[T3] Fuel System (Tank)

[Jacob Adam Schroeder]

Thanks for all the advice so far.  The trunk seal appears to still be good,
but the problem was that the person who prepared the car and took it into
storage for me put a bunch of junk (including liquids in containers) into
the trunk.  Those liquids eventually leaked out and caused the problem.
I'm a bit bummed out because my trunk was previously pristine and, in fact,
it looked almost like it must have 40 years ago when new (it still blows my
mind that my '72 is now 40 years old).

I'll check inside the tank (by pulling the sender) tonight or tomorrow
morning.  Hopefully it is still clean inside like it used to be.  Although
I'm a bit worried because the gas cap was near rusted shut when I opened it
last week.  At that time, I noted to my horror that the inside of the
filler neck did not look good either.

The restoration process will be both fun and heartbreaking.  I already had
a list of projects that I knew I needed to complete from when I parked her
years ago.  Now time (and rust) has caused a few more that I need to take
care of first.

Jacob

On Wed, May 30, 2012 at 8:45 AM, Jim Adney <jadney at vwtype3.org> wrote:

> On 30 May 2012 at 6:54, Jacob Schroeder wrote:
>
> > While my car was sitting in storage for the last five years, the
> > fiberboard became wet and this moisture has caused the top surface of
> > my fuel tank to develop some rough, rusty patches.
>
> Sounds like your trunk seal leaked. That's too bad, but it has
> nothing to do with the INSIDE of the tank.
>
> > Because I am going through and replacing the fuel lines, should I go
> > ahead and pull the tank now and have any rust removed?  Last time I
> > checked (~ 7 years ago), the tank was completely free of rust, both
> > inside and out.  But I know a lot can change in that time. If so,
> > what's the best way to clean up the rust?
>
> Pull the gauge sender and look in there with a flashlight. Chances
> are that it's still fine. If that's the case, stop worrying about the
> inside and fix the outside.
>
> If there is significant rust inside, you can remove the tank, remove
> the sender and the exit pipe and filter sock, and get it cleaned. Do
> NOT allow anyone to sell you a sealer coating for the inside of the
> tank!
>
> > There is still 2-3 gallons of (old) gas in the tank, is it ok to use
> > this or should I dispose of it?
>
> I've never had a bit of trouble with old gas, even 8 years old, in
> one of my FI Type 3s. FYI, it's best to store the car with a full
> tank, just because this minimizes the amount of air that "breaths" in
> and out of the tank each time the barometric pressure changes. This
> minimizes the amount of water that can form as dew in the tank.
>
> > Should I worry about checking/replacing the activated charcoal filter?
> >  I'm sure this has never been done.
>
> Your system is probably non-functional due to other problems by now.
> Replacement would be pointless.
>
> Your "overflow" hose, under the RF fender, attaching to the backside
> of the filler pipe, is probably cracked and worthless. That MUST be
> fixed quickly. I sell a kit to replace this NLA part. The cost for
> your '72 is $30, including shipping.
>
> --
> *******************************
> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
> *******************************
>
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