2 fuel tanks in my Delica?

[Kakah]

I have a '91 Deli that I hope to take around South America next year. I think I've heard of Deli's with two tanks for diesel.....Can this be done and is it a feasible thing to do? Have any of you done this mod?

Its obviously not needed as diesel is very common everywhere I'd be going but it would be nice to be able to fuel up and not worry about it for the next 800km or so. Opinions?

[BCDelica]

Cheers, holiday style, and welcome.

Auto transmission Delica's already have two diesel tanks. Some of us have placed extra tanks were the spare resides, mine is just out of a old jeep, but others have built great custom tanks (Andy, Eric, Lost1...). Though they have been installed as WVO tanks, they can be used a diesel tanks well touring. You do have to relocate you spare though.

Check http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/index.php, there super information on that site.

We will want to see pictures when you return, that's all we ask for all the advice you may never need!

[Kakah]

Wow, that site is ridiculous. So much info and pictures on anything you'd want to know about doing that sort of thing, thanks for the link. We don't plan on departing until oct/november of '08 and taking 6 or 7 months to loop around and basically be the dirtbags that we are. Should be good.

I did some more looking after I posted my first question and it sounds like auto Deli's have 2 tanks (75l) but my auto fills to only a bit over 55l or something close to that so I'm going to guess that I don't. I'll look into it though as having more fuel is never a bad thing.

[Delicanadabc]

The tanks are easy to locate. Simply follow the line from the gas can and then if it's a automatic transmission there is one more roughly by the rear axle. The one is direct linked in to the other.

[EricN]

It is pretty easy to spot both tanks if you lay your head under the truck on the left hand side and look up. If you have 2 tanks, then I suspect you are filling up because your gauge has been on "E" for a bit which doesnt mean the thing is empty but does line up with the 55litre fill. My gauge hits "E" and I have another 100+ kms before the fuel warning light comes on. RIght now I am driving it till it dies to see how far I can go on the fuel light.

[sid]

Hey Eric

one thing to consider is that if you go right to the bottom of your tank you are going to draw alot of s#*t through your filter and fuel system, bad things live at the bottom of your 17 year old fuel tank. Just a heads-up.

sid.

[MardyDelica]

hi, check your fuel line if there is any leak, you will lose pressure if its a big leak to fuel line, like injector , injection pump, try to blow it by air thru the line,this will help, check your fuel filter if plug, sometime if you are not familiar with this, there is small piece inside the filter like check valve & even you change it ,if that one is dirty you will still sometime stall the engine.plug up. then as Sid is saying is right, clean & drain your 2 diesel tank & blow it with air with the plug open in the tank. in japan they newer change it since new.
so from there will see,it might works. its just take time to figure it out, do it step by step & youll be fine.
Mardy

[piyeguyo]

Hi Kakah (By the name you chose, it looks like you like football... eh?)

Just curious about this plan of yours. I'm going to try Central-America next year, but it's a very short trip, just 1 month. South America is a dream for me.

Do you have an itinerary or a plan about the countries you are visiting, etc?

Fabio

[Kakah]

Itinerary? Not so much! The goal is 6 or 7 months off work and we'll go down the Pacific side and up the Atlantic side. The only thing that has me a bit worried is the Darien Gap but it sounds like all it takes is a bunch of money. The planning is all in the early stages but the goal is a oct/nov departure. We were actually planning things last night and were talking about how it would be rad if we could get a convoy going in Central America.

[Erebus]

one thing to consider is that if you go right to the bottom of your tank you are going to draw alot of s#*t through your filter and fuel system, bad things live at the bottom of your 17 year old fuel tank

As far as I can figure this is a myth that just won't go away. The fuel pickup is in the bottom of the tank, so it will ALWAYS be sucking up whatever junk is sinking to the bottom, there shouldn't be any silt or anything there unless it has stuck, in which case it doesn't matter.

Only if there is stuff that floats would the fuel level matter, and since water is the biggest worry and it is heavier than diesel, that isn't an issue.

Besides, when the level is low, say 1/8 of a tank, and you go around a corner, everything will slosh around wildly, so everything is always mixed up anyway.

Just my 2 cents worth of common sense -- yah, that's about what it's worth!

[PolyTek]

Can I get an "amen" ? !

[BCDelica]

Amen

Of note, the diesel pickup in both DD (Delica diesel) tanks are upright cylinder screens that encase a float which will stop fuel flow when the level of the tank bottoms out. A surprisingly small screen for diesel fuel and too fine for unheated WVO, residual animal fats will clog it up. Even both tanks run dry will still have 1-2 liters drain out of each from the bottom, so not a heck of a lot will make it to the diesel filter when you run dry.

My 2 cents is that it won't hurt to drain several liters of diesel from each tank, with the handy drain plug in each tank and take a close look at it.

Edit - My van was one of those one that had 60,000 km then sat for 9 years before I bought it, and I was very concerned about fluids and degradable bits. The diesel that drained out of the tanks, fresh of the boat, had that paint thinner smell. Crazily though, the old fluids out of the diffs, transmission and TC looked brand new. Goes to show you never can tell.

KEv

[EricN]

Hey Eric

one thing to consider is that if you go right to the bottom of your tank you are going to draw alot of s#*t through your filter and fuel system, bad things live at the bottom of your 17 year old fuel tank. Just a heads-up.

sid.

Ya like everyone else, I am not too worried. Whatever is inside will be sucked into the filter and stop there. If it doesn't stop there, it is too small to care about. And if somehow it ends up plugging in the pump by some miracle, I will just take it apart and clean it.

I finally got to the end today. 42 km's from first flicker of the fuel light on to engine dead on the road (3 km's after leaving the parking lot of superstore which has the only diesel station in my area that I know of). Drove to the fuel station again (I have diesel in my veggie tank at the moment so I switched to that to get me there) and added exactly 70 litres and wouldn't realistically squeeze anymore in.

[delicat]

So the number is out of the tank, it's 70 L, not 75?.. Interesting!!

[EricN]

75l would be right. It isn't possible to suck every last drop out of the bottom of the tank. So 2litres left at the bottom of each tank is un-reachable.