Ran out of Gas
Ran out of Gas
I ran out of gas yesterday, some nice person stopped and pulled me to the gas station. I was only able to fit 8 gallons in it. I am thinking about adding a 4 gallon tank in the back and tee it into the fuel line. Because this reserve tank would be higher than the front tank it would need a shut off because the higher tank would flood the lower tank. I am using 6AN fittings so it would be easy to tee in with some small ball valves. Does anyone have a different method for adding extra capacity? So far this year my coldest ride has been 50 miles at 28?F.
My Corvair turbo powered clone goes through fuel rather quickly too. I have the stock VW reserve petcock on the bottom of the tank to at least allow me some room to get to a station. The large wingnut to turn it is under the center of the dash. I also carry a 1 gal extra in the well behind the drivers' seat just in case. Steve Goodman manx clone w/turbo Corvair Denver, Colo Manx member #299
I never ran out of gas until I replaced my fuel sender. ( still dialing it in) I now carry an extra gallon at all times. Problem with that is my sister next door uses it to fill her mower so her Lexus does not get the gas smell. My VW van has the same issue.. I just try to keep the tank full. I still think the ultimate soultion is to have a bi-level pick up in the tank for a reserve supply. But going to the gas station is kind of an event for me. That and the post office. Going to the dunes costs too much anymore.
Congratulations! Welcome to the club! I have managed to run out of gas in just about every motorcycle, buggy, water craft, etc. we have played around with. We haven't run out of fuel in any of the planes yet, but give us time! I did run out of gas with the buggy once. Imagine my surprise when I discovered I could only get eight gallons in the tank! I ran out of gas north of the El Toro Marine base (now closed). There was no one around except for a kind gentleman who let me use his cell phone to call a friend with a gas can. Now I fill the tank when the trip odometer hits 100. I can go as far as 160 miles on a tank, depending on what mood the engine's in. My gas gauge does some interesting things when the tank is low, so it's hard to depend on. I drive my buggy into the middle of nowhere. With no other vehicles. Some say it's a mental disorder, others say I am brave, but I don't think it's a big deal. One thing that's important is to have enough fuel. Not only that, the fuel must be readily available. I considered a dual tank system with a transfer switch, even additional fuel pumps. I eventually settled on a simple 5 gallon polyethylene gas can with an extended filler tube. Attach the filler tube, stick the end into the filler neck of the gas tank, pour. Works every time. Of course, this works well when enjoying a beer, cooking a bratwurst on the electric cooker, and all the other things that go with traveling the dirt roads in the desert. It might not work so well on the interstate, but it WILL get you home. Or at least to the next gas station. You got me beat on the coldest ride. We were *****ing when it was 40 degrees on the way to Santiago Peak a couple years back. It was pretty cool watching the chunks of ice falling off the repeater towers, smashing to bits as they hit the aluminum struts. It looked like broken glass everywhere. How about the warmest ride? My buggy did fine at 110 degrees as long as we were in the dirt, but it didn't want to keep up with traffic on the highway! The CHT kept climbing every time we got to a hill. One of the drawbacks of an air cooled engine!
I welded the filler cap in the location of the sending unit so I think a gauge is out of the picture. I have had this crazy idea of using a clear plastic tube as a sight gauge like you would use on a hydraulic tank. I was thinking if I tee of the bottom of the tank with a clear plastic tube and run it through the firewall and then back to the top of the tank it might work for a fuel gauge. I would just put marks on the tube to know how much is left, that way next time I stall on the road I can look under the dash and say it's time to start walking. Steve, on your Corvair did you change the direction of engine rotation? Lee You got me on that one, living next to Lake Superior I have never seen 110?F.
I can't beat Lee's high temp trip but I bet I have him beat for actual "uncomfortableness". I and my comrades made a 35 mile trip home in our buggys from a car show @ 3:00 in the afternoon. It was basically stop and go traffic the whole way. None of us have tops on our buggys and the temp was 101 degrees w/84% humidity. I still make fun of my friend, Tom, who while we were sitting at a stop light, I look across the street and the bank thermometer is reading 100F then I look in my mirror and here is Tom sitting there with a big smile on his face. I still don't know what he was thinking. I don't know if he does either. I had to snap a picture. 
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5150bossman
- Posts: 606
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 5:00 am
- Location: So Cal
Well, for a cold trip, we did 128 miles in temps varying from 36 deg to havinig it snow on us when we were on Maniac's Mojave Red Rocks run this past spring. Fortunately, we brought our ski clothes with us to try and stay warm. So far as hot, we were in Vegas, trying to drive up the strip on a saturday night (MISTAKE!). While not the hottest I'm sure, it was 105 deg at 8 PM in bumper to bumper traffic. Took us an hour and a half to get only half way up the strip and back! My clutch leg never got such a workout. The only relief was whenever we would pass a casino entrance, you could feel the temp drop 20 deg from all the AC blasting out the doors. :laugh1: Oh yeah, the topic at hand. The year before at Red Rocks, I ran out of gas at the very end of the weekend while doing a trash run. Got almost all the way to the trash cans when I tried to pass a slower car. Suddenly, the buggy started to buck and sputter. Then nothing. Fuel guage said just under a 1/4 tank left. Fortuneately, Melfol was nearby with his new fuel station, so I got to break it in for him :drinking: . So now I am careful when it drops near a 1/4. So far as putting a clear plastic tube in or visible from the passenger compartment to check fuel levels, I wouldn't want gas anywhere near me (yes, I know there isn't much between me and the tank in front, but it is metal). But even the smallest chance of burning up from gas being in the passenger compartment with me makes me shiver!
ran out of gas
I have an old set of VDO Classic series gauges that was given to me when I bought the buggy body, all the gauges needed some work, including spending 100.00 to make the speedo work (not very accurate), the gauge always reads backwards, I have tried switching wires, etc., but its O.K., since I know how to read it, but one day my wife took the buggy to take my son to his music lessons, thought she had 3/4 tank of gas, ran out, and my son had to push her thru downtown Montrose until they found a parking spot. 
2 weekends ago, I drove the buggy to my daughters soccer game, ran out and coasted downhill for about 1 1/2 miles to a gas station, cruised righ in, never had to push. Yes, my gas gauge is also a problem for me. I think visually looking in the tank is probably the safest. I have never gone more than maybe 25 to 30 miles from camp, so have not had an issue with range.
2 weekends ago, I drove the buggy to my daughters soccer game, ran out and coasted downhill for about 1 1/2 miles to a gas station, cruised righ in, never had to push. Yes, my gas gauge is also a problem for me. I think visually looking in the tank is probably the safest. I have never gone more than maybe 25 to 30 miles from camp, so have not had an issue with range.My fuel guage reads half when it's full and then sits on half until it's nearly empty and then it heads down to empty real fast. When I see the guage start to move I get fuel straight away. A mate of mine has a fuel gauge that reads empty when its full and then it reads full when it's empty! Now that is confusing
Hello Ross: Yes the Corvair is reverse turning, 164ci +.040, turbo w/tight exhaust housing. To desbuggy: The VW used a piece of tubing to attach the 'switch or valve' to a handle inside the car, I did the same, a piece of tubing with a large wingnut affair from a spare tire carrier welded to it. I can simply twist the handle 90 degrees and have a gallon or so more fuel, right from the drivers' seat. COLD DRIVING: heck I live in Denver, Co, been out below freezing and the car has no top. Short drive however, autoxing on frozen lakes in the mountains west of town. Hmmm, maybe I shouldn't state things like that, you folks will think I am slightly deranged.......... Steve Goodman Denver, Co manx clone w/turbo Corvair #299
Kevin fromWyoming .