Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

Unless they have changed the colour of petrol to dirty brown ... I have a rusty fuel tank. Not surprising I suppose ... its 40 years old ... about the same as me, and I feel a bit rusty too sometimes

I have sourced an alloy replacement, so that is not a big issue. The question is ... when I am replacing the tank what other stuff should I replace at the same time? I read there is some "felt" packing around/underneath the tank, I would assume this should also be renewed .. what should I use?. Is there a "fix" for the tank breather pipes that should also be attended to whilst the tank is out?

there are various solutions to the breather issue, designed to improve filling and to reduce the excessive petrol smell from the car.... link one breather to the filler neck (i used an airline fitting and welded the nut INSIDE the filler neck.), then reduce the remaining breather's diameter with a piece of alloy inserted into the pipe with a 5 mm hole drilled through it.

rapid fill ups and no stench!!

the sound proofing felt under the tank should be ok, however your tank straps may be rotten and need replacing, just make them out of strips of steel as per the originals with a length of steel studding welded to one end. Use bicycle inner tube rubber(or similar) to go between the strap and the tank.

hope this helps

Mark

If I were you.... I'd replace all strap gaskets and underlying "felt" with new state of the art gasoline resistent rubber sheeting and strips.
As far as venting, it's a mystery to me and my +2, I'd follow the advice given on those many previous threads concerning this subject...

G'day ,

Think about replacing your differential mountings also if yours is a +2.

This is easiest done (I'm told) with the fuel tank out.

AND something I am trying to get around to doing myself....

Peter

This was an article in the Club Lotus magazine some time ago for addressing the venting problems on a +2:

bcmc,
Many thanks for this, I'd come to the conclusion that a similar design would work and this gives me much more confidence.

My Zetec car will use many of Spyder's mods but Andy doesn't use the small dia pipe over the rear screen and so has no solution to the pressure problem - you end up with a leaking fuel cap.

Mike

mikealdren wrote:bcmc,
Many thanks for this, I'd come to the conclusion that a similar design would work and this gives me much more confidence.

My Zetec car will use many of Spyder's mods but Andy doesn't use the small dia pipe over the rear screen and so has no solution to the pressure problem - you end up with a leaking fuel cap.

Mike

a new rubber gasket on the filler cap and stretching the spring beneath it often cures this one, check the filler neck for distortion/dents first though.....

This is how I fixed all my fuel issues once and for all:

Replace the filler cap with Monza style alloy one (without breather hole in cap)

Replace the existing rubber hose with a lonnger one (needed to meet the filler)

make a hole in the new rubber hose as high as possible and add a flange type fitting (I used a domestic water tank one) then route both the breathers to this (again I used mostly domeastic copper pipe abd fittings).

Finaly add a small bore pipe vent pipe into one of the breather tubes(i soldered a piece of copper brake pipe in), and take this up as high as it can go (I clipped it to the bar which links the boot hinges) then take it down through he boot floor.

No more leaks , and it it a bit easier to fill (if you go to fast the neck fills and submeges the vent)

Kevin