the gas bladder: exposed!

[seeh2o]

Wow, amazing. Please thank your husband. He loves you sooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!

Good luck with the grant, I know that drill all too well. It was probably a good activity for him to stay away while you were writing (maybe it was a survival thing for him as well as a loving gesture). Most everyone I know stay clear of me while I'm in grant writing mode!

[kiwiruss]

Great job on the pics and disecting of the tank.

better you than me.

[tochatihu]

Wow! hope he wore earplugs during the cutting open.

We usta talk about using compressed air (or similar) to get 'kinks' out of the bladder if it presented reduced capacity. But seeing the pictures, it seems unlikely that such an effort would help.

[KTPhil]

Do I understand the photos right in observing that inside a sealed metal container (the "tank") are a bunch of clamped rubber hoses and plastic parts? I hate to think what happens after 10 years or so, as most rubber deteriorates during that time. No way to access any of it, so the whole assembly gets replaced, assuming that parts are even available. You had to cut it open to see any of this, right, so it's all sealed inside?

[galaxee]

KTPhil,

don't worry too much about the hoses. they're not exposed to the elements (well, heat and cold, yes) like other rubber hoses that deteriorate.

[bwilson4web]

Hi,

Could the extra gas found in the tank be drained and purged without disassembly of the tank?

I'm wondering if the tank were turned upside down, could the spilled gas collect close enough to the two holes to be swabbed out? Then perhaps, safely, air be blown in one hole and exhausted out the other to get the last of the fumes?

I'm thinking in terms of avoiding the $1,000 tank replacement. It might take a little time and safety would be a concern. However, it might salvage a tank. Of course a salvage tank might be a faster answer.

Any ideas on how one might get a salvage tank? No, I don't have a bad tank but it is an avoidable but real risk . . . stuff happens.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

[SunnyvalePrius]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(bwilson4web @ Apr 13 2007, 08:24 AM) [snapback]422629[/snapback]</div>

Hi,

Could the extra gas found in the tank be drained and purged without disassembly of the tank?

I'm wondering if the tank were turned upside down, could the spilled gas collect close enough to the two holes to be swabbed out? Then perhaps, safely, air be blown in one hole and exhausted out the other to get the last of the fumes?

I'm thinking in terms of avoiding the $1,000 tank replacement. It might take a little time and safety would be a concern. However, it might salvage a tank. Of course a salvage tank might be a faster answer.

Any ideas on how one might get a salvage tank? No, I don't have a bad tank but it is an avoidable but real risk . . . stuff happens.

Thanks,
Bob Wilson
[/b]

Perhaps running a water and detergent solution through the tank would also help coax out the extra gas.

[galaxee]

the space between the bladder and metal tank is really only meant to handle small amounts of vapor. i mean, i suppose that one could go about doing that and get a bit of it but i'd imagine the cost of labor to do that would exceed the cost of new tank + labor to remove/reinstall.

to even get gas in there you've got to have some major damage anyway... in this case it ran through the charcoal canister.

[bwilson4web]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(galaxee @ Apr 13 2007, 10:48 AM) [snapback]422668[/snapback]</div>

the space between the bladder and metal tank is really only meant to handle small amounts of vapor. i mean, i suppose that one could go about doing that and get a bit of it but i'd imagine the cost of labor to do that would exceed the cost of new tank + labor to remove/reinstall.

to even get gas in there you've got to have some major damage anyway... in this case it ran through the charcoal canister.
[/b]

Like most things in life, there is a trade-off. It would not make sense for a repair shop but for an individual with more time than money . . .

On the charcoal canister, I thought it was external to the tank. I agree that a gasoline soaked canister had pretty much reached the end of its design life.

Bob Wilson

[David Beale]

In my experience, even if you fill the canister with liquid fuel, it will still be fine once you remove the fuel. Usually they will clean themselves out by evaporation, though it will take time. The cars systems will not be "happy" (mil light and trouble code) while that is going on, if they can detect it.