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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:03 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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Alan Brase wrote: |
Somebody mentioned endoscopes? I've bought one of the cheapo ones that plugs into a phone. They do work, but very difficult to orient the image to understand what you are seeing.
Much nicer are the dedicated ones from Milwaukee, Dewalt, Makita, ETC. If you already have one of these systems and don't need the battery or charger, it is a pretty nice tool and you would likely find other uses for it.
If you have a friend that is an electrical or plumbing contractor, likely you could borrow one for an evening.
I don't think you will want it submerged in petrol, so you should plan on draining the tank before you go fishing.
Having a camera makes it easier.
Not sure that an old splitty tank has baffles. Later 1975 up Bay tanks do, tho. |
I like the idea of endoscope too. Not sure it would survive the gasoline. I will fish for it blindly for now. Others have mentioned that it won‘t do any harm by remaining in the tank. Will update when I get time to go fishing for it! _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3931 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:15 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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Please don't insert anything electrical (endoscope) into a gas tank with fuel, unless it is specifically rated as explosion proof.
Can the retrieval tool carry static charge? Is it brass or steel?
This whole operation sounds like a bad idea and you should think twice about the amount of stored energy you're thinking of tinkering around with.
Just forget the thing is in there, unless the tank is out or filled with water. It's not worth messing with.
Let's avoid:
"I got the tool and going to fish around in there to get it."
A day goes by:
"Any updates?".... crickets. _________________ aka: Evan
Spreadsheet for Bus RPM, based on gearing & tire size (Excel format)
Searchable, click-navigable 1958 Bus Parts List
Last edited by easy e on Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:26 am; edited 1 time in total |
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:25 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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easy e wrote: |
Please don't insert anything electrical (endoscope) into a gas tank with fuel, unless it is specifically rated as explosion proof.
Can the retrieval tool carry static charge? Is it brass or steel?
This whole operation sounds like a bad idea and you should think twice about the amount of stored energy you're thinking of tinkering around with.
Just forget the thing is in there. It's not worth messing with.
Let's avoid:
"I got the tool and going to fish around in there to get it."
A day goes by:
"Any updates?".... crickets. |
Thanks man. That’s great advice. No explosions here. Think I will just let it float👍🏼 _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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easy e Samba Member
Joined: May 28, 2008 Posts: 3931 Location: 1 hr north of Santa Barbara
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:58 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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easy e wrote: |
Good man. We all want you to end each day in the same condition as when you started. |
Yep, so does my wife😜 _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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BarryL Samba Member
Joined: November 01, 2004 Posts: 14258 Location: Casa de Oro, California
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:20 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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When fishing be aware that there is a fairly fragile brass screen tower above the fuel outlet |
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Clara Samba Member
Joined: June 14, 2003 Posts: 12399
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 6:23 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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I had a stick with lines on to poke down the gas tank of my 53 to see the fuel level.
I dropped it one day a few years ago. I expect it's in there.
Have driven it maybe 1000 miles since. _________________ The Obsolete Air-Cooled Documentation Project http://oacdp.org/ |
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 7:55 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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Clara wrote: |
I had a stick with lines on to poke down the gas tank of my 53 to see the fuel level.
I dropped it one day a few years ago. I expect it's in there.
Have driven it maybe 1000 miles since. |
That’s funny Clara! Guess I should just let the plastic nozzle be😬 _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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j.pickens Samba Member
Joined: December 03, 2002 Posts: 9789 Location: Exit 7, New Jersey
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Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2021 10:30 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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Or you could do what they used to do back in the day and cut an access flap into the rear cargo floor so you can access the fuel level sender port.
I've seen these cut into many, many buses.
(It doesn't make it right, though) _________________ Founder and Chairman Emeritus, ECMSAS
BBX BBXII and BBXXI Long Distance Award Winner
BeaterBarndoor wrote: |
i wish more people would actually drive their vws rather than just talking about what they have in the garage. |
Red Fau Veh wrote: |
If you've seen one sunroof swivel seat kombi, you've seen them all! |
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 5:10 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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j.pickens wrote: |
Or you could do what they used to do back in the day and cut an access flap into the rear cargo floor so you can access the fuel level sender port.
I've seen these cut into many, many buses.
