Why is it so hard to fill my car with gas?

[whitenviro]

I've been trying to post some photos of what I see when filling, but the forum code just wants to put placeholders instead of images. Here are the html links to the pics instead. Anyone know how to make them appear here?

On my car there is a loose metal sleeve that sits inside the filler neck near the top. I've been told this might be something specific to 1980-81 US spec cars. The sleeve has a spring operated flap near the bottom of it. With this in place it makes it almost impossible to fill up.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitenviro/5244818434/

You can grab the sleeve with your finger and pull it up about an inch, until it is right at the top of the fill neck. Reach in with a long screwdriver and push open the flap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitenviro/5244818466/

Then push the sleeve back down and the flap will catch on a metal crossbar that is clearly visible here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitenviro/5244220053/

After that, I can fill up with gas pretty easily.


[/img]
1980 Pageant Blue DHC with removable hardtop.

[FI Spyder]

Can't seems to do it with flikr. Start a free photobucket account. Left clicking on direct link line automatically copies to memory so when you right click the middle of IMG's (by clicking on picture icon on Post New Reply window) you just click on paste.



TR7 Spider - 1978 Spitfire - 1976 Spitfire - 1988 Tercel 4X4 - Kali on Integra - 1991 Integra - Yellow TCT

[jclay (RIP 2018)]

Clay

[url="http://web.mac.com/jclaythompson/Site/Welcome.html"]My Triumph Site[/url], [url="http://web.me.com/jclaythompson/Technical"]Technical Stuff[/url], [url="https://docs.google.com/?hl=en&tab=wo&authuser=0&pli=1#folders/folder.0.0B6b9tx6hnkzLYzM5MmNhYWItZjliYS00M2QzLWE1M2YtNWNlZWIzZjExZTdm"]Download Page[/url]

[fiveliters]

When I first bought my car some years ago,I never had an issue filling the tank like any other car I've had. About a year or two ago,I hit the same issue that Tom M mentioned about the pump clicking off. Short term,I squeeze the handle only about 1/2 way and fill it slowly,and I can fill the whole tank,just takes a looong time. I found that if I use a long funnel,I can squeeze the handle full blast and fill it,as I imagine the pressure of the full-on squeeze is dissipated over the length of the funnel. When the weather gets warmer,I may try the above tips on the anti-siphon thing,as it seems like that may be the issue.

[Odd]

Why not just take that offending sleeve/flap out of the filler neck?
If it's crushed with a suitable tool it should be easy to take it out, since it's loose already.

I think those neck restrictors were originally an American thing: Fitted to prevent a leaded petrol
filling nozzle to enter the neck - but since there's no leaded petrol to be had anymore (at least
not in civilised countries) it's lost its purpose... So should be easy to live without it.

The anti-siphoning device was another gadget, they fitted it to the downmost end of the filler
neck. From experience my guess is most of those are rolling around down in their tanks by now...

<font color="red"><b>My two 1980 Wedges...</b></font id="red">