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Nov 30, 2020 6:05 pm
Nov 30, 2020 6:05 pm
Subject: Re: going for MOT
The most likely source was rainwater accumulating under the fuel filler flap, which is horizontal at the left side by the rear screen, and getting into the tank through a poor seal on the filler neck. Sadly I had to drive it in quite heavy rain to be prep'd for the MOT. The tanks and balance pipe have cleaned up very well so new ones are not needed. Interesting, I'd thought the balance pipe was all rubber, but it's steel with rubber hoses about 6 inches long at each end to join to the tanks. These were very perished and there was a lot of rubber residue in the tank bottoms. Fortunately they were still petrol-proof but only just
The balance pipe also has a tank drain tap in it, but this turned out to be bunged up with rubber residue, so the tanks had to be drained via the pump
We've had to buy quite a lot of this particular rubber petrol-proof pipe, as it's not got an AML part number of course, so if any othe Rapide owners read this and want some as a spare, please get in touch. And I recommend you check yours
We're also changing the rubber hose from filler neck to left tank, but fortunately this larger diameter is available by the centimetre
With the tanks out, the whole area will be cleaned and represerved, and we'll try to make the fuel filler flap more water resistant. I suspect when built there was a rubber gasket of some sort but long gone as part of the bare metal respray in 2001 if not before
The most likely source was rainwater accumulating under the fuel filler flap, which is horizontal at the left side by the rear screen, and getting into the tank through a poor seal on the filler neck. Sadly I had to drive it in quite heavy rain to be prep'd for the MOT. The tanks and balance pipe have cleaned up very well so new ones are not needed. Interesting, I'd thought the balance pipe was all rubber, but it's steel with rubber hoses about 6 inches long at each end to join to the tanks. These were very perished and there was a lot of rubber residue in the tank bottoms. Fortunately they were still petrol-proof but only just
The balance pipe also has a tank drain tap in it, but this turned out to be bunged up with rubber residue, so the tanks had to be drained via the pump
We've had to buy quite a lot of this particular rubber petrol-proof pipe, as it's not got an AML part number of course, so if any othe Rapide owners read this and want some as a spare, please get in touch. And I recommend you check yours
We're also changing the rubber hose from filler neck to left tank, but fortunately this larger diameter is available by the centimetre
With the tanks out, the whole area will be cleaned and represerved, and we'll try to make the fuel filler flap more water resistant. I suspect when built there was a rubber gasket of some sort but long gone as part of the bare metal respray in 2001 if not before