Feeder hole for LR tank

[Dirka]

Greetings mates/ Dagse vriende!

This is my 1st call for help on the forum.
So I will be doing a lengthy trip in April and want to do a long range tank for the Lux.
I'm currently considering the Front Runner and the diy installation seems A-ok and straight forward.
There's just one question I have:

How can I drill the feeder hole (8mm) or any feeder hole for that matter in the main tank
without contaminating the inside with metal debris and drill burr??

Was thinking there might be an old school way here somewhere on the forum.

Thanx

[Thunder02]

I have applied grease to the dill bit a few times and works well, must admit I have not tried this on a fuel tank.
Use slow speed as if drilling into stainless.

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

Hi Dirk, The fuel tank is made out of 'plastic" so that should not be a problem for the fuel pump. HOWEVER a lot of guys moan about the failure of the fuel pump due to iron filings after installing a LR tank. the only thing I can think of is that the filler pipe that needs to be cut for the installation is not cleaned properly and hence iron filings get into the tank. The other option is to remove your tank, put in fitting and flush out your tank prior to re-installing it, (this is what I am going to try) and to ensure that all the cuts made to the filler pipe/tube are properly filed downed and cleaned / flushed prior to re installing.

Hope this helps and will follow this thread to see if any other geniuses come up with.

[Vlak vark]

take a sharp center punch to make the hole, that way you wont have any debree or schavings in the tank.

[Mud Dog]

Put a 9mm slug through it.

The centre punch should work just fine and also leaves a nice little depression around the hole that you can fill with braising (which will also makes the braised joint a bit stronger).

Any debris getting into the HP pump could give problems so the best is to install a high flow filter (gauze type) between the tank and pump. You can pick up contamination from a filling station's u-ground tanks or even get rust inside the tank.

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

take a sharp center punch to make the hole, that way you wont have any debree or schavings in the tank.

But you will not have a clean hole around which to seal the connecting compression fitting which needs to be installed for your feeder pipe from the LR tank.

As for braiding Andy that might be a but difficult, the tank is plastic. And there is all ready a gauze filter around the petrol pump in the tank but iron fillings still get in.

[Mud Dog]

Quentin, I was thinking about a metal tank since you were speaking of iron shavings. With plastic you have little other option than to drill and clean out the tank thereafter if necessary.

Dirk however speaks of a metal tank, and there the punch and braising will work.

[Dirka]

Thanx guys for some great tips!
The hole in the tank was keeping me awake at night.

Yes..I could remember knocking on the tank some time ago to see if it was metal or plastic.
Could not remember though, but I'm pretty sure it was metal.
I have a 2010 model. Don't know if the latter or later ones had plastic.

I was considering some other options also.
There are other possible ways to enter the tank without the drilling
and still maintain a gravity feed.
..and to remove the main tank..eish..ek is luigat deesdae.





I was eye-balling that evap hose on top of the tank.
...and then there's also the breather pipe slightly to the side..
There might be other places and/or ways you can breathe from.
Speaking about the evap..I was thinking on a way in which we can completely
disable the entire evap system right up to the vsv without any side effects.
(Which in effect means we can do away with the closed loop system)

Just an interesting note: The engine advances by as much as 8 deg something on purge!

But ja..I'll also be keeping this thread alive as I go along.
..and thanks once again for all your valuable inputs.

...moet net gou eers vanmiddag die gras gaan b d huis gaan sny..

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

Dirk, I chatted to an installer and he mentioned what he does is leave the tank on the full side so that when he drills into the tank the petrol will 'push' the drilling material out. Not sure if I want to drill into a tank full of petrol. Also to tie into the Evap hose you will have to take out the petrol tank in anycase. Just double check your tank material, as mine is definitely 'plastic' with protective covers (2006 model)

[Stef]

What about taking an 8mm bolt/rod/tube and then heat it up to melt a hole into the plastic or maybe a soldering iron? Just wondering how to secure the fitting to a plastic tank.

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

the fitting is a compression type fitting that needs to be installed from the inside of the tank with a lock /seal nut from the outside. You do not have to remove the tank to do this as it is done from the original tank inlet from the filler hose with some trickery supplied by front runner.

[zepplin]

If it is indeed a metal tank, use a super strong magnet to keep the filings out.

If it's plastic, use a super strong vacuum cleaner whilst you're drilling.

[Stef]

the fitting is a compression type fitting that needs to be installed from the inside of the tank with a lock /seal nut from the outside.

Thought as much...think the fitting on my bakkies's tank is similar. The hole was drilled at the back of the tank right at the bottom.

