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Subject:Re: Fuel Tank Reseal Kit Update
From:Eric Zeno
Date:Thu, 2 Dec 2004 07:02:18 -0500

Nick,
    Good work..   I bet others have this problem and don't know it.
I think these seals woulb be a waste to include because most people
have never seen them and would not know were they go.
                                              ERic

Nick Feickert wrote:

>Important news for anybody who has or is going to replace the seals of their gas
>tank. I replaced my tank with a new one 2 years ago and replaced all the seals. You
>would think I'd be golden for a good while. A year ago in the middle of winter my new
>engine (Audi 5cyl  2.6l) wouldn't start. $350 later....found water in the tank. How did it
>get there? Maybe a small amount of water from a bad gas fill did me in. They
>emptied the tank and refilled with fresh gas and I was on my way. Fast forward to 2
>weeks ago and my Westy wouldn't start again. I checked the gas at the injectors, low
>and behold....80% water. You've got to be sh****ng me. So I disassembled the enter
>fuel system and dropped the tank. a little more than a GALLON OF WATER in the
>tank along with a good bit of gravel! How was it getting there??? I removed the fuel
>expansion tanks on either side under the wheel well.  Guess what I discovered???
>The grommets on top of both (around the gravity vent valve) were completely rotted
>out and a good bit of gravel in the bottom of both tanks. Now add a couple spinning
>tires on wet dirty roads and you have a recipe for a breakdown. The water and dirt
>would get on top of the expansion tanks, seep inside the tanks and eventually run
>into the gas tank. These are probably the most important seals to be replacing when
>you are giving your tank a cleaning and installing new seals!!!! I brought this up with
>Go Westy and they said they are going to try to include those seals in the near future.
>As for me...I looked through all the wonderful suppliers and couldn't find these
>grommets anywhere so....I had to order them through VW. At $5 each, I can almost
>guarantee I won't have this problem again( unless I get bad gas somewhere)  and
>want everyone else to be aware! So a final word to our suppliers...Please start
>including these grommets with the Fuel tank reseal kits...they are very necessary!!
>                                                 Peace,   Nick
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