GAS TANK? pluged fuel line? 1969 Patrol L-60

npca-mkink · Post by **npca-mkink** » Mon Jul 21, 2003 8:40 pm

I have a pluged gas tank fuel line. It occurs right were the compression fitting goes into the gas tank. Is there just a streight copper tube that drops into the gas tank? Or is there some type of filter in there that might get pluged? Anyone taken one of these gas tanks apart? Can I just shove a rod down the tube to unplug it? Thanks Mike Kinkel

npca-fud · Post by **npca-fud** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 12:07 am

interesting timing on your question....I have a 64 with a new custom tank and was going to check the drop tube today because I am still having probs with my fuel system. I will know tomorrow if the drop tube is just a tube or has a filter. I do not think it has a filter in the tank on the tube, what I need to check is depth of my drop tube because it is from the stock tank and the new one is deeper. What I can tell you right now about the fuel system in a Patrol is this.....chunks, rust dust or flakes or any other kind of stuff in your fuel system be it tank, seperator or filter is gonna cause you tons of probs. All it takes is a little bit of rust dust in your carb to make it run badly. Old lines will hold this junk and spit it out as it gets freed up. Look at your seperator if you have a stock one and if you have an aftermarket filter check it out. If you see red-orange dust or chunks then your tank is done. All the lines are probily also contaminated as well as filters and carb bowl. Start at the root of the prob and fix it in it's entirerty is my belief. Patrols were designed to prevent this prob, that is what the drain plug in the tank is for. You are supposed to drain the tank once or twice a year and remove all junk and water. This will keep it from rusting but who ever did this?? Along with some other common probs the tank is a famous one on old Patrols. I have even seen an orange coating (not rust) in the tank that flakes off and clogges it all up. You can get the tank fixed but I have heard it go both ways, some say it worked and others not. I myself went the expensive route and had a custom stainless tank made. I have had two Patrols with eletric fuel pumps now and both sucked. The fuel pump was mounted in the engine bay on both and an eletric should be mounted as close to tank as possible.....but above that do not even run one. The stock pump is made for this engine and will work best....both Patrols with eletric fuel pumps had vapor lock probs and probs on inclines. My stock Patrols never have these probs. The best stock pump is the early ones, pre-65, as it has a hand prime for if it vapor locks or you need to prime it. Also I have been told that a 2 venturie carb will be trouble some on hills and such but a 4 venturie will not. Another thing you can try if you do not have solid fuel lines and have fuel probs is to put clothes pins (yea the big wodden ones) along your fuel lines every few feet. These will help to disapate heat and this time of year it is hot so it helps. Hot lines will vapor lock more easily...possibly you do not even have a clogged line but a vapor lock situation insted, when it is hot like in the summer is when vapor lock will happen more easily. Sometimes these can be hard to figure out and also fix as I am experiencing on my 64 right now. Once you get a serious vapor lock it can be a real pain to prime the whole system, cavitation will resist the prime.....maybe a hand pump would work but dumping gas in it all is a real pain.I am sure this is more info then you wanted but since tanks are such a common prob I thought I would tell all I know. Tomorrow I can tell you about the drop tube in the tank....

npca-vern · Post by **npca-vern** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 9:39 am

I was having problems with my fuel sys as well. First I was getting lousy mileage like 6 mpg so I put on a new rebuilt carb.Even with the new carb still got bad mileage. Went wheelin and the mpg went way up then the thing started running bad. Well the tank got all stired up and clogged the filter. Had the tank cleaned, put a fuel regulator on *(turns out my low pressure electric fuel pump which was supposed to be 4-7 psi was 11) changed filters and solved my fuel problem for now.

npca-fud · Post by **npca-fud** » Tue Jul 22, 2003 9:57 pm

Vern....did your eletric pump ever vapor lock?? Both one I have had would vapor lock and on my blue 64 it is worse I have ever seen. My system is perfectly clean now but the pump was starving the carb of fuel especially on inclines. Hooked a new mechanical pump back up and can't get it primed so that it will suck fuel, might be my drop tube as I still need to check that.

npca-fud · Post by **npca-fud** » Thu Jul 24, 2003 5:55 pm

The drop tube in the tank does not have a screen or filter on it....it is just a straight tube with an open end. If this gets plugged it must be a large piece of debris as the tube is 3/8" or 1/2" line.

npca-mkink · Post by **npca-mkink** » Fri Jul 25, 2003 8:42 am

Thanks guys, I got the problem fixed with a little electrical wire and a drill I was able to get there the blockage in the pipe.