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| Moderated by: Greg Fletcher |
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| Replacement Fuel Tank | Rating: 
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| Posted: 12-05-2007 06:53 pm |
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1st Post |
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Greg Fletcher Administrator 
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A Jensen Healey owner sent me this letter last week and I'm posting it as public service. I've never used one of these repro tanks myself, only seen one. My understanding is that the owners that have purchased this particular tank have had mostly positive comments about. If you have purchased one, please let us know if you like it or if you've had any issues. Thanks, Greg ________________________________________________________________ "Hello Greg. So I pulled the trigger and bought one of the aluminum gas tanks available on Ebay. The seller says he has sold 150 of these tanks with no problems. Seemed like a good decision at the time. I am having most of my work done by a very reputable shop. They received the tank, plugged the ports and added a bit of water. Rotated it around and discovered it leaked at one of the welds. Not bad, but it required a bit of work. Rather than send it back, my guy fixed it. Bigger problem. This tank is made exactly like the original tank. Great you say, a third the weight. But at the sending unit there is a cinch ring that forces the sending unit against the tank and seal when you rotate it's clamping ring. Unfortunately the cinch ring is exactly like the original, that is the same thickness. Those three little fingers that the ring on the sending unit tighten against look to be made from .03 thick steel on the original tanks. According to the mechanic the ring on the aluminum tank is made out of .06 which should be strong enough but is not. The result was that the fingers bend out as you tighten the ring. Worse the hole in the ring is about .07 bigger creating an even greater bending moment. It is my opinion and the opinion of my mechanic that this is a very serious design flaw. The tank was sent back to the manufacturer for repair and replacement of the cinch ring. This was completed and the tank checked with air pressure. Not that I am an expert in pressure checking a tank, but it seems that in many cases pressure may create a seal rather than discover a leak. So the tank was returned to my guy and he did a leak check using water with no pressure. It leaked, again at the sending unit. He called me and I called the manufacturer and he said we needed to use some kind of gas proof silicon sealant. My guy is unwilling to use the silicon as a patch as over time it is just a patch and may leak. The gaskets that come with the tank should create a permanent seal just as the originals. For some of you there may have been no problem. For others I have read that leaking was a problem at the sending unit. The manufacturer says he has never had a problem like this in the past. The tanks has been sent back and the old tank is being repaired. Like the plastic fuel tee that is between the Strombergs, I believe this has the potential to be at best a stinky trunk and garage, and at worst a potential disaster waiting to happen. Remember, it took years before the tees began to fail, and engine fires became a huge problem for JH owners. There is electricity in the trunk, a huge volume of fuel and possible a huge volume of gasoline fumes. Please check your Ebay purchased aluminum tank to be sure you do not have this problem. The tank is made by Jaguars by Jorge. Sincerely, Clif Williamson"
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| Posted: 12-06-2007 10:18 am |
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2nd Post |
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Harkes Member 
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Hi, I think i was one of the first to buy this aluminium tank from Gorge. The tank is great but indeed the white plastic ring to seat the tank sending unit won't seal properly. i didn't use the white plastic ring which came also suggested by someone else on the board who had already tried this and it would leak. I also found out it leaked using this white plastic ring. The problem is that the plastic ring is too hard and too thick and when using too much force it will bend the fingers of the locking ring (or break even) The rubber seal is much better, however when you use the original rubber seal you find it won't seal well as it is too thin. I then used and purschased a second rubber seal. One rubber seal i have put between sending unit and the tank, the other i used between locking ring and the sending unit....and it is a tight fit cheers erik
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| Posted: 01-02-2008 07:49 pm |
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3rd Post |
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timeforwalkies Member
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Update on the leaking fuel tank problem. The tank was returned to Jauguars by Jorge for repair. Was told that a new tank was sent in its place, but it was the same tank. The tank still leaked at the sending unit port. Jorge indicated that it is necessary to use silicon to create a good seal, but my mechanic refused and returned the tank to Jauguars by Jorge. To date I have been charged $155.00 shipping by Jorge, two and one half hours labor, return shipping times two and I have no tank. All in all I am out about $450.00. Jorge's response to all of this was "sue me" and a few other choice expletives that I am not allowed to repeat on this sight. The craftmanship of these tanks is at best OK. While the tank is physically the same the welds are not good and the sending unit port is a problem. If you have purchased one of these tanks please keep an eye on it. Welds do fail with time and the sending unit seal is suspect. My recommendation is to repair your existing tank if possilbe.
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| Posted: 01-29-2009 07:05 pm |
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4th Post |
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timeforwalkies Member
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Just a short update to the Jaguars By Jorge aluminum fuel tank problems. I had my existing steel tank repaired but was concerned that in the future the tank might develop another leak. Jaguars By Jorge put his tanks on sale, plus free shipping so I decided to take a chance and buy one for future use. I don't know if the sending unit flange problem was solved. I didn't get that far. I noticed right away that the tank was rattling around in the crate and when I removed the end panel found that there was no packing material. Just a few pieces of crumpled up newspaper. When I removed the tank I discovered that one of the top flanges was bent over. Not so bad that it could not be fixed, but bad enough. Also the welds were really bad. I mean High School weld shop bad. Big thick welds that in some cases had to be ground off. Worse, in a couple of places the welds had been ground off so bad it had gone into the base material. Next there was a big bulge on the trunk exposed face. To me this was a sign of either bad forming, over heating during weld, or damage from shipping. I could not tell. And finally Jorge's attitude has not changed. He did offer me $50.00 off or to replace the tank at my expense, but when I declined he became very hostile. More verbal abuse to me and to his employees. He seems to think all that goes wrong is some body else's fault, and not his. It's his business. So tank was sent back. This time it only cost me the return shipping charge. Stupid me. Timeforwalkies Last edited on 01-29-2009 07:17 pm by timeforwalkies |
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