R4 petrol tank query

[Greymeat]

Hello,

Wonderful to find this great resource!

I have inherited a lovely 1983 Renault R4 van and it runs beautifully. However while filling up the tank with a funnel and hose recently, the plastic hose fell into the petrol tank. Hilarity very quickly turned to panic and shame.

How would one best go about removing something from the tank -- is a trip to the mechanic the best bet or is removal of the tank something I could relatively easily aspire to?

Wisecracks about car maintenance following inability to actually put fuel in car accepted, but only following genuine advice.

Thank you!

Greymeat

 

[SteveC]

Ive recently had the tank off my F6 van to have a bit of a clean up and underseal session underthere. Its a doddle in my opinion to completly remove the tank.

the front of the tank is held on one long bolt through from the inside of the van. The centre bolt on the 'body' just where it meets the chassis floor from inside.

The rear of the tank is held by two bolts into clip on nuts into a small crossmember thats held to the two rear chassis legs by two small bolts at each end. You'll need to remove the spare wheel and its carrier first.

The filler neck is simply a jubilee clip or similar

Once you have released the tank fixings it will drop down and sit on the torsion bars, from here you should be able to get your hand in and pull the two pipes, (one for the fuel feed to the engine, and the vent pipe back up to the filler neck, and the single wire for the level sender.

should come out reasonably easily. though i would wait till its nearly dry before you do this. spilled petrol is an expensive and dangerous thing.

I found two lumps of lead in my tank, i guess some half wit thought in the past it would help as it was difficult to find leaded petrol.... i hope mine wasnt running on unleaded without addititve for too long.

While its in bits you could take the oportunity to have a clean and underseal yourself... this is where I am now, pretty chuffed i must say!

best of luck.

 

[mr-reno-139]

woooh
thats very pretty can i take my sunglasses off now steve

seriously regarding tanks be very careful not to bend filler neck of tank as they leak there at the best of times
if you can see it can you not use a flexible grab tool to get it out as doubt it has made its way right into tank ?

ps welcome to the forum greymeat

paul

 

[Greymeat]

so snappy!

Thanks Steve,

Incredibly helpful, got it done in next to no time. Unfortunately the bottom of my van is still not as pristine as yours but perhaps next weekend. Ha!

Thanks again.