Beach Buggy .Info

Beach Buggy Help Zone => Beach Buggy General Help => Topic started by: Damian on April 22, 2017, 12:20:57 PM

Title: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Damian on April 22, 2017, 12:20:57 PM
Hi, I have another newby question for y'all.

What's the capacity of a standard Beetle fuel tank and what range would it give, roughly?

We went to look at a Buggy yesterday and its fuel gauge was all over the place, the current owner said that it was due to the old style sender in the tank, I thought it might be old and worn out!  I guess they can be easily replaced?

Cheers...
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Manxdavid on April 22, 2017, 12:37:50 PM
Depending on engine etc I usually recon on 150-170 miles to a tank full. If your car's got the old square type fuel guage then you've got a cable operated float that can be hit and miss. The ones built into Beetle speedos are electric and more accurate but can take a bit of setting up by bending the float arm as buggy tanks can sit at a different angle to Beetle ones.

Taking the bonnet off to access the sender can be a pain though... :'(
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Chad on April 22, 2017, 02:06:45 PM
If it's a Doon then uses standard petrol tank so can hold upto 40 litres, but on 30 of that is usable. (angle of tank. Position of outlets etc).
Mine is a 2 litre and we'll set up for distance running so can average over 35 miles per gallon on a good cruise. My Buggy can get over 250 miles but as Dave says depends on tank size engine set up etc.
Buggies like Gp, Manx style need adjustments to the tank to make them fit. Which reduces their capacity.
Affordable accuracy, I now use a gizmo between the sender and gauge on wiring jobs( can be any sender and gauge) which is programmable to give really accurate gauge readings. Costs about £40 but great big of kit.
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Flags on April 22, 2017, 08:43:35 PM
Talking of Doon's Chad, any idea when Lee is back from the US as Raspberry is now clean, shiny and ready to sell so I've got to give him a call?
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Chad on April 22, 2017, 10:14:30 PM
He is back tomorrow I think as kids at school on Monday.

Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Dave DND on April 23, 2017, 10:45:33 AM
Fuel range depends a lot on angle of the tank.

With my 1300cc engine, i could just about get a range of 95 miles and currently about 120 miles on my 2 liter
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Damian on April 23, 2017, 11:02:03 AM
Thanks everyone, food for thought.

The buggy I'm looking at is a 1600cc with twin weber's, KN's etc.  If we can agree on a price then I'd be very interested in the gadget you mentioned chad. 

The Mum-in-Law lives around 130miles away in North Wales which means using with the A55 (boring), or heading towards Ruthin, down the A5 via the Evo triangle, then the B4407 towards Ffestiniog and onto Mynytho. That's roughly 130 miles, and the last I want to be worried about is fuel!
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Doon L001 on April 23, 2017, 11:49:45 AM
Should be doable on a ta k a d get a spare fuel can
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Chad on April 23, 2017, 05:39:43 PM
130 miles.  I would get there and back on one tank  ;-)up
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Doon L001 on April 23, 2017, 08:39:27 PM
Quote from: Doon L001 on April 23, 2017, 11:49:45 AM
Should be doable on a ta k a d get a spare fuel can

The n is too close to the space on my phone - sorry

should say
Should be doable on a tank and get a spare fuel can
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: snoopy on April 23, 2017, 09:29:35 PM
The 130 miles each way should be easy on a tank the refill in Wales should be just around 20 ltrs as with most things buggy there are many variations the only way to prove mileage is run the tank low then drain it, put in 5 litres note the mileage and gauge position then an immediate full to the brim to get capacity. Then run it until the gauge reads where the 5 litres was. Speedo reading for mileage covered then refill to the brim for fuel used. Then a quick calculation for mpg or mpl.
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: ben_w on April 29, 2017, 10:56:14 AM
Not much range for me :D
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Krug on April 29, 2017, 07:51:55 PM
Green garden canes are the future ... I get 120 miles min on a three quarter reading :)
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Mikeohope on April 29, 2017, 08:16:25 PM
Ha ha  ;D same method I use Krug....
Title: Re: Fuel tanks / range...
Post by: Doon L001 on May 02, 2017, 08:19:17 AM
Just done 190 miles since fill up last 60 guage was on bottom stop

Haven't looked yet to see how much is left