Slow gas fill on DP's

kenbt · 02-04-2006, 05:55 PM

We have discussed the topic before about how long it takes to put diesel in our coaches especially the last 25 gallons. The main reason is the size of the fill tub and the number of 90 degree turns it makes before entering the tank. I kept looking at the gas fill tube routing of my 2005 Vectra and saw at least on the passenger side that Winnebago did not have to use two 90 degree turns in the fill tube that only causes the diesel to back up and foam more. I decided to take it apart and re-route the fill tube. It was not as complicated or time consuming as you might think. Between taking it apart and going to find parts and reinstalling, it was approx 4 hours. My passenger side fill tube now goes down to a less than 30 degree first turn and then at most a 45 degree before entering the tank. I am sure that will speed up the fill process, especially the last 25 gallons. I will post pictures that I will identify as diesel fill 1, 2 etc. The parts are only 20 inches of 2" rubber gas hose and approx 10 inches of 15mm rubber gas hose(used for the breather line). Whats really shocking is the fill tube is only supported by two screws near the gas cap where the fill tube comes thru the body and the rubber shield that Winnebago uses to keep dirt and water off the fill tube and breather line and the connection at the tank. Once the filler tuble was disconnected I cut it with a hack saw to shorten it and take out a turn in it, that takes it in the wrong direction if you are trying to stay away from having a 90 degree in the first place. After shorting the breather tube to approx 3 inches which is welded to the filler tube near the top, I cute a additional 4 inch piece out which is used to make a connection between the existing rubber breather tube the new rubber breather that attaches near the top of the fill tube now.

kenbt · 02-04-2006, 05:55 PM

We have discussed the topic before about how long it takes to put diesel in our coaches especially the last 25 gallons. The main reason is the size of the fill tub and the number of 90 degree turns it makes before entering the tank. I kept looking at the gas fill tube routing of my 2005 Vectra and saw at least on the passenger side that Winnebago did not have to use two 90 degree turns in the fill tube that only causes the diesel to back up and foam more. I decided to take it apart and re-route the fill tube. It was not as complicated or time consuming as you might think. Between taking it apart and going to find parts and reinstalling, it was approx 4 hours. My passenger side fill tube now goes down to a less than 30 degree first turn and then at most a 45 degree before entering the tank. I am sure that will speed up the fill process, especially the last 25 gallons. I will post pictures that I will identify as diesel fill 1, 2 etc. The parts are only 20 inches of 2" rubber gas hose and approx 10 inches of 15mm rubber gas hose(used for the breather line). Whats really shocking is the fill tube is only supported by two screws near the gas cap where the fill tube comes thru the body and the rubber shield that Winnebago uses to keep dirt and water off the fill tube and breather line and the connection at the tank. Once the filler tuble was disconnected I cut it with a hack saw to shorten it and take out a turn in it, that takes it in the wrong direction if you are trying to stay away from having a 90 degree in the first place. After shorting the breather tube to approx 3 inches which is welded to the filler tube near the top, I cute a additional 4 inch piece out which is used to make a connection between the existing rubber breather tube the new rubber breather that attaches near the top of the fill tube now.

BigTrace · 02-04-2006, 07:41 PM

I'd love to see the pictures once you get them up. Why can't the engineers come up with this stuff?

rebelsbeach · 02-05-2006, 05:02 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BigTrace:
I'd love to see the pictures once you get them up. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Kenbt's pictures

kenbt · 02-05-2006, 05:31 AM

Ok, Bob:
You taught me how to make my signature with a picture, now tell me how you made a link to my pictures of the gas fill.
Ken

rebelsbeach · 02-05-2006, 06:24 AM

MUCH easier than the signature Ken....

Click on the photo page,then click "member galleries" and select yours.
When your gallery appears,simply cut and paste that "url" in a message....

(You can also simply "right click" on the link to your gallery and select "properties" and paste it in a url,but that's a little tricky...)

