Long-range fuel tank

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Gareth Wales
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Long-range fuel tank

Post by Gareth Wales »

The re-inforcing strap on mine, like most I believe, has rusted and fallen away. Do I really need to replace it? The tank appears to be very well-secured, so was Cit's rather flimsy strap a belt-and-braces measure.
I plan to use a meccano type strap fixed to the existing bolt on the nearside, but anchored in the boot floor on the other. (quite a way up with a drill) Anyone done this recently?
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Post by jeremy »

When a tank strap failed on my Renault 21 I simply welded the old ends onto a new strip of steel cut from a sheet.

If the ends are good there is no reason why they should not be re-used as long as the whole system (ie ends, strap and join) are strong enough. If you are bolting be careful that bolt ends etc dont foul anything and dont chafe on the tank.

The problem with omitting things like straps is that something else may be overloaded and cause problems somewhere else later. Or to put it another way it may be there because the guy who designed it liked using the strap even if it was not specifically necessary - or it was put there because testing showed problems when it wasnt - and you have no way of finding out which one it was.
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Post by Kitch »

Cable ties 8)



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Post by Stewart (oily!) »

I found apathy to be a good substitute for the tank strap, I removed the remains from my car before the MOT and forgot about the problem, the long range tank has a couple of substantial bolts in it too and as my car is rarely filled completely theres little weight to support.
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Post by Mr B »

Replaced both mine and Jonkw's recently (Call me Mr OCD :roll: ) Problem with Jon's was the support the strap attaches to in the inner wing had rotted away :shock: We had to re-make that first then fit the new tank strap. I made the straps from 1 m/m thick galvi steel sheet, hard to cut with tin snips but strong.
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Way2go
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Post by Way2go »

Regular references are made on the Forum to this "long-range fuel tank" but is that really what it is? :?
Or........is it a fuel de-aereation chamber? (I presume we're talking about the one attached below the filler orifice)
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Post by Brian »

Hi,

I think it is advisable to replace, may be picked up in the MOT test.

This strap on my BX was in a similar condition.

It's quite a straight forward repair if the ends are intact.
I also made a strap using a strip cut from a galvanised sheet.

Be carefull to remove all the road crud that collects high up under the wing first, before removal, otherwise some could end up in the tank.
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Post by DLM »

Regular references are made on the Forum to this "long-range fuel tank" but is that really what it is?
Or........is it a fuel de-aereation chamber? (I presume we're talking about the one attached below the filler orifice)
The original BX fuel tank was of approx 55 litres capacity, but later, upspecced models (and all turbodiesels) have an additional tank of approx 11 litres capacity plumbed-in. This fits into the rear r/h corner , roughly between bumper and rear axle.
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Post by Way2go »

DLM wrote:

The original BX fuel tank was of approx 55 litres capacity, but later, upspecced models (and all turbodiesels) have an additional tank of approx 11 litres capacity plumbed-in. This fits into the rear r/h corner , roughly between bumper and rear axle.
So, looking at the Citroen BX Mk2 Handbook it gives the BX16 tank at 52 litres and the BX19 at 66 litres which means that 14 litres lives in this tank with the strap?

Incidentally the tank capacity of the BX14 is given as only 44 litres.
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Post by Ian_Fearn »

My last GTi failed its MOT on the strap being broken.
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Hope mine doesn't! 8-[
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Post by Oscar »

The original BX fuel tank was of approx 55 litres capacity, but later, upspecced models (and all turbodiesels) have an additional tank of approx 11 litres capacity plumbed-in. This fits into the rear r/h corner , roughly between bumper and rear axle.[/quote]

I've never been able to get more than 55 litres into mine, that's with the fuel warning light illuminated for 25miles. Does the light really come on when there is 11 lt left in the tank?

O
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Post by M »

Oscar wrote: Does the light really come on when there is 11 lt left in the tank?

O
Quite possibly as I have the larger fuel tank on my BX - yet the gauge refuses to get up off the deck long before I need worry about refueling - in fact the yellow light has never yet come on (though I am assured it works) - Even with the dial registering "bugger all" I struggle to cram more than 50L into the tank making me wonder just what the float is up to down there.....
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Post by jeremy »

I recon on my TD Estate that the light comes on for long periods it will take about 12 or 12.5 gallons - which means that the reserve is 1.5 gallons or so if the total capacity is what its supposed to be. I don't make a habit of running it this low as i'm not sure if the pick up pipe would remain in fuel when the suspension sinks or when the thing is on a hill and to find out would be a nuisance.

Wonderful thing the extra tank - it probably accounts for the fuel gauge staying on full for up to 175 miles and the need to raise the car to running height to get a reasonable impression of whats in it! Still I'm glad its there - normally gives another week between fillups more than we get with the ZX.
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Post by DLM »

I can vouch for there being a good 10 litres at least left after the red light comes on. In the last couple of years while in severely straightened circumstances I've found myself running almost to the last drop a couple of times. This was how I found that a BX which drops its nose first when you drop the suspension gives a few hundred yards more of stuttering progress towards the diesel pumps if you start to let down the suspension.

If the right amount of fuel won't go in then it's likely to be one of two things in my opinion:

(1) Airlocked or restricted breathers in the filler
(2) The gauge telling little porky ones
Back on two wheels and pedal power for the moment.
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