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 Posted: Jan 23, 2019 07:20PM
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CA
I had not noticed the OP was that old.
How is it even possible to bring up a 7 year old post?

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Jan 23, 2019 05:23PM
 Edited:  Jan 23, 2019 05:26PM
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Also Cup Cake, who was one of the first to text advice for one of my questions, who is hopefully absent for other reasons.

I agree with the sticking the nozzle in as far a possible, and stopping at the first kick off.

 Posted: Jan 23, 2019 05:42AM
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CA
Weird to see this post pop up from the past, six years later but more weirder to see a post by our late friend N J

R I P

Big AL

[email protected]

Niagara Ontario Canada

 Posted: Jan 22, 2019 10:31AM
 Edited:  Jan 22, 2019 10:32AM
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US
Or 6 US gallons. That 5.5 gallon tank is 6.6 US gallons.

 Posted: Jan 22, 2019 09:31AM
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CA
If both your tanks are of the 5.5 gallon type ( original Cooper size ), put no more than 5 gallons in each  ( ~23 litres )

 

"Everybody should own a MINI at some point, or you are incomplete as a human being" - James May

"WET COOPER", Partsguy1 (Terry Snell of Penticton BC ) - Could you send the money for the unpaid parts and court fees.
Ordered so by a Judge

 

 

 

 Posted: Jan 21, 2019 10:15PM
TRP
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I just replaced both of my caps with tbe nice stainless ones. Now both caps leaked all down the back of my car. What the heck?

 Posted: Apr 8, 2012 08:41AM
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US

It would be nice if my Monza cap didn't leak. Oh well. At one time, I had the small vent hole brazed over, but even that didn't work. Maybe the path is between the filler neck and the brass ring. I'll remove it (not an easy task, actually, as the fit is beyond snug), and try sealing it to the filler neck as Isleblue notes.

N J

Sarcasm - Because beating the crap out of someone is illegal.

Avatar:  'B, bye Veruca. Luv ya.

 Posted: Apr 8, 2012 04:33AM
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I'd agree with all that. I think the question had to do with weather you had to add a fuel outlet tube to the bottom of a SPI tank to provide balance with a second tank.

If you have a return line fitting why would you try to return to a tee between the tanks? What if you tried a oneway valve between the tee and the right tank? Would the high rate of return flow siphion the right tank to the left causing it to over flow?

CTR

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 10:53PM
 Edited:  Apr 7, 2012 11:01PM
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I have messed around with my tank caps for ages...sometimes I can get them to seal for a few months, but they eventually start leaking all over the paint again.  I think I will cut the tops off the filler necks and weld on a late model car threaded neck, so a threaded (smog type) cap can be used. They look a bit fugly though. 

For the in-tank pump install, here is what I did for my VTEC car; The left tank has the pump in it with the feed line to the injectors.  the return line needs to go back to the same tank. not into a "T" between the tanks, otherwise the right tank will overflow in short order; (from experience). there needs to be the typical balance or cross-over hose between the two tanks, at the bottom, and both tanks need to be vented at the top.

Retired manufacturer of VTEC/Mini performance conversion kits

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 07:19PM
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No I have not had anydealings with an SPI fuel system. I have rebuilt some trannys but nothing out back. I'd need to see how the in tank fuel pump is plumbed.

CTR

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 07:04AM
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US

I had this style gas cap

Locking gas cap

But they always leaked when cornering.  I replaced the rubber gaskets with thick soft silicone orange gaskets, but they still leaked.  Over time my paint stained even started peeling under my rear valence along the stream fuel path and I was tired of dealing with it.

I switched to this cap a month ago:

Monza gas cap

And the leaking is gone.  The problem is that other gas caps rubber seals seal against the often uneven surface of your filler neck.  The style above (Monza) seals against its self as it has a spring loaded plate with the gasket on it that pushes down from the top cap body onto the lower cap body opening.  A brass collar is pressed onto the filler neck and the cap threads onto this collar.  I put a thin layer of silicone between the collar and fill neck and between the cap and threads of the collar, so no fuel can get between the neck and fuel cap.  I tested them out by putting in 12 gallons - over capacity for my two 5.5 gallon tanks and driving around corners and stopping and starting quickly.  To my surprise no fuel escaped.

These seem expensive, but it turned out to be the best no-brainer investment to save my paint and eliminate the constant smell of raw gas coming from the rear of my car.

 

"I drive a Mini. What are you compensating for?"

 

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 06:30AM
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Steve, have you ever installed twin tanks in a spi injection Mini. If so can it be "Teed" in the normal way or does it need a seperate pick up point from the injection tank as the fuel line out of the injection tank is under pressure due to the in tank fuel pump. Would it still pull fuel from the second tank if plumbed in like normal ?

If in doubt, flat out. Colin Mc Rae MBE 1968-2007.

Give a car more power and it goes faster on the straights,
make a car lighter and it's faster everywhere. Colin Chapman.

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 06:13AM
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Scargo, we don't have any hills around here.

I plan to take Alex's car out with a GPS today. I want to check the speedo correction factor and get a MPH in each gear. I don't expect I'll run 4th out till I get a few miles on it.

CTR

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 06:10AM
 Edited:  Apr 7, 2012 06:11AM
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Don't fill the tanks to the top. Even so fuel slops around and might leak. 

The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it. G.B.S. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Oscar Wilde

//www.cupcakecooper.ca/

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 05:54AM
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When both tanks are full, try to avoid parking the car on a surface that slants right to left. With one tank higher than the other you'll likely get leakage out of the cap on the lower tank.

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 05:29AM
 Edited:  Apr 7, 2012 05:36AM
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The quality of the caps are not what they used to be. I also have twin tanks large capacity left and S right. It appeared as if someone had removed a locking cap from both without a key. It's not easy to get the sealing ring flat once this happens. If you look at tractor supply and maybe CarQuest / NAPA you can find a stainless or chrome cap of better quality. I pulled the gasket out of mine and went to Hampton Rubber and had them make me new ones out of several different thickness fuel proof materials. I played with them till I could just close the cap. This car has been off the road for one year. When last driving it I'd fill till the pump cut off with the nozzle as deep in as possible then move to the small tank and do the same. Sorry to report since getting this one back going I have not been able to afford to test my new gaskets.

CTR

Edit: forgot to mention there should be a small hose running across the trunk/boot just below the parcel shelf tieing the tanks together it should have a tee and another small hose that exits the trunk/boot floor where the fuel line goes out. You can get the small tee, tube and even a one way valve at a pet shop that has fish.

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 04:19AM
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duane315
US

mine leaks too if i fill it up. i just figured it was normal.

 Posted: Apr 7, 2012 01:55AM
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I have dual tanks installed in my (new to me) Mini Cooper.  One filler cap was a flip-up casting that revealed a key lock while the other was a rusted typical spin-on cap.  I replaced them both with shiny new stainless spin-on caps from MM.  I filled both tanks last week for the first time and drove off smelling fuel.  When I got home, fuel had run down the back of the car from both filler caps.  I understand the venting for the tanks is from the cap but I didn't think fuel would come out of them like this.  What am I missing?  Short of never filling up (difficult to know!), how can I prevent fuel from spilling out of the filler caps?