alternate tank location in wagon

[dylan Biofuels Forum Newbie Find all posts View Profile Close dylan]

Has anyone with a MB wagon installed a second tank anywhere other than sitting it in the back area of the car ? I can see it's going to be in the way sooner or later just sitting there . I was toying with the idea of building one to fit up against the side widow on the drivers side at the back where the tool kit compartment is or underneath, between the fuel tank and the bumper where there is an odd looking moulded plastic thingy.

Maybe take out the extra seats at the back and build a large flat one to fit in there ? I cant ever see me using them anyway. Unless i get married again and have a fight with the missus and she could sit there ignoring me while looking the other way ! Mmmmmm maybe i should keep those seats ?

any idea's anyone . Dylan

[bruceT Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bruceT]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

Has anyone with a MB wagon installed a second tank anywhere other than sitting it in the back area of the car ? I can see it's going to be in the way sooner or later just sitting there . I was toying with the idea of building one to fit up against the side widow on the drivers side at the back where the tool kit compartment is or underneath, between the fuel tank and the bumper where there is an odd looking moulded plastic thingy.

Maybe take out the extra seats at the back and build a large flat one to fit in there ? I cant ever see me using them anyway. Unless i get married again and have a fight with the missus and she could sit there ignoring me while looking the other way ! Mmmmmm maybe i should keep those seats ?

any idea's anyone . Dylan

On the roof would be nice. I'm not talking about a horrible great big tank that looks like a big ugly box. No, a nice slim, svelte-looking aluminium one that uses much of the surface area of your wagon's roof, and heated naturally by the sun. Now that would be COOL

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

Can you use the original tank for veg and add a smaller startup tank? Wash the original tank out preferably to remove the dino gunk.

For a small tank, you could use a flexible fuel tank inside one of the rear quarter panels? Whitworths marine supplies could be of assistance.

[Tony From West Oz Vice Chairperson of WARFA Find all posts View Profile Close Tony From West Oz]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

A friend of mine made a heated tank to fit in place of the spare tyre in his 300TD. He used the top and bottom of a 205 litre drum, cut the middle out and welded it back together so that it fitted perfectly. The 2" bung was replaced with an elbow to facilitate refuelling and fuel delivery and return lines were brazed into the tank. The coolant was plumbed thru copper pipes outside the tank bottom half. I do not recall whether he managed to fit a tank gauge to the tank. The spare tyre cover concealed the tank. His spare rode on the roof rack.

BTW, your "odd looking moulded plastic thing" is the vacuum reservoir for the central locking system.

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

On my extra tank, (a jerry can, not a flexible tank) I was able to get a fuel guage sender and guage for about $40 from Auto Pro (I think it was "tridon" brand) It required about a 30mm hole in the top of the tank, and some fiddling with some float arm lengths as they can suit a range of tanks.

[dagwill Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dagwill]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

hi. It seems to me that everyone looks at the two tank system in revers. Useing the original tank for dino which is only needed in tiny amounts for start up,shut down and try to fit as large as possible second tank for WVO I use the original tank for WVO as that is my main fuel so i only had to find enough space for a 10 ltr dino tank and you could make that smaller if you were prepared to fill it mor often. for me that is a convienient size as that gives me about the right amount of start up fuel to last one tank of WVO i also try not to be too miserly and put about 20% bio in the main tank so it runs through the fuel lines easyer and i dont worry about the iodine count thing ps i made a copper heat exchange to heat WVO in the engine bay

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: alternate tank location in wagon

There are many ways of doing it. If I was commuting, I would do what Tony does, which is fill the fuel tanks in the shed, then put it into the car and hook it up, which would save a lot of hassle, unfortunatley I have kids so do what you have done (and what I suggested earlier in the thread )