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Wedge TR8 Fuel Tank Problem

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RSMTR8

RSMTR8

Jedi Trainee
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Well, just when I thought things were going well, my TR8 is testing my patients again! My fuel filter keeps getting clogged up! As soon as my car reaches about 1/2 a tank of gas, the filter clogs up very quickly! What can I do? I use the glass fuel filter with the replaceable cartridges. Can the tank be drained? and if so, how?! Is there an easy way? without having to remove parts like fuel pump etc?! Or will that not be enough? It has happened twice now in the last 2 weeks. Had to pull over tonight on the side of the expressway, and empty it out before I was able to drive home, it puttered out on me! Help!!


Thanks!

Rod
 
Sounds like it's time for some serious fuel tank rehab. No easy way to drain it...on my -7 I siphoned it as dry as I could. But sounds like you'll need to take it out of the car, get it dipped, and then lined. Not the most fun thing to do...
 
Is there some type of additive I can try to add in to the tank to break the rust particles down?!

Rod
 
None that I know of. And getting rid of the the rust sludge may allow another ugly problem to rear it's head. When I got my spider, the fuel tank was in a similar condition. After the rust was removed from the tank, it was so porous on the bottom that just touching it would start a fuel leak. My tank was so far gone the only viable option was to put in a new one. Hope yours is in better shape.
 
May I ask where you purchased the new tank from? And I am wondering if the fuel tank for a TR7 and a TR8 are the same?


Rod
 
Being that mine is fuel injected, I only turned up one source for it, and needless to say it was very pricey. The carbed version (TR7) should be readily available, and according to the Rimmers Bros catalog, there's only 1 number for both the TR7 and TR8 with carbs. But I'd take yours out of the car and take it to a local radiator/tank shop and see if it can be refurbished. Would be MUCH cheaper than a replacement.
 
Thanks, I have an appointment on Monday to do just that! Probably will run me somewhere around $300 total labor and all............The money just keeps pouring in to the 8!


Thanks,

Rod
 
Personal experience...bought my Spider, and the first year it set me back about another $3000. But since then, I don't think I've spent more than a total of $200 on it in the past 3 years. Once it's all sorted out, it will be well worth the hassles and expense.
 
I was looking back at my TR8 paper trail and it goes like this:

$800 for a rust rotted TR8
$300 for a donar TR7
$480 for Panasport rims
$540 for parts for engine rebild
$320 for some Yoko tires
$600 for a paint job (should have paid more for a better job)
$625 for the Griffin radiator
$160 for dual exhaust
$240 for an eldelbrock 4 BBL (sold the Holley 390 for $350)
$ ??? Headers, do not remember
$200 heads reworked
$65 for a Sony CD plaer with speakers (Thanks ebay)
$16 Edelbrock aircleaner

Now I do not remember the time involved or probably 100's of other expenses I have incurred but I drive it every day during the summer and I love it so I consider it worth it
 
Are you telling me you only have $5k in your car?! If so, that might be THE best deal I have ever heard for a TR8! I do not even want to tell you what I have invested in mine so far! TOO MUCH is all I can say! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonod.gif

Rod
 
That is not counting all the silly stuff, just the major $$$ I have dumped into it. It is a 20 footer (looks good from 20 feet). I have done lots of trading tooo. I traded the spare 5 speed I had from the 7 for a different rear axle (3.90 to a 3.45), I traded the alloy wheels from the 8 for $500 of store credit from Ted (water pump, wiper part and lots of stuff like that). I recently did buy a set of steel flex brake line for my car but my local garage "misplaced them". The car needs a complete repaint, between the cheap paint job I got (looked really good at first and will after we finish rebuffing it) but two years sitting under a car cover in my garage did lots of mini scratches.

My daughter ,and fellow Triumph nut, and I are discussing a heart transplant, we found a mint TR7 DHC with a trashed engine. We are thinking about adopting the 7, completely stripping the body and painting it, and then at the end of the driving season pulling the 3.5, tear it down again, and transplanting it in to the DHC. Looks like qualitity time spent with my daughter. I may even get my son involved if I present it in the right light.
 
