+2 fuel breather modification - small bore pipe

[ElanSeries2]

I'm swapping the tank in my +2, and whilst I'm at it I am carrying out the +2 fuel tank breather modification that many of you have done. I have the original large-bore breathers in place (the ones that run over the rear window), and I have some small bore fuel pipe that I am trying to thread through...

Does anyone have a top tip for this pig-of-a-job? I note that a few of you lucky people have done the job whilst your headlining has been out... No such luxury for me.

Thus far, I have tried brute force, putting a small chamfer on the end of the fuel pipe, and a little light oil for lubrication. I'm getting the pipe in a good ~150cm, so probably right over the rear window - but I'd expected (hoped?) to see it pop out in the rear arch.

Any thoughts would be gratefully received!

[SimonH]

I would try threading some wire through first. Attach that to the new hose well lubricated and drag it back. Not done it but if the pipes already in are kinked or squashed I can't see anything going through easily.

[steve.thomas]

On later cars the breather pipes don't go behind the headlining, but simply cross over the top of the tank to the opposite side. You could take this route and either remove or block off the old pipes.
Steve

[rgh0]

On my 73 Plus 2 the breather pipes go over the rear window in the head lining. If Lotus did originally just do them over the tank for a period it looks like they reverted to going through the head lining again before the end of production.

Maybe some cars just ended up with them going over the tank because they forgot to fit them before the head lining was installed I would have thought you may risk some overflow with a full tank in a hard corner with the tube filling with fuel and then draining out onto the road when the corner finished if it just crossed sides at tank level

You can reach the top corner of the tubes through the airflow vent holes cutitng the tubes there may help thread a smaller tube around the corner.

cheers
Rohan

[Plus2cabby]

Hi
have you thought about leaving the originals in place and threading the new small bore pipe through them ?
regards
mark

[gus]

the size of the vent is not really the problem it is the two vents drafting across the tank.

Mine run over the top of the tank, then join together and the one loops over the passenger airflow vent and down out the original exit.

No smells now.

The only issue I have ever had is making sure the clamps are tight. I ran one long hose from the driver side over to the passenger side where it joins the other. If I were to re do it I think I would run two equal length hoses towards the center and a hose from the center over, up then down. That way the 'T' joint is not sitting in a puddle and won't leak if imperfect.

The hoses pull the headliner down, so it is better not to reuse them I would think

Didn't the later cars have a charcoal vent so no hoses anyway?

[ElanSeries2]

Thanks for the suggestions, all.
Mine is a late 1972 car, and has the vents over the top (ie hidden by the headlining - which is not sagging at all... yet!). For the reasons Rohan gave, I'm a bit reluctant to just have the pipes over the top of the tank - with a full tank, it seems a bit borderline.

I'll try to see whether I can get to the tricky bit (with the vents removed).

Mark - sorry if I wasn't clear, I am trying to do as you say - force a small bore pipe up through the old (1/2" bore) pipe. Unfortunately, the old pipe is not very flexible any more.

I have re-measured, and I have inserted around 2 metres of small-bore pipe into the old large-bore, so I am close to giving up at this, and cutting it off there!

[SimonH]

I think you need to make sure you are out of the bottom of the sills.

If the car is upturned the end needs to be higher than the tank base (the top at that point).

[Mick6186]

I have a 1973 elan+2 and hated the petrol smell. I let in a half inch bore pipe into the metal tube under the fuel filler and ran a short length of half inch pipe from the nearest tank vent. I left the existing pipe from the other tank vent in place and pushed a short length (3 inches)of small bore pipe into the vent pipe where it exits in the wheel arch and sealed this pipe in with a good amount of RVT sealer. The car is slightly slower to fill, but negligible petrol smell,
Mick

[terryp]

Threaded small bore pipe through years ago and all I used was a slight bit of washing up liquid on the end. It was petrol resistant neoprene that was very flexible. It went straight in, up and round .
Good luck
Terry