Dougmyers · 02-05-2006, 06:38 AM

I understand everyone wants to be able to fill their tanks faster but perhaps there is a reason for all the 90 Degree turns in the fueling system.
From an engineering point of view these elbows may be acting as a damper for fuel surge and fuel spill.
In some cases this is put into a fueling system to help stop back flow from rapid take off and or turns that cause excess fuel pressure to back up in the refueling system, and fuel spills out on to the ground.
And in other cases the people building the system just dont know what they are doing at the factory.
Just a word of caution on altering the system I would try and keep an eye on it while its full and you are driving it in turns take offs and sudden stops for a while if I were you.

Happy Motoring!

kenbt · 02-05-2006, 09:29 AM

Doug:
Good point, I will keep a close eye on it and report if there is a problem. But since the fill tube at the gas cap is approx 10 to 12 inches higher than where the fill tube enters the tank, I am not suspecting a problem
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showga...ser=57&cat=500

rebelsbeach · 02-05-2006, 11:00 AM

You're getting close Ken....

Now all you have to do,when you click "reply to a post" is click on the "url" block across the reply block and "paste" the url there. You can then add your description of what it is too...

Makes what you did...http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showga...ser=57&cat=500 look like this...Ken's pictures

kenbt · 02-06-2006, 11:35 AM

Bob:
Lets see if I understand this correctly
http://www.irv2.com/photopost/showga...=500&ppuser=57

kenbt · 02-06-2006, 11:37 AM

Bob:
Here I think I've got it now
Thank you for all you help

rebelsbeach · 02-06-2006, 11:51 AM

Ken,I will send you an email answer to your PM as requested.

kenbt · 02-06-2006, 02:27 PM

Pictures
Test of link

rebelsbeach · 02-06-2006, 02:45 PM

Good job Ken

chasfm11 · 02-16-2006, 12:43 PM

Ken, I'm hoping that you will find some time to post your pictures. I've recently discovered a severe kink in our fill tube and suspect that it is the reason that I have trouble getting the truck stop pumps to stay on automatic. Since we only have a passenger side fill, I use the saddle tank pumps and they seem to be very fast. At the start of a fill up, I have to very gently squeeze the handle and hold it there for a while. Per your post, I suspect that there is too much backpressure because of the kink. I'd like to use your pictures to determine how I can replace the part where the kink is.

I'll be looking forward to seeing your pictures. If posting them here is too much of a problem, I'd be happy to give you an e-mail address or to use a link you could provide.

Thanks,

Charlie

rebelsbeach · 02-16-2006, 12:46 PM

Charlie,here's a link to Ken's pictures,if you're reading this via email,it was a post or two above this one....

Ken's Pictures

chasfm11 · 02-16-2006, 03:13 PM

Thanks, Bob. Now that you pointed it out, I do see the link. Thanks for the help.

Charlie

kenbt · 02-22-2006, 05:23 AM

Slow Fill Up-date...since rerouting the passenger side fill tube there has been no surging of fuel out the gas cap. I just filled topped off with approx 40 gallons at a truck stop (large volume nossel) and the rerouting was an obvious improvement. It only took 5 min to top off the last 20 to 25 gallons instead of 20 minutes

chasfm11 · 02-22-2006, 06:53 AM

Ken, this is probably going to sound like a stupid question but where did you get your piping?. I clearly have a kink and when I looked at the pictures, I can see the advantage of replacing the kinked piece and making it much more of a straight flow. This weekend, I plan to work with the piping to see how to take it apart and what I'll have to do to correct the problem. If possible, I'd like to purchase the new part(s)and finish the work after I have it apart.

Am I just not reading the information in this thread carefully enough?

Thanks,

Charlie

kenbt · 02-23-2006, 08:09 AM

Charlie:
I used the existing fill tub but cut out the 90 degree 1st turn. I went to napa auto parts and got the 2 inch rubber gas hose. Its pricy about $14 a foot. You need just a couple of extra hose clamps also. But again at least on my rig on the pass side, I removed the 1st 90 degree and made it a sweeping turn, and when I did that it made the 2nd 90 degree turn in the rubber hose open up to approx a 45.