The tank is S/steel so I guess they used a vacuum cleaner


With a plastic tank I would just drill with an 8mm bit 1st time round; push hard on the drill at a slower speed so you get one continuous burr

[Mud Dog]

To fit the compression nipple is fairly easy - drill hole, feed a wire through to the filler spout (the most difficult part) and then slip the internal seal washer and the fitting down the wire. Pull it through the hole and fit the flange nut.

[Stef]

I would use a fish tape (the kind used for electrical wiring) , but could still produce a few choice words during the process been there

[Mud Dog]

I can imagine! To my mind the fish tape would be too springy whereas the wire can be shaped to find the filler pipe a lot easier. As long as the wire used is not too stiff it should negotiate the filler pipe OK with a bit of patience.

[Dirka]

Just an update on this thread.

So I went back and knocked on the fuel tank again.
Still wasn't sure, so I took a tapper and tinkered away..
Yes..the tank is indeed plastic!

So here's the thing..
There are many negatives and fuel pump failures resulting from
LR tank fitments across many forums with foreign materials ending up in the main tank.
So if the tanks are indeed plastic..then I don't get it.

Well..this might be a reason:

The fuel tank is multi-layer plastic. Consists of six (6) layers
of four (4) types of materials.

Giving it chemical and hydro barrier properties, weight and corrosion benefits,
temperature and impact and emissions and safety and and and....what not else.



Don't know them plastic compounds that well, infact..not at all actually.
But maybe some very hard stuff in there causing some problems?

Nonetheless..I'll still be looking at all options and keep u updated.

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

When I looked at Oosie101's petrol pump after he installed his LR tank he definitely had iron filings in the mesh that is suppose to protect the fuel pump. ( I take it one or two of the smaller fillings got through.

I still believe that the fillings are coming from the filler pipe that needs to be modified that is not cleaned properly afterwards.

I may be tackling the project this or next weekend.

[Dirka]

When I looked at Oosie101's petrol pump after he installed his LR tank he definitely had iron filings in the mesh that is suppose to protect the fuel pump. ( I take it one or two of the smaller fillings got through.

I still believe that the fillings are coming from the filler pipe that needs to be modified that is not cleaned properly afterwards.

I may be tackling the project this or next weekend.

I think you might be right Quentin. +1

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

Howzit again

Mine is in and can confirm 110% the tank is plastic. There are a lot of metal shavings that can get into you tank if you don't clean the burrs well when you make the modifications to the filler pipe. I also blew the filler pipe out with compressed air after clean it and "shaking " the filings out. And a lot still came out.

Good luck when installing yours and read the manual properly and you should be fine.

[Dirka]

Great to hear yours is done!
I was all geared to do mine this weekend also..and then had a comeback.
As stupid as it may seem...I just couldn't get the rear wheels off!
Well..in fact none of them..front ones also.
It was almost as if the rims was welded solid to the drums and disks!
And heres the best part..the vehicle was serviced by Toy not 200km back..assuring me
everything is honky dory!..Man they didn't even take the wheels off..

Ok..so after talking the whole of Saturday in lots of foreign languages the wheels
popped off one after the other with big bangs of thunder late Saturday evening.

A quick inspection underneath revealed some concern.
I know the previous owner used the Lux for some boat launching and that.
I wiped away some of the mud still left over and the first signs of corrosion is there.

So I'm putting the LR tank on hold for now and will be consentrating
on sorting the under body and chassis out properly.
Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning, high pressure spray, de-rusting and decent re-sealing.
I feel this is more important for now.

I'll show u some pics when I'm done.

Ps: Thanx for all the tips..I'll keep those in mind.

Have nice day all!

[ChrisF]

Dirk we had the same issue on the Prado a few weeks back - the wheel "welded" to the car .... and this after the rims WAS off the car only a few months earlier ....


Solved it with this trick - all wheel nuts undone by about two turns. Drive at 5km/h, ie just pull away in the garage, SLAM the brakes !

Front wheel came off after doing this once, one rear wheel we had to do this 2 or 3 times. Then some copper slip on these surfaces to prevent this from happening again.

[Obelix and Dogmatix]

Good luck with the cleaning If the previous owner launch boats first thing I would do is drain and replace diff fluid.

[ChrisF]

Good luck with the cleaning If the previous owner launch boats first thing I would do is drain and replace diff fluid.

en daai geroeste wheel bearings .... sout water wat die chassis van binne af uitroes ....


NOTHING that stuffs up a vehicle as much as launching a boat !!

[cprinsloo]

Hi,

What I did to remove all the shavings etc. from the tank was to use a dowl stick with some Prestic on the end, used a flash light and entered through the holes on top for the gauge and pipes, pressed the stick with the Prestic in all the corners etc, dirt stick to the Prestic and one can get the whole tank nice and clean (must be dry through).

Cheers,

C