afraid to fill up gas tank

[stubble88]

After my first niagra falls gas spill from overfilling the tank, I had the tank resealed with the GW kit. now its seems so tight that the gas pump handle just clicks off unless im very strategic with its placement. This makes it very difficult to determine when the tank is full. Is this normal? Should I still be afraid of overfilling my tank and causing another gas spill?

[Vinzanto]

My gas tank starts leaking from an undetermined spot if I 'top it off'.
The Bentley lists the tank capacity as ~13 gallons but if one continues to fill you can pump near 14 gallons.
So when I am near empty and am filling up I stop once I have put in 13 gallons to prevent overflow.

[wyomingresident]

Never, never use the auto-thingie on the gas pump handle.

ALWAYS fill manually, at half speed, so you don't blow out any gaskets or spill out the fill tube.
_________________
Don't tell fish stories where the people know you; but particularly, don't tell them where they know the fish.
Mark Twain

[jmranger]

Not really what you ask, but you might find useful info in this thread:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=396064

[dobryan]

[Wildthings]

California pumps are a royal PITA to use on older vehicles. Pulling the boot on the nozzle back so it does not seal at all seems to work. Some people carry a screwdriver and remove the boot entirely while they are filling. Maybe making yourself something like an oversized wooden clothes pin that would fit around the nozzle and keep the boot from being able to seal would be the way to go.

[tam_shops]

OOOooooppssss!!! I'd know if I blew out my gaskets right?

I did it the *first* time I ever filled it, and gas went EVERYWHERE. Ticked me off! LOL

[Wildthings]

[stubble88]

Wildthings,
you have over 21k posts.
just saying

[greenbrier62]

Tam,
He's listening to the gurgling sound. As it fills up, the sound becomes "higher pitched" like (or at least different sounding) and you can tell when it's about get to the top and overfill. I do the same thing

Try filling up a water bottle. As it gets full listen to the tone change...
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1987 Vanagon camper
2005 VW Passat TDI
1962 Chevy Greenbrier

[bluebus86]

[Vinzanto]

Funny I checked my Haynes and it says the capacity is 60 liters and then states that is roughly 13 gallons.
But then I converted the numbers and it comes out to 15.85 gallons (good job haynes).

Even funnier this must mean my leak is worse than I thought it was/is because I have never been able to put more than 13.5 gallons in the tank without a leak, maybe my overflow tanks are not filling to capacity.

[whafalia]

Key on my 84 is to be done when the pump clicks. If I try to squeeze more in it will smell of gas in the van and likely overflow. When in OR or MX I make sure to communicate this. Bad is filling up on the way to the campground and having it smell of gas all night.
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84 westie 2.2 w/ digijet, AT

[syncrodoka]

My '86 and '90/'91 manuals say 2wd capacity is 16 gallons.
My '90 and the old '91 2wd vanagons have never had issue filling to full capacity without splash back all over CA.

[davevickery]

Depends where it is leaking. On top where the smaller gaskets are or at the fill tube as it goes into the tank. If it just splashes back that is because of the design of the filler. As someone said, you can buy a new filler neck with the ball valve at the bottom that stops it from splashing back at you. Check GoWesty. I did that with a used one from a later model van and it worked perfectly. I used the pump on automatic like you are supposed to be able to do. Another van I needed to replace the grommets on top of the tank. Before I did that, it would spill like a half gallon of gas on the ground at the pump after filling it up. It was coming out on top of the tank and spilling out the back of the tank. Kind of embarrassing, I only did it a few times before I replaced the seals. It isn't that hard to replace all the seals. Even if you had that done that already if it is leaking it is the seals or the old style filler neck.

[Sir Sam]

[tam_shops]

I thought it was 50L or 13gallons, good to know, will add more at once. Always seems to go near to top when I add 6L at once.

[Wildthings]

If your tank isn't venting properly it will be harder to fill. Might want to check the all of the hoses are good.

[wecm31]

[chojinchef]