(It doesn't make it right, though) |
That would have been a good idea early in the restoration process. I’ve seen it on another bus, not a bad idea. But at this point, I think that nozzle will just float on _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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BonTonRoulet Samba Member
Joined: September 29, 2020 Posts: 359 Location: Mississippi
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 1:32 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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I had bought a really ratty 67 deluxe bus back in the 90's for parts, but sold it to a friend that got it running and drove it around.....well, the fuel filter would clog up every few miles so he put one of those hot rod accessory glass cleanable fuel filters on it, and kept cleaning it every few miles, until he utilized a pair of 5 gallon fuel cans in the back of the bus to get him around. A guy with a Mechanical Engineering degree. So anyways, one day we had the engine out and decided to remove the fuel tank for a proper cleaning. Tipped it over and shook it, and I lost count of what all came out after at least 3 screwdrivers, 2 wrenches and a hot wheels car.
So I really wouldn't sweat what fell off into your fuel tank. |
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Slip356 Samba Member
Joined: July 26, 2006 Posts: 394
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:14 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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Must have had young kids, they like to put stuff everywhere. |
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:39 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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BarryL wrote: |
When fishing be aware that there is a fairly fragile brass screen tower above the fuel outlet |
Yes, good point. Another reason to just let it float:) _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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missmybus Samba Member
Joined: April 03, 2013 Posts: 118 Location: Mission Viejo, CA
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Posted: Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:41 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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BonTonRoulet wrote: |
I had bought a really ratty 67 deluxe bus back in the 90's for parts, but sold it to a friend that got it running and drove it around.....well, the fuel filter would clog up every few miles so he put one of those hot rod accessory glass cleanable fuel filters on it, and kept cleaning it every few miles, until he utilized a pair of 5 gallon fuel cans in the back of the bus to get him around. A guy with a Mechanical Engineering degree. So anyways, one day we had the engine out and decided to remove the fuel tank for a proper cleaning. Tipped it over and shook it, and I lost count of what all came out after at least 3 screwdrivers, 2 wrenches and a hot wheels car.
So I really wouldn't sweat what fell off into your fuel tank. |
That’s hilarious! So now I don’t feel bad about a silly plastic nozzle! _________________ 64 Deluxe |
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VWAdam Samba Member
Joined: February 14, 2002 Posts: 3331 Location: Birmingham, Alabama
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Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2021 5:41 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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The only problem I could see would be what happened to a '64 Panel I used to have. I was driving it to Bulli Brigade one year and it started sputtering. After numerous stops on the side of the road I determined that something was stopping up the flow of fuel. So when it would start to starve for fuel I would swerve a bit and it was clear up.
When I got home I pulled the tank and inside was the metal canister part of the fuel sender unit. Since the one in use in the tank was dated 1966 and the Bus was a 1964, I imagine it was replaced and the original part left in there and all was well until that trip in 2008 when that part rolled and broke the old metal screen and thus stopped the flow of fuel out of the tank. _________________ All he needed was a wheel in his hand and four on the road.
'59 Euro Beetle ragtop
'63 Standard Microbus
Come to my show! www.volksjam.com
Looking for badge/sticker/frame from Western Motors in Great Falls, Montana |
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ach60 Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2001 Posts: 4139 Location: Santa Maria
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Posted: Sun Apr 18, 2021 8:55 pm Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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npbusguy wrote: |
When I pulled the gas tank on my bus, I found a metal fuel spout from an old time gas pump in it. Who knows how long it had been in there, but it didn't effect anything negatively. If you can get it out, great, if not, don't worry about it. |
My Pops had a '70 LTD bought new in '70. About 2 years into owning it,
he pulled out of the pumps with the gas nozzle still in the filler neck.
For the remaining year my Pops had the LTD, my Stepmother called it "Our Little Friend",
and made Dad fill the LTD up with gas anytime there was a 1/2 tank down.
You could hear it bonce around in the tank.
The LTD got traded in at 3 years, and "Our Little Friend" was someone else's problem. _________________ Good Luck
Al |
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MrWhoopee Samba Member
Joined: October 24, 2005 Posts: 177 Location: Shingletown, CA
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Posted: Tue Apr 20, 2021 10:51 am Post subject: Re: There it goes, right down into the gas tank! |
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ach60 wrote: |
My Pops had a '70 LTD bought new in '70. About 2 years into owning it,
he pulled out of the pumps with the gas nozzle still in the filler neck.
For the remaining year my Pops had the LTD, my Stepmother called it "Our Little Friend",
and made Dad fill the LTD up with gas anytime there was a 1/2 tank down.
You could hear it bonce around in the tank.
The LTD got traded in at 3 years, and "Our Little Friend" was someone else's problem. |
Similar story only it was a golf ball dropped into the tank by one of the kids. When fuel got low it would start rumbling around on the bottom of the tank. Who needs a fuel gauge? _________________ Craig ('51 WASP)
Rosie ('63 Double Cab) |
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