Lotus Elan and Lotus Elan Plus 2 Forums

+2 Petrol Tank

Any one out there got their car in bits to the extent that they could give me the key measurements of the petrol tank. I want to get a new tank made suitable modified to take a in tank fuel pump to feed a fuel injection system. My car is not in bits yet but I would like to get a quote for the tank build. Or has anyone a drawing for the tank

thanks for any help

Bob

Talk to this guy, Bob. He does Plus 2 tanks in aluminium and will make whatever mods you want.

business-listings-f3/axminster-specialist-panels-t14137.html

Mark

I had an alloy tank made by Axminster. Great job. I had the tank made a bit lower and had -6 fittings added to allow the addition of discriminator vent valves from Newton (UK).

Bob

Bob:

Mine is still in bits. Here is a pic of the tank from the parts book. Shape is a bit irregular, but approx. dimensions are 25" wide to the outside of the seams, and 11" or 12" deep, depending on top or bottom. Stock one has the two vent nipples, filler pipe, banjo (I think) at bottom for line, and hole for sender.

Thanks to all for the useful info. Pictures and suggested suppliers much appreciated should be able to sort out a suitable tank build from all the help provided.

thanks from Bob

Hello

About the 2 vent tubes .
What are the modifications has to make to suppres or reduce the Gazoline smel inside the car .
I checked all connexions and i dont find any leakage ;
may be the original vent tubes ares responsable of that ?

thanks for your help

Serge

Hi Serge.

when I first got my car I had petrol (gasoline) smell in car. I found that one of the vent pipes had fallen out of the hole in the inner sill and that the grommet that kept the pipes in place in the sill hole were worn on both sides. I replaced the grommets and with the aid of Ty-wraps held the pipes in place and with the new grommets they are now a tight fit in the inner sill and they could not fall out. This helped quite a bit but there is still a small smell of petrol in the car especially if I fill car right up fuel sloshes out onto the rear wing so now I understand how much to put in to prevent this happening.

I understand there is a modification from Brian Buckland in one of the Club Lotus magazines that modifies the tank breathers and improves the situation but makes the tank even slower to fill. I dont have any info on this perhaps someone else does

hope this helps

Bob

Hi Bob

Thanks for your help
I checked the vent pipes, they go outside the car ,this is correct .But i dont checked if one or this other have "free flow" , i mean is not blocked or folded.
I find a picture from an French Club Lotus member, that i have a car with a special modification .The first owner ( English ) hav made this devive .
smal vent pipe and also an alluminium piece in a midlle , may be a non return valve ?
Somes of you have mores infos on that ?

regards

Serge

Hi Serge

I believe that the arrangement on your car is not standard. I have scanned a page from the Lotus Elan +2 workshop manual and this give details of the standard arrangement. The plastic vent pipes go over the top of the tank right inside the roof lining. I think what you have may be the modification described earlier but I am not sure. I will look back over the weekend through my old club lotus magazines and see if there is info on the modification as I am sure there was an article on it some time. In the mean time hope the information below helps.

regards

Bob

Serge, I'm guessing the aluminium block and tubes work as follows:-

A/ Large hoses from each side of the tank vent the vapour displaced during filling back to the neck of the filler hose (adjacent to the cap)

B/ The aluminium block is a manifold connecting the large vent hose with the small hoses

C/ The small hoses are to allow the tank to breath: vapour caused by temperature can leave the tank and air can enter as petrol is withdrawn. These should pretty much replace the original large diameter vent/breather hoses but by nature of their smaller diameter, will reduce vapour smell problem.

If its all been made out of suitable materials, should work OK.

Regards

Gerry

Here is the link to the thread a while ago that gives the Club Lotus modification to the vent system. Perhaps the one Serge posted is similar in concept.

elan-plus-f13/vent-tubes-predicament-breather-pipes-t18171.html

Thanks for your help
I think its exactly the same modification made on my friend +2
I will try to instal the same device on my car .
thanks again for your help I will transmit that on the French Lotus Club .

Hi all

I have fitted the vent system shown in the link that Stugilmour psted above. I have made the tubes with 10 mm copper tube and plumbing fittings connecting it to the tank using shor lengths of rubber fuel hose. It works well with no smell of petrol in or around the car.

Yes copper tube its a good way.
Have you left the big bore in place ?
thanks for the pic

regards

serge

Serge

At the top of the photo, on the left you can just see the 12 mm bore hose disappearing out of the photo. That hose is connected to the filler neck just below the point where is comes through the body. That is the large bore vent that is in use when filling the tank. The other vent from the cross connection is connected to a 4mm bore hose that I pushed through the old large bore pipes from the original vent system and that vent is in use to allow for air movement when the engine is running, thermal expansion etc.

I did make brass hose tails that allows the 12 mm hose to connect to the 10 mm copper pipe.

Regards

Andy