Sound great, good luck with the project!


Rod
 
I just finished pulling the tank on a car that I am restoring. The car sat dormant since 1986 and only has 28,000 miles. Here is a quicky version of what you have facing you. Fist off, you need to drain the tank as much as possible. You should remove the entire rear end. I have done them in the past where you detach one side and snake it down, but is not worth even trying. The filler neck needs to be disconnected at the top of the tank, and under the gas cap. Access to the clamp is through the black panel in the trunk. The bolts that hold the tank straps in place will be rusted and will not want to come off. Soak them with penetrant and you will need someone in the trunk to hold the other side of the bolts. The screws under the gas cap will fight you. One of those screw drivers that you hit with a hammer causing it to turn slightly work well here. The flexible brake hose will need to be removed from the rear end. Plan on replacing it. Also plan on possible damage to one of the hard lines. You should consider renewing shocks, springs, bushings, fuel sender, fuel pump, fuel lines, brake lines, rear wheel cylinders, and rear brakes while the rear end is out. View this as an oportunity to improve your car. I am guessing that a shop that has done these before is going to charge about ten hours of labor, plus a mark up on all of the parts. This is the suckiest job on a TR8. You could continue to drive the car and see if the problem goes away. Eventually the tank will rot through, but that may be several more years.
 
if you drop the tank you might as well put in the roll bar also. easier to mount the rear brace with no fuel tank.
 
Those are all great ideas, but I have to tell you I have already spent thousands of dollars on this car this year alone, and I am not in a position to spend any more. But I have no choice in this case, as the car will not drive for more than a week before the filter clogs up and the car putters out! I am just going to do the tank for now. Although the fuel pump and sender, and rear breaks have all been replaced this year already. I will let you know how it goes, and will pass on your notes on how to remove the tank to my mechanic. Thanks!! I assume you can remove the tank without removing the rear end of the car correct?!



Rod
 
No. The rear end has to come out. At the very best, you can disconnect one side completely and loosen the other side. This will save you about half an hour in the beginning but will cost you a couple of hours of aggravation. Eventualy you will just go ahead and remove the whole thing anyway. Trust me when I say "the whole rear end should come out". Removing the gas tank really sucks. Be prepared to spend close to a grand by the time your done if your paying someone else to do it.
 
Great, that is not what I wanted to hear. But I see no other option, because as soon as the car goes down to about half a tank of gas, the filter clogs, and the car putters out. I am not sure yet if it is becuase the fuel level gets low, or if it is just due to the mileage of how far I have driven and that amount of mileage clogs it up, not sure any ideas?! Also, this may sould silly, but is it worth trying to drain the thing and see HOW MUCH stuff comes out to see how bad it really is? I would assume if its really bad, alot of crap would come out, and if not terrible, just a little would come out? Also, this might be a stupif question, but where is the gas tank loctated exactly? Is it in the very back under the trunk, that is where I assume it would be located.......


Thanks!



Rod
 
Unfortunately the fuel tank is above the rear axle, between the trunk and the cockpit. Which is something that all TR's have in common actually.

The Triumph ROM (Repair Operation Manual) for the TR8 goes through a step by step process where you remove the tank from the left side of the car after you have removed most of the suspension while you simply undo the suspension on the right side. They go through this procedure so you don't have to open the brake line. However, Todd's suggestion of removing the axle entirely is still probably quicker even if you factor in a brake bleed when your finished.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grouphug.gif
 
I guess this is a blinding flash of the obvious for me. I never had any trouble with the tank but now I think about it, I can think of no other way to get the tank out. I would like to nominate Todd to Jedi status right now due to his based on his knowledge of the 8s and willingness to share. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Agreed, and wish me luck, I am taking the car in tomorrow morning to have the tank refurbed, I am going to replace the bushings in the rear and front as suggested by Woody @ the Wedge Shop. I pray that this will be it for a while. I have spent a FOURTUNE on this car in the last 6 months, I mean insane! I figure this entire job will run me about $1K for the whole job. shew............I need a LOAN!

LOL!

Rod
 
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