My 87 Vanagon with Manchester Tank came with an 80% valve called the "Auto
Stop Valve".  My 90 Vanagon came with the same Manchester Tank but the 80%
valve was much, much smaller, and looked just like a little fitting on the
side of the tank.

I had a strange experience with the Auto Stop valve last weekend (leaking
propane after filling) and so I called Manchester Tank today to see if they
could comment on whether the valve was bad.

They said they didn't know if my Auto Stop valve had gone bad, but said that
as it happens, Auto Stop went out of business and destroyed all the tooling
to make new valves. So, they said you cannot replace the Auto Stop valve if
it goes bad and have to replace the entire tank.

The good news is that they said they sell a kit for $4 to rebuild the valve
with new seals. I prompty purchased two kits (one goes into the attick). 

I haven't called Delta Six to see if they have NOS Auto Stop valves but it
might be a good strategy for Vanagon owners with the Auto Stop valves to
call Manchester Tank and order one of these $4 valve seal kits just as a
spare. Seems like it would be cheaper than replacing the whole valve anyway.
The number to call is 1-800-877-8265.

How can you tell if you have an Auto Stop valve or one of the new type? I am
not sure, but I would say the diameter of the older valve where it enters
your tank is 1.5" whereas teh diameter of the newer little thing is about
half that.

Anyway, a $4 seal replacement kit seems like a better deal than spending
hundreds of dollars for a new tank.

Now, perhaps some guru can advise me as to what is wrong with my Auto Stop
valve in the first place.

After filling my tank the valve leaked vapour for another hour or so, quite
vigorously, until the tank was less than half full. Then the valve stopped
leaking and held the seal. The leak was not from the normal hole from which
liquid is supposed to spew when it has reached 80% of the tank's capacity,
but instead from a nearby tiny hole, about the size of a pencil tip, in the
center of the body of the Auto Stop valve. 

The auto stop fill valve seemed to continue to leak out of this tiny hole
thereafter but only about one tiny soap bubble every 10 seconds---enough to
drain the tank over the course of about a year, I'd estimate.
___________________________________
Derek Drew
drew@interport.net (main address for e-mail)
derekdrew@aol.com (alternate/backup address, checked infrequently)