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Pastic fuel tank fitting
Alez - 19/10/05 at 09:50 AM

The fixings in my standard tank broke the other day and I'd like to take the opportunity to fit this instead:
http://www.nfauto.co.uk/fuel_tanks.htm

I don't know if I need the item listed at the very bottom to make it work as I know nothing about tanks: "ALSO AVAILABLE. 8mm Banjo assembly & seals for fuel return or breather connections
PRICE £12.00 + £2.50 p&p"

How does this thing work? What's a banjo assembly? (I thought the banjo was a musical instrument to be honest.)

Cheers,

Alex

mangogrooveworkshop - 19/10/05 at 10:30 AM

The thing is shaped like a banjo hence the term banjo this is were you connect the fuel pipes

Alez - 19/10/05 at 10:36 AM

Thank you!

So I guess I need that, but what does "fuel return" and "breather" mean? Do I need more than one of those banjo assemblies in my tank?

Cheers,

Alex

piddy - 19/10/05 at 11:08 AM

If injection engine is fitted you will need a return.
If carbs then no.
The ad is saying you will need a banjo for all three.
But I would find a cheaper way. I would fit the banjo to the onlet and return if needed.

MikeR - 19/10/05 at 11:12 AM

not true, some carb settups need a return - my dgav for example.

Alez - 19/10/05 at 12:19 PM

quote:
The ad is saying you will need a banjo for all three.


Is that one banjo for all three or one for each?

I thought a fuel tank was just a tank with a pipe going to a fuel pump but I see there's a lot more involved. (Why?)

I'll take pictures of my old tank setup and post them here, I run a carbed Fireblade.

Thank you!

iank - 19/10/05 at 12:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Alez
quote:
The ad is saying you will need a banjo for all three.


Is that one banjo for all three or one for each?

I thought a fuel tank was just a tank with a pipe going to a fuel pump but I see there's a lot more involved. (Why?)

I'll take pictures of my old tank setup and post them here, I run a carbed Fireblade.

Thank you!


Three banjo's one for each pipe. A banjo is just a fitting for connecting a pipe to a threaded hole.

You need 2-4 pipes for a fuel tank.
1. Inlet - Big wide one so you can fill it up.
2. Outlet - supplies fuel to the engine via a pump.
3. Return - Allows unused fuel to go back into the tank (injection, some carbs)
4. Breather - Allows air to replace fuel as it's used (i.e. prevents a vaccum forming in the tank). Not always required if you have a vented fuel cap.

Alez - 19/10/05 at 03:08 PM

Fantastic explanation, thank you!!

Do you use anything as a sealant to fit these to the threads, like teflon or something?


[Edited on 19/10/05 by Alez]

owelly - 19/10/05 at 07:20 PM

MikeR? Could you not just plum the fuel return into the feed from the tank but before the pump?

MkIndy7 - 19/10/05 at 07:33 PM

You can use normal brass plumbing fittings for the fuel line, either threaded, compression or solder.


Theres some very mixed answers on plumbing the return in pre pump.
We've been told a few times that this "works" although have never seen it.

We have tried it once on another car and the engine wouldn't run (or start maybe) until this link was shut off,
we presume because the fuel was short circuiting and just pumping round the return.

[Edited on 19/10/05 by MkIndy7]

piddy - 19/10/05 at 10:00 PM

Hi.
I had the return on my previous car fitted with a DGAV. going from the return outlet back to the feed before the pump as per webber instructions and it worked fine

Spyderman - 20/10/05 at 02:33 PM

Ideally you want the return pipe to go back into the tank separate to the outlet to pump.
If you are running carbs and have a low pressure pump then you could possibly get away with plumbing the return into outlet.
The main reason for keeping them separate is due to airation of the fuel after being pumped. If you recycle the airated fuel you can get fuel starvation symptoms.
Another way around this is to use a swirl pot, but it would always be better to draw cool fresh fuel from the tank instead of recycled.

Terry