Legerra Fuel Tank Leak

[James Doulton]

I should have been going to the Omex/CKC Track day at LLandow this weekend but the petrol tank in the Legerra has developed a bit of a leak. I cannot see exactly where it is coming from but it looks like it is the join between the top and the bottom pressings which is hidden by the rear bumper.

The existing tank is approximately 8 gallons, maybe a little more, and is very box like but with rounded edges. It was made in two parts and has a join which is also the mounting flange which is about 3/4 of the way up the tank. I measured the tank, ignoring the flange, as being 27" x  11.5" x 9" tall. It seems a little tall to be an Escort van or estate tank but it is about the right volume. It seems a little odd that the tank is also lowere than the bottom of the bumper, so it is clearly visible from the rear.

There is a small access panel in the base of the boot to get at the sender unit but it is not big enough to see the area where I think that the leak is coming from. I am not looking forward to fighting the rusty fixings in order to remove the rear bumper to get at the tank. I might end up removing the boot floor with the angry grinder.

So what is my best plan? Should I replace the tank? Maybe I could get one that was fuel-injection ready. Is there any reliable way of extending the life of my existing tank instead? Any ideas would be welcome.

[James Doulton]

I think that I might have to remove the floor of the boot to get at those 4 bolts because two of them are hidden by the rear skirt. Also I'm not sure whether the old tank is fitted from below or from above. I expect that I will need to weld up some different brackets too.

Incidentally, the new tank came with a roll of copper pipe with a screw fitting to fit the tank. After the talk of corrosion by ethanol, I did a little search of the web and found an interesting presentation here which says that the issue can be caused by bacteria Acetobacter which cause the ethanol to be converted into acetic acid (vinegar) and water. The water does for any steel, the acetic acid attacks the copper. The rate of corrosion of the copper leads to holes in a 1mm thick tube wall in about 15 years but the rate is a lot higher if the pipe has been cold worked (i.e. bent by hand). Damn.

So maybe I have to line the tank with something first.

[Adrian Southgate]

POR15 do a tank liner too.

In theory you should be able to reach around the side of the tank under the bumper. Ratchet spanners for the win. Exhausts like mine will cause a fail at this point as they are very in the way. If i remember right yours is a single pipe mounted to the right of the tank looking from the rear so you should be able to reach round.

[Dave Adams]

Tank sealer

i have used this.....very easy to use and it works ethanol proof as well.....

[Dave Adams]

there is not a lot of room in the Legerra for a fuel tank......have one made might be better. i have a focus tank that looked like it would fit......it doesn’t.

you could fit one of these.....  fuel tanks

the Hyundai Atoz tank is quite compact but only has a capacity of 35L or so.....it should fit very easily under the legerra and is also a fuel injection tank so useful for updating the Legerra.

[James Doulton]

So I have spent a few evenings this week painting my new galvanised MG Midget fuel tank ready to fit it this weekend. In a break between showers on Saturday, I cut out the floor of the boot to give me good access to the whole area. When the floor was out I saw the problem. It was the rubber seal under the fuel sender. In my case the sender is actually fitted on top of another larger plate which has a tube going through it which is the fuel outlet. The fuel outlet pipe goes through the plate very close to the edge.

The home made rubber seal (fitted before my ownership) had split and now fuel could get out easily. That didn't tear as I removed it, it was like that already.

So I welded a bit of extra steel onto the plate next to the fuel pipe to support a wider gasket. The heat from that welding melted the solder(?) holding the fuel pipe in place but I managed to get it back in place (approximately) before it refroze. Finally, I made a new gasket using a thin sheet of cork from Hobbycraft (£4) and sealed it with blue silicone gasket paste. I have now refilled the tank, which took 40 litres, and confirmed that my new gasket is leak proof (for now at least).

When I realised that the tank itself was fine, I was going to remove it and give it a thorough renovation but I couldn't get to both sides of the two bolts at the front of the tank without an accomplice and there were none of those around. So for now I have just fixed the leak. I think.

Anyone want an MG Midget fuel tank?

[Brian (up north) Morris]

nar james has taste way too ugly he knows that :-))))

[Brian (up north) Morris]

do you even drive your duttons daryl. or just the landy ...??????

[James Doulton]

I don't expect that I'll sell it, Daryl, I have a garage full of bits that I haven't used and I've not thought about selling any of them, well not seriously. TBH I rather fancy an S1 or S2, not for the look of it but just because of the big engine compartment. I think I could have a lot of fun with an Essex V6 in one of those. The Midget tank might not go with the V6 though.

[Adrian Southgate]

How are you going to put the boot floor back in?

[Adrian Southgate]

Err yup, I've done something similar... question is ... has James?

[James Doulton]

I intend to rivet and glue a strip of anodised ally about 38mm by 3mm to the bit that I have cut out on all sides of the cut out, Then I will rivet and glue some anodised ally angle under the edge of the opening to make it more rigid. Then the boot floor will drop into place and I will fix it with a load of stainless screws and riv-nuts (I got a machine at the Exeter Kit Car Show). That way it'll be reasonably strong but removable when the tank really does give up.