point at me and laugh.

[spinach]

Hi all.

ran out of fuel the other nite, not an uncommon occurence with the old holden. BUT, while re-fuelling I had a 3 piece funnel spout, extender and tapered nozzle, all plastic. Filled the old girl back up pulled the funnel out and the BLOODY TIP FELL IN MY FUEL TANK! No chance of retrieving it.

Now, will this do damage? Will it slowly dissolve over the next few decades?

Luke.

[Shayne]

Wouldn't think it will cause any great problem.  Can't be any worse than broken dip sticks in the sump.

I dropped an aluminium fuel nozzle into an aircraft fuel tank once and couldn't get it out.  We were worried about it blocking off the fuel flow in flight, so I had to pull the skin off the wing, and get the tank bladder out, retrieve the nozzle and reinstate the wing.  How embarrassment!  Had to the buy the boss and the other boys a carton of beer too.

[Effie C]

Spinach
When the car is low on fuel, remove the sender unit from top of tank and fish the offending piece of plastic out. Refit the sender unit and all is well, wait for the plastic to melt and you may need more than just a fuel tank replacement.
Good Luck
John M

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Some plastics seem to cope with exposure to petrol, I have had a plastic fuel container for at least 10 years with no signs of dissolving etc. Is the funnel designed for fuel usage?

I'd go for John M's idea, empty the tank and remove the fuel sender.

PS, don't use a ciggie lighter to look into the fuel tank  ;D BOOM!

[customFC]

Hey Spinach.
Don't worry too much about it, just do as John says. Should be able to fish it out with a coathanger and a torch. I once had to break a locking cap off after losing keys, half of it fell in and you could hear it rolling around on every corner.
 Â                                                                                                                                                                                           

SPINACH

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Regards
Alex

[nicko]

i just went through same thing with old commodore,except it stopped just out of reach in filler neck i couldn't get it out and filling with petrol took ten minutes instead of 2

[Sarge]

Good Idea to remove sender and fish it out. If it does brake down may find it though fuels line and that is going to be a real headache


just may 2 cent
Regards  Sarge

[RET]

Spinach
When the car is low on fuel, ...

Hey Spin, you should be able to arrange that, right? :P

Been there, done that.  Second day of owning my first FE or FC (an Olinda Green over Adobe Beige '58 FC), I learnt that the fuel gauge was calibrated to the dots and not to the letters - I had presumed it was E-1/4-1/2-3/4-F, and of course it isn't, is it?

But the laughter and finger pointing should be directed at Geoff Saul, who ran Gertie out of petrol after the Nationals.  He's only owned that car for about 35 years...  Happy Birthday Gertie btw... the ol' girl is 44 today.

cheers
RET
{ edit - had Gert's age wrong. 2003-1959 = 44, not 45 ::) }

[robbzfc58]

you guys are making me paranoid
this morning i bought a 10l jerry can with a screw-on nozzle,that cant fall into the tank!! ???
                                    cheers trev

[Ed]

hmm..

I've got something rolling around in my tank.

the sender screws have fused in there with years of accumulated moisture.

Can't get the sender out (easily) to retrieve whatever it is rolling about.

But over the years Ive gotten used to the wagon being such a diffcult old beast...
 ::)

the drill is close at hand, nevermind....

Cheers

Ed

[spinach]

cheers guys, I dont feel half as stupid. it's good to know i'm not the only old holden owner with a gremlin living in his petrol tank.

luke

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

Hey Ed
Just be careful on how you get rid of the shavings when you drill the screws out. I have heard of a couple of "mishaps" when people have used vacuum cleaners around petrol tanks.