To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "Jim Molloy" Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2005 05:02:47 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Fuel filler neck screen Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com Hello to all, Recently, my TGB11 was sidelined when it encountered a fuel delivery problem. The original thought was that the fuel pump had gone bad and would only allow idle but not higher revolutions. A new fuel pump did not improve the situation. The float bowl plugs were removed and the rear carb repeatedly was nearly dry while the front was full. Rechecking the float bowl valves, float levels and function as well as all plumbing from tank to carbs revealed nothing. No obstruction was noted. Blowing back through the hard fuel line allowed for free flow of air rearward. Today, attempting suction through the hard line met with obstruction for the first time. Finally, an answer but the job of pulling the tank is not a simple one. The ultimate finding was a 1.5cm disc of aluminum foil located between the floor of the tank and the fuel pick-up tube. The disc was perfectly centered under the tube for good reason. Previous suction had created a central "nipple" that allowed for repeated indexing of the disc so, at higher suctions, the disc would rise from teh tank floor and shut off fuel flow. When the truck would loose power and drop to idle, gravity would drop the disc down allowing for only small amounts of fuel flow. The nipple also prevented the disc from migrating to other areas of the tank. The source of the was from a bottle of fuel additive (octane booster) used recently. I now have a piece of metal screen in the base of the fuel filler neck. In the parts manaul, a strainer screen is available. has anyone actually seen one of these? If so, do you have any photos? Take care. Jim Molloy Waldersee Farm http://www.northwestmogfest.com http://www.volvo4x4.com To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "wbmayberry" Date: Fri, 07 Oct 2005 23:45:27 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Fuel Tank Problems Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com Greetings all, Since about 5 months after I got my C304, it would occasionally loose power for a little bit. One day it completely died on me. I had it towed home and replaced the fuel pump, then had no problems for several months. Since I had the tank powdercoated, the problem has been occuring more often, and a couple times completely died. I found that I could attach a small hose to the fuel outlet from the tank, blow, and clear the obstruction. Last week it died every time I tried to drive it, which left me on the side of the road clearing the obstruction. Finally, last weekend, I drained and dropped the tank, and inspected what remained in the tank. There were a bunch of dead (pickled?) bugs and some rust bits in the fuel tank, but the big thing was that the inside coating was flaking off, and it looked like someone had poured a box of white corn flakes in the tank. I had already bought a tank coating/recoating kit (KREEM from JC Whitney). I flushed the tank, used the rust neutralizer ("Part A"). After you flush out "Part A", you put in "Part B", which is the degreaser/dewaterer. I put it in and sloshed it around. When I inspected the tank again, the remaining coating was blistering and pealing off. It seems "Part B" is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), which softens/breaks down the coating. I bought a couple more bottles of MEK from Home Depot and added them and a bunch of bolts. I spent the next hour+ sloshing it all around until most of the coating had come off the inside of the tank. I poured out the MEK and strained out sheets of the coating now floating in it, then flushed out the tank. It's pretty much clean metal (and a little rust) now. I'm waiting for a new KREEM kit to treat the newly exposed rust and re-coat the inside of the tank. The Lessons here are: a) There was rust under the outter coating which I found when I powder coated the tank b) there was rust under the inner coating, which I needed to expose and treat, c) MEK does a number on the inner coating, and d) if your truck is loosing power, be sure to inspect your tank. To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: extrm303 Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 04:42:37 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: Fuel Tank Problems Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, "wbmayberry" wrote: > > Greetings all, > > Since about 5 months after I got my C304, it would occasionally loose > power for a little bit. One day it completely died on me. I had it > towed home and replaced the fuel pump, then had no problems for > several months. > > Since I had the tank powdercoated, the problem has been occuring more > often, and a couple times completely died. I found that I could > attach a small hose to the fuel outlet from the tank, blow, and clear > the obstruction. Last week it died every time I tried to drive it, > which left me on the side of the road clearing the obstruction. > > Finally, last weekend, I drained and dropped the tank, and inspected > what remained in the tank. There were a bunch of dead (pickled?) bugs > and some rust bits in the fuel tank, but the big thing was that the > inside coating was flaking off, and it looked like someone had poured > a box of white corn flakes in the tank. > > I had already bought a tank coating/recoating kit (KREEM from JC > Whitney). I flushed the tank, used the rust neutralizer ("Part A"). > After you flush out "Part A", you put in "Part B", which is the > degreaser/dewaterer. I put it in and sloshed it around. When I > inspected the tank again, the remaining coating was blistering and > pealing off. It seems "Part B" is Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK), which > softens/breaks down the coating. I bought a couple more bottles of > MEK from Home Depot and added them and a bunch of bolts. I spent the > next hour+ sloshing it all around until most of the coating had come > off the inside of the tank. > > I poured out the MEK and strained out sheets of the coating now > floating in it, then flushed out the tank. It's pretty much clean > metal (and a little rust) now. I'm waiting for a new KREEM kit to > treat the newly exposed rust and re-coat the inside of the tank. > > The Lessons here are: a) There was rust under the outter coating which > I found when I powder coated the tank b) there was rust under the > inner coating, which I needed to expose and treat, c) MEK does a > number on the inner coating, and d) if your truck is loosing power, be > sure to inspect your tank. > You mean like the little white flakes on the lower right hand side of this C3-series tank: http://tank-coating.notlong.com Yes!! U.S. fuel additives (specifically MTBE) are caustic to the original coating. Drop the tank, have it boiled out, recoated, add an inline filter right next to the tank and replace the engine fuel filter. What a bugger to figure out. So many little secrets on the Volvo to discover. Cheers, To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "k7lgn" Date: Sat, 08 Oct 2005 22:35:14 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: Fuel Tank Problems Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com Don't neglect the Fuel King fuel pressure regulator. I had exactly the same symptoms on my C303 including the blowing down the vent tube. I would give it a good lung full and then jump in, drive 100 yards and it would die again. After I got it home I put a fuel pressure gauge between the fuel pump and the regulator. It showed 5 pounds of pressure. I then put it between the regulator and the carbs and discovered zero pounds. No amount of fussing or adjusting the screw under the acorn nut on top of the regulator would bring it to the 2 to 4 pound recommended pressure. Pierce Manifolds in Gilroy, CA sold me a new one (an EXACT replacement) and it was amazing to feel the difference especially pulling hills. Motor is smoother and no more stalling or starving for fuel. Also, these fuel systems are supposed to have 6mm fuel line that can be difficult to obtain. Lotsa people just stuff something close in size and hope the clamp will take care of the difference. I highly recommend finding the proper 6mm size to ensure a good tight seal. 6mm line was used on the early 1970's BMW 2002 TI fuel systems if you need to have your parts store look it up. Fred To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "wbmayberry" Date: Sun, 09 Oct 2005 21:58:14 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: Fuel Tank Problems (Fuel King) Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, "k7lgn" wrote: > > Don't neglect the Fuel King fuel pressure regulator. I had exactly > the same symptoms on my C303 including the blowing down the vent > tube. I would give it a good lung full and then jump in, drive 100 > yards and it would die again. After I got it home I put a fuel > pressure gauge between the fuel pump and the regulator. It showed 5 > pounds of pressure. I then put it between the regulator and the > carbs and discovered zero pounds. No amount of fussing or adjusting > the screw under the acorn nut on top of the regulator would bring it > to the 2 to 4 pound recommended pressure. Pierce Manifolds in > Gilroy, CA sold me a new one (an EXACT replacement) and it was > amazing to feel the difference especially pulling hills. Motor is > smoother and no more stalling or starving for fuel. Also, these fuel > systems are supposed to have 6mm fuel line that can be difficult to > obtain. Lotsa people just stuff something close in size and hope the > clamp will take care of the difference. I highly recommend finding > the proper 6mm size to ensure a good tight seal. 6mm line was used > on the early 1970's BMW 2002 TI fuel systems if you need to have your > parts store look it up. > > Fred I actually dropped the Fuel King regulator/filter and put in a regular inline fuel filter. This was because I couldn't find a replacement filter element (I didn't know about Pierce Manifolds at the time) AND because I put in a electric fuel pump, which tends to maintain a little more stable fuel pressure, since it's not RPM dependant. I still have the inline fuel-filter just up stream of the fuel tank, before the electric fuel pump. With the electronic fuel pump, the engine idles a lot smoother then it ever did with the mechanical pump. For fuel line, I use 5/16 inch rubber hose to connect the various metal tubes & fuel pump. S/F, Will To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: "wbmayberry" Date: Sun, 09 Oct 2005 22:01:06 -0000 Subject: [Volvo303] Re: Fuel Tank Problems Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com --- In Volvo303@yahoogroups.com, extrm303 wrote: > > Yoy mean like the little white flakes on the lower right hand side of this C3-series tank: > > http://tank-coating.notlong.com > > Yes!! U.S. fuel additives (specifically MTBE) are caustic to the original coating. Drop the > tank, have it boiled out, recoated, add an inline filter right next to the tank and replace the > engine fuel filter. What a bugger to figure out. So many little secrets on the Volvo to > discover. > > Cheers, Yep, Those the the same flakes. As I mentioned, my tank was already rusting inside and out, so I think the rust contributed to the delamination. My truck already had the inline filter right next to the tank. I wonder it that was standard or added my some wise military mechanic. S/F, Will To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com From: Teppo Rapo Date: Mon, 10 Oct 2005 11:15:27 +0300 Subject: Re: [Volvo303] Re: Fuel Tank Problems Reply-To: Volvo303@yahoogroups.com wbmayberry kirjoitti: >Yep, > >Those the the same flakes. As I mentioned, my tank was already >rusting inside and out, so I think the rust contributed to the >delamination. > >My truck already had the inline filter right next to the tank. I >wonder it that was standard or added my some wise military mechanic. > >S/F, > >Will > > I also noticed that filter on my rig, right in front of the tank, might be standard installation. -teppo