PETROL PIPES AND TANKS.
Page 31
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Some Useful Contributions from Our Driver and Mechanic Readers.
RATHER a cute idea for improving a petrol tank which is located under the seat is put forward as a suggestion for this page by " P.W.," of Sunderland. He tells us that he works in
hilly country and, has had a good deal of trouble from time to time when his fuel was getting low, as it must do occasionally, owing to the fact that he did not get sufficient head of petrol above his carburetter. Eventually he altered the shape of his tank, making it in crosssection, as shown by the accompanying .sketch, in which, the dotted line indicates the level of the petrol when the vehicle is climbing a hill. Since the depth of the petrol in the tank is, to all intents and purposes, the length of a perpendicular from the tap to the petrol level, it will be understood that this shape makes it possible to have a good bead of petrol over the tap, while in actual fact there may be quite a small quantity of fuel in the tank.
"FI.B.," of Rotherham, had difficulty in connection with one vehicle in his charge, owing to the fact that the petrol pipe was short and straight and was constantly breaking as the result of crystal. lization arising from constant vibration. Eventually ha decided to fit an entirely new piece of pipe, and took the oppor tunity not only to introduce a bend in the pipe, and thus reduce the tendency to crystallize, but to insert in the pipe line what he calls a filter, and which, certainly, to all intents and purposes, achieves the same object as a filter. A plain double " B" bend was arranged in the pipc,as shown in the sketch. For filter a cli.scarded lubricator was used ; two holes were drilled in it, facing one another, of a diameter to accommodate the pipe, which was split for.a length of half an inch at each open end, being then spread and flattened out against the in. tenor of the lubricator, to which it v. as soldered. As the petrol flows throagh, pieces of grit and other foreign matter fall to the base of this lubricator, whence they can he removed from time to time by means of the plug underneath. " H.B." also tells us that he finds this fitting convenient on those occasionswhicih evidently still occur—when, notwithstanding the filter, the carburetter jet is Mocked by some obstruction. In those circumstances he removes the plug at the .top of this Lubricator and, by blowing down it, clears the jet.
Another reader, who has had a certain amount of trouble with grit and ditt in the petrol is " F.A.M.," of Syclenhant. His petrol tank has a substantial filter fitte,d inside the filler orifice. It is about g ins. long and 4 ins. diameter.
" F.A.M." obtained a circular tin, which fitted fairly closely inside this strainer. He tinned the outside of this all round for a depth of half an inch from the top. It was then pushed to the bottom of the strainer and soldered in place. The accompanying sketch shows the arrangement clearly. What happens now is that, as the. can of petrol is emptied into the tank, all the loose dirt and other foreign matter is caught by this can and held,-the cleaner fuel rising to the top and passing into the main tank through the upper portion of the,gartze strainer. He tells us that on one occasion after leaving this filter untouched for a month he removed from it sufficient Water, grit, scraps of leather and chips of paint to fill an egg-cup.
The following example of a simple petrol _pipe repair. writes:" A.V.T.," of Wakefield, may be of interest to your readers. r was driving a lorry when the petrol pipe broke in two at a soldered joint.'' I repaired it by making use of a. piece of rubber tubing from one of the acetylene lamps. The rubber was fitted over the two halves of the pipe, was then well hound with insulation tape, and subsequently' .liberally coated with shellac, which I allowed a few minutes in which to set. I then turned on the petrol again, and was able to run until the week-end, when the pipe could be properly repaired.