Vintage Speedsters gas tank switch

My VS has the standard 8 gallon gas tank and I want to see if any VS owners have changed to a larger gas tank? How much fuel does your new tank hold, where did you buy it---and was it pretty much a "drop in" installation or were any modifications needed?

Thanks for any input---Jack

JACK U CAN PUT A 15 GALLON IN THERE

You can put a larger tank in at the expense of a spare tire.

Cip-1 has the tank. you will need to trim a hole in the hoods inner liner so the hood will close. and it does have to be trimmed on the side flats but. its pretty much a drop in.

On my hood I removed the intire center part out of the inner liner inside the raised rib that goes around it and glassed the gap back closed around the opening.

That also helps with spare tire clearance.. After that I changed the trunk floor so it slopes downward just in front of the tank. It,s a lot like a real one now.. with one additional tweek I put the battery just under the passenger side head light in the forward wheel well..

Its a neat upgrade.. with enough room for a P-205 tire..

HEY TERRY
VINCE HAS A 15 GALLON TANK
HE ALSO HAS A SPARE TIRE
OHH WAIT THATS HIS GUT

I kinda like the small tank. On the way to Carlisle it makes me stop and walk around a bit. Get's the old creaky joints moving.

I know what ya mean Lane. I have Rice Crispy knees. But I still like the bigger tank.

Come on Gerd... Play nice!!!

ernie and i put one in, easy-breasy, took about 2 hours. while u are under there you might consider anothe fuel filter and perhaps a rotary electric fuel pump.
the only pucker factor is drilling that large hole in underside of hood, we used shaving cream on top od gas cap to get center of hole dead on, good luck.

jack, you can go to knowledge section and hit #201

As always--really smart advice---I have plenty of direction now---thanks!---Jack

Wow! I did go to #201 and Jim Ward's name was the first thing I noticed. I so regret that I never got to know him before he passed away. Reading old posts on this site I see how active Jim was here and how helpful he always was. He was a trail blazer with his long distance Speedster trips which motivated me to hit the road on some long ones myself. He was quite something and I am jealous of those of you who were privledged to know him.

---Jack

It was, without a doubt, a pleasure to know him.

Someone else on this site I would have liked to meet was George Brown.

Regarding the hood - play-doh works good to mark the exact spot.

angela

May be a good time to really clean out the filter screen and all at the the bottom outlet of the new larger tank. Too often bad stuff accunulates there when a tank has been out of use for awhile. Yeah - ask me how I know . . DUH.

I would have liked to have known them both . George helped me a few times with some tough problems.

They are both missed here..

I don't use the tank screen as getting to them is a genuine pita, just install and additional in line filter near the base of the tank. ~Alan

I consider the in-tank screen good for "rocks and bolders" only. I agree that additional in-line filters prior to the electric fuel pump and another in the engine compartment, prior to the fuel regulator, are excellent insurance.

2 points:
If you're talking a paper filter, not a SCREEN ...

1) I've heard filter B4 the fuel pump was a "NO NO". At best a diagnostic nightmare, at worst an easy way to kill a fuel pump

2) What the point of a "second filter" , if you've installed one B4 the FP ???


You think, "I can see if a clear filter is clogged"
Reality is, some sh*t is pretty CLEAR!!

On my rotary fuel pump the filter came attached. I am pretty sure it was on the inlet side.

A larger tank in front improves handling balance by adding ~75# to the front. I like Ziggy's idea of moving battery to behind the headlight which balances out 2nd driver.

Battery can easily be relocated to the right rear of the engine bay as Carey HInes does in his speedsters ~Alan

A filter after the pump was actually installed first to protect some very finickey Webers. Later I installed a filter before the pump after an unpleasant experience with the original tank filter.

A second filter after the pump has no penalty because my electric pump puts out way too much pressure anyhow. A pressure regulater is installed just downstream of the engine compartment filter and just before the carbs.

Jack,

I have been considering the switch but I already have a 10 gal, If I had only 8 gal it might become more urgent.
Plenty of threads here about the tank switch but here is a quick guide with pics.

http://www.superbeetles.com/Tech_talk/dec2.htm

Cip1 has the 16 tank,
https://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=ACC-C10-2510
that info is also in threads on SOC.

Good luck

Dave

Thanks-Dave--great to see some pictures of the procedure. Thanks---Jack

Dave Tart,
A filter before an electric fuel pump is critical. Most pumps have limited internal tolerences and the slightest bit of dirt can cause a pump failure. I personally don't like the clear plastic filters as they are small and don't provide much filter surface area and, they are subject to breaking.

I googled "filter before the fuel pump" and found plenty ammo pro and con.
Agreed, at the minimum a screen is needed. A low-restriction (coarse, 100-150 micron)

Interestingly, Bob Hoover railed against a filter after (the pump); saying it was a fire hazard !!

I've used electric fuel pumps on many cars and always wire in a safety switch that kills power to the fuel pump if no oil pressure
( approx $20 ). They also make an inertia switch in case of a collision ( about $70 ). Here's a link to the O/P switch, but Pegasus also carries the inertia switch.
http://www.pegasusautoracing.com
Go to fuel system, then fuel accessories and you'll find both.
Doug

Sorry...forgot to paste in the text description of that O/P switch from Pegasus Racing:
"A recommended safety feature when using an electric fuel pump, this switch automatically cuts power to the pump when oil pressure is lost to help reduce the fire hazard in case of an accident. Similar switches are installed in some production vehicles as original equipment. Starting bypass circuit allows the fuel pump to run while the starter cranks. Installs in a 1/8 NPT thread."