professor95 wrote:Barfnick wrote:
Has anyone figured out a way to add a larger/extended fuel tank to these? Just curious if this has been done yet or not. I tried to search, but nothing came up.
Nothing commercial. But, I made one that works just fine.
See first photo below for a visual of the following description:
- I started with a spare tank cap purchased from parts. Remove the clip inside the cap A and it all comes apart.
- Be sure you remove the "O" ring B from the top outside of the cap so you can glue in a barbed fitting.
- The inside gasket C needs to be put back on the inside of the cap. A drop of super glue will keep it from falling off.
- I found a barbed fitting D in my junk box that I cut down on a grinding wheel so that it would fit into the hole in the top of the cap.
The barbed fitting needs to be glued into the cap so it is air tight. I used a fuel proof epoxy. Photo below:
I have a boat with an Evinrude outboard motor. There are three 6 gallon plastic fuel tanks for the boat. Each tank has a fuel line with a primer bulb and a fitting that fits the motor.
I did not want to buy a new tank and hose, so I decided to "borrow" one from the boat. To make the connection I put a male fitting rescued from an old fuel tank (you can also purchase a new one - Wal-Mart has the fittings) A on a 12" piece of fuel line that was connected to the barbed fitting on the generator fuel cap. This allowed me to use the boat tank with no modifications as I could plug the boat tank fitting B to the fitting A and line to the generator. See photos below.
To use the system screw the modified cap loosely onto the generator fuel tank and plug in connectors A and B. While the cap is loose, squeeze the primer bulb to prime the fuel line. The loose cap on the generator will allow air to escape from the fuel line. Photo below.
In order for the system to work with the gravity fuel feed on the generator (no fuel pump like the Honda)
- The generator fuel tank should be full of gas.
- The auxiliary tank must have the vent on its cap OPEN.
- Connect the aux tank to the fitting for the generator cap.
- Squeeze the fuel line primer bulb with the generator fuel cap loose until fuel flows freely from the fuel line.
- Once air is purged from the fuel line, completely tighten the fuel cap on the generator tank so it is air tight.
- The system works better if the aux tank is at the same level or slightly above the generator fuel tank. I used a plastic tool box that I normally carry in the camper.
- As fuel drains from the generator tank a vacuum is created that allows fuel to siphon at a regulated rate from the aux tank.
NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE AN AIR TIGHT CONNECTION FROM THE GENERATOR CAP TO THE AXILLARY TANK. THE AUX TANK DRAWS FUEL OUT OF THE BOTTOM VIA A TUBE IN THE TANK. SINCE THE GENERATOR IS A GRAVITY SYSTEM PURGE AS MUCH AIR AS POSSIBLE FROM THE FUEL LINE BEFORE SCREWING THE GENERATOR CAP ON TIGHTLY SO YOU WILL HAVE A SIPHON AS FUEL IN THE GENERATOR TANK DROPS.
Of course, you may need to modify some of my steps if you do not currently have a boat fuel tank to use. If you buy a new tank and fuel line, I encourage you to have a primer bulb in the line with a check valve to prevent fuel from flowing back into the aux tank and to purge air from the fuel line. I do not know if it would draw fuel without the primer bulb - that is something you may want to try if you need to save a few bucks. A new tank and line would not need my intermediate connection. You can attach the fuel line directly to the cap. Just remember you will need to be able to turn the cap to get it on or off so the fuel line will need to turn as well at some point in the system.
