Remember metal tanks? That pressed steel contraption with a long metal `turkey neck` typically desperately rusty and sometimes with holes on top, caused by road salt sitting there.
Are any new cars still made with metal tanks? and why was plastic not used earlier?
(post triggered by a slide under the motor to check the grease on the subframes)
;)
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Remember metal tanks?
Hah...pull the felt cover from the front bulkhead of the boot on my 124 MB and there in all its glory is a galvanized petrol tank safely tucked away, i still prefer steel but galvanized obviously.
I do remember being a very poor chap years ago and finding just how rusty and leaking petrol the old tank was on the land crab, meant i had to remove and wire brush down and spread a good layer of P40 chopped glass fibre resin along the top of the seam.
Made a good long term repair too, no point in going to the scrappy, all the others were just as bad, deffo no money for a new one then; strewth i hand painted that old girl with ''repaint'', never again, what a mess could have done better with hammerite..;)
I should have remembered that tank job for the bodgit and scarper thread, i can't imagine doing something like that again, but you never know the way things are going.
By the way, you don't see plastic fuel tanks on trucks....well not proper ones anyway.
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>>>> By the way you don't see plastic fuel tanks on trucks....well not proper ones anyway.
That's 'cos you can't polish plastic innit? ;-)
Some of the lighter Mercs have them gb as you're probably aware; often wondered myself why they've never been used for bigger trucks, perhaps something to do with Type Approval or even ADR?
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Father had a 1970 Opel Rekord C Coupe. The filler cap was behind the rear number plate. The tank was metal but what worries me is what would have happened if the car was rear ended heavily. Would the fuel leak and ignite?
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Mrs P had a Triumph 1500TC when I met her - its had a rotting, leaking tank. Must have been all of five years old.
Edited by Pugugly on 10/11/2008 at 22:11
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We had a succession of sh Mini Estates. All had rusty fuel takns: corroded at necj and on top where dirt collected. I becoame quite experienced in removing them , welding in new support panels - which rusted as well - and coering them with Waxoil. They still rusted.. but slower...
Still got some plastic/nylon suport bushes in the garage!
I think modern plastic tanksMAY withstand deformation in crashes better and are lighter...
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Strange as plastic tanks are illegal on road bikes AFAIK. Hence we're stuck with heavier painted rust-prone metal things that dent permanently if you crash rather than popping out like on motocrossers.
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"Strange as plastic tanks are illegal on road bikes AFAIK. Hence we're stuck with heavier painted rust-prone metal things that dent permanently if you crash rather than popping out like on motocrossers"
not stricktly true , my Moto morini dart that is a legal import , has a plastic tank , this bike was based on the cagiva f10 , but with full bodywork ,
the petrol tank actually has an oil tank alongside the petrol , this was for the smaller cagiva engine , but not used on the dart
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I'd swear that my BMW hasa plastic one. Too cold to go to check now but will do tomorrow.
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Make sure they are not plastic coated metal as I had a CRM with a tank like this.
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.......... and why was plastic not used earlier?
Possibly because (a) a suitable plastic hadn't been formulated, (b) the cost couldn't be justified or (c) regulations necessitating the introduction of a plastic tank hadn't been brought in.
High quality plastics are expensive, as is the machinery needed to mould them.
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Wonder if plastic tanks came in about the same time as plastic petrol cans and under the same regulations.
I've still use a red metal can with a nice brass cap that I bought new many years ago. It lives in the boot of the Rover P4, which still has it's original metal tank (read recently on the P4 forum that these tanks were tinned with solder to prevent rust)
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Illegal on cars in the UK until the mid 90's if I remember correctly and even then plastic tanks had to be coated internally to ensure zero porosity.
Edited by jc2 on 11/11/2008 at 09:15
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I think the original ban on non-metallic tanks on bikes was aimed at GRP (glass reinforced plastic) and not the modern blown/moulded type.
I was at a moto cross/scrambles meeting in the mid '60's. A bike heavily nose dived off a jump and the tank cracked like an egg in the impact with ground /rider. The fireball was impressive and showed the dangers. The rider survived IIRC.
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