rear quarter to the right of the petrol flap (some suspicious new paint there and I suspect a small fibreglass patch beneath), directly behind which I understand sits the expansion tank. I cannot tell you how much I don't want to drain and remove the tanks. There is a general light petroly smell around there, though no visible leaks that I can see.

I found this picture which details perfectly the problem I am up against in repsect of proximity to all this stuff:

48205d1316742851-rating-factory-240z-fuel-vent-hoses-fuel-hoses.jpg


Thoughts?
 
I will not sure anyone who gives me advice on how to do it without removing the tank if I end up barbecuing myself. Promise.
 
That picture is of a USA car I assume, I don't think any UK cars have those upper 'tanks'.

Anyway remove the tank/s first - but you knew that!

Be careful with the pipes too and prevent fumes from coming out of them.

I went on a safety course once and the 'presenter' started by saying ' can anyone tell me something that is more important than you going home tonight uninjured'?

I have seen a wooden commercial garage 'go up' when someone welded near a plastic petrol pipe :smash:
 
Dammit.

Probably US. Just came up on Google image search. Ah right mine won't have that then? Not gotten interior panel out to see yet. Only one bomb then, not two! I definitely have that hose that comes up through the boot floor and runs past the back of the rear light into the rear quarter going somewhere though? I noticed it when I removed the lights on the weekend.

How do I prevent fumes from coming out of the hoses? Gaffa tape? Judging by the faint smell down there I would say there are already fumes coming out of somewhere. Tank looks suspiciously clean, as do some of the hoses, so think some work was done when previous owner re-MOT'd this before I bought it.

How much of a pig of a job is this then? It looks bad enough to be worth risking death to avoid.
 
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Even if you drain the tank Tim it's the vapours left which make your face change shape after detonation.
You can chuck a lit fag into petrol and mebs get away with it but electrostatic sparks will love vapours.
Get some compressed air in for ages till it's bone dry..........
 
Some people pay a lot of money to change the shape of their face. Yeah I did read that. I even read people saying you're better off filling it up if anything!

No compressor unfortunately. In fact I don't currently even have anything to drain the fuel into or store it in. And I have no idea how much is in there as the gauge doesn't work. Joy. God, there has to be another way!!!
 
The petrol fumes will be coming from the breather pipe which on UK cars is set up differently to the car in the picture. If you reference the photo, the breather for a UK car comes off the main fill pipe and exits the body right behind the wheelarch, where that red pipe in the pic comes out.

You really should drop the whole tank out of the car to be safe, but if you are going to risk it then at the very least you should remove the interior panel and pull that breather pipe up inside the car and plug it with something.
 
If all the hoses look in good condition then the tank must have been out recently. It really isn't a hard job probably one of the first jobs I ever did on my car to replace the vent hose.
 
Ah right so the breather just comes of the fill pipe, drops down and vents to the air? Same as the breather off the rad? Yeah that red hose is right where I suspect I may need to do a repair, so if the breather's there it'll have to be pulled up anyway. Where is the hose that comes up through the boot floor and runs behind the right hand rear light going then? Guess I'll know when I take the interior panel off. May do that tonight quickly and see what I'm dealing with.
 
MaximG said:
If all the hoses look in good condition then the tank must have been out recently. It really isn't a hard job probably one of the first jobs I ever did on my car to replace the vent hose.
Click to expand...

Not sure if all of them do. I just remember noticing one or two small rubber hoses down there looked clean / new, as did the jubilee clips. Was doing something else at the time and didn't look any further. Not sure what state the filler neck is in, and the old braided hose which runs behind the rear light looks original - the rubber boot that surrounds it where it comes up through the boot floor is split in half and totally knackered.

I read somewhere it was a total pain in the ass getting it back in?
 
Well all I can say is that, I have had the tank out a number of times and its really not such a hard job. The hose that goes through the boot floor/behind the lights goes to the front of the tank as another vent hose.
 
Tim, just take it out - I've done it, no a big problem.

Getting it back in was a bit more awkward but nothing like working on a modern car.

There is a breather that comes through the floor at the very back of the deck (behind the plastic trim) they often rot through and give fumes.
 
Hmm, right. Thanks for the input. Perhaps it's not as bad as I thought then. I googled it see and the first couple threads I found were full of people saying what a nightmare it was. It would be nice not to burn the car to the ground I have to admit, like. Better buy a jerry can for the weekend then!
 
Well, you'll be glad to hear I'm taking the advice and dropping the tank tomorrow. Having had a closer look I think I will need to replace part of the panel the filler neck actually passes through, so there's no choice now anyway. Bought a jerry can, but I think it'll be too tall to drain straight into, so I have a err, well it's a big oblong plant pot frankly, for that. Best I could come up with!
 
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Hi Tim
I will be replacing my rear quarters in the coming weeks would be good to here how you get on with droping the tank etc, I ve had a look at all the hoses on mine and it seems not to make much sense to me.:unsure:
Andrew:thumbs:
 
Will let you know how I get on. I've already spied a rubber hose under there which has been chopped and isn't attached to anything. And I know the fuel return is blanked off in the engine bay. So I am expecting to find things I'd rather not...
 
So yeah, it's easy. Flow and return hoses and filler neck hose off. Loosen J bolts and lower tank a little and you should be able to get the breather hose at the back to get that one off.

Turned out I had a lot of rot round there. Been at it all day and not done yet.

Also discovered the fuel tank is not in the best condition, unfortunately, and is going to want completely refurbishing either now or very soon, unless I can pick another one up. Joy.
 
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Hi Tim
Just got my tank out today as well, the small breather at rear of tank had to be cut off as the clip was turned the wrong way but apart from that and getting the filler piupe off it was pretty straight forward.
Tank seems to be ok a little surface rust on the top but rest seems fine also no crud came out of it so can't be rusty inside.
It is obviously the first time it has ever been out but all hoses are in pretty good nick etc.
 
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