I'm sure there will be a more comprehensive reply to your question, but i'll try my hand at actually answering something...
First, it sounds like your are putting the crossover tube into the take while it is (effectively) still on the ground... this doesn't work because the crossover tube actually straddles (goes above) all the hoses/wires running from the front of the van to the back.  These are probably pushing your tube down.  You also need to make sure you have the left/right orientation correct as it only really fits one way.
If you throw a dab of vaseline on the grommets, you can, without too much difficulty, place the crossover tube in the van where it wants to be, raise the tank and strap it in place, finally pushing the crossover tube into the apropo grommets.

Secondly, there isn't a check valve (at least on my '84) on the big filler tube.

Also, the 3-week old crossover tube could have cracked when you dropped the tank, yanking it out of the grommets.

Hope that helps,
-Damon

 Deborah Walters <debbwa@EARTHLINK.NET> wrote:Hola compadre's,

I dropped my gas tank, and found that the plastic connectors on both ends of
the cross-over hose that insert into the tank had snapped, one completely
snapped off, the other was barely hanging on.

This was a new cross-over that my mechanic had installed three weeks ago.

I installed a new one, but after strapping the tank back in found that
something is pressing down on the hose, and one of the connectors is angled
and pulling out slightly from the tank because of it. Is there some trick
to getting this right?

Also, is there supposed to be a float ball or something in the tank to stop
gas from backwashing up the filler tube when you fill up?

Thanks,

deb
'85 Westy "Gypsy"
Orlando, FL

'84 Westy

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