If ever there was a competition for ...................

[40TPI]

the least water in a test tank then this would surely be a strong contender.....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... eName=STRK:

Peter

[Vic]

I have run mine in a bucket! So much for the myth that you cannot get a cooling water flow in a test tank or is it faked?

Not got the right fuel tank. Feet face the wrong way

[rikanaka]

Not got the right fuel tank. Feet face the wrong way

Looks like there are 4 feet so the tank could face either way. Did BS make 4 footed tanks so the same tank could be fitted to a 40 or 100? Or were the second pair of feet added on to this particular tank at some point?

[charlesp]

British Seagull had a few stabs at sorting out a 'One tank for all models' policy.

Yes there were a few that had four feet - with the sailorman and instruction decals printed sideways so it was half way there whichever way round you put the tank. There are not many of these.

There were also tanks with two fuel tap threads - so your tap would go in either end. The other was filled with a blanking plug. This is a much better idea, but of course the sideways decals remained.

[40TPI]

This is a much better idea, but of course the sideways decals remained.

Not sure on that, particularly with the steel tanks. Being able to plumb in the tap to either side means that the shaped tank only ever mounts one way round.





Click to enlarge.

The decal will remain facing the tiller.

This, by the way, is not the recommended way to remove your petrol tank. Has to be a pun about heads and headaches somewhere.....

Even in this state it is not all scrap. As well as the Ewarts tap it is worth saving the brass blanking plug which Charles referred to. This makes the perfect substitute for a petrol tap when cleaning out a "gunged up" tank using the handful of nuts and dash of petrol method. Saves having to use the thumb as a temporary plug. Petrol is not the best for the manicure!

Peter

[mfallon]

All right, I am feeling very much the idiot. I run the salt/fuel out of mine in a five gallon bucket all the time. It pumps water fine – a very strong stream in fact. Am I committing some sort of mortal sin?

The clutch is disengaged and working at low-ish rpms, of course.

[charlesp]

No mortal sin at all; it only goes to show that some of us use the planet's resources more carefully that others.

Steel tanks - yes you can end up with the decal facing the right way - but a sideways decal means you can choose which end the filler cap is too...

[Hugz]

British Seagull had a few stabs at sorting out a 'One tank for all models' policy.

Would this be one of those?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/British- ... enameZWD2V

Hugo.

[niander]

Very nice cond tank!

[40TPI]

Well spotted. So BS did have a full solution but went through the sideways decal before the extra cost of putting in two 1/8 inch BSP tapped holes. Would be interesting to know the cost difference they faced between two ports or the extra brazing fabrication cost on four feet rather than two.

Then again maybe I've jumped to the wrong conclusion that this was the final solution because it is the most logical! Maybe the four feet design was the cheapest and that was the final offering!

Do you have any dates for the various types Charles?

But some doubts remain in my mind as to whether this example really is NOS and has never been on a motor!




Peter

[charlesp]

No dates, I'm afraid.

I can hazarda guess that the 'four feet' variety was earlier than the '2 tapped holes' one. The '4 feet' example I have is from a fairly early LS, and later varieties have the one with 2 holes.

The 4 feet version is awkward and ungainly - it also doesn't have the strength that the 2 footed versions have.