Plastic Gas Tank

[svx_commuter]

This isn't news to Lwin but it may be to others, the gas tank is plastic on the SVX. I am glad to know this as I worry about the tank rusting on older vechicles, 10 years plus. But then again I don't know how common a plastic tank is.

[Mr. Pockets]

Originally posted by svx_commuter
This isn't news to Lwin but it may be to others, the gas tank is plastic on the SVX. I am glad to know this as I worry about the tank rusting on older vechicles, 10 years plus. But then again I don't know how common a plastic tank is.

I don't know how common they are, either. My guess is 'not very.' There are two reasons a plastic tank was chosen for the SVX: weight (snicker) and the shape. Being a touring car, the SVX needed a relatively large tank to run for a long time on, and had FHI stuck with a metal stamped tank, it would have been pretty small.

[wawazat??]

European and Japanese models have used them far longer than here in the US, but most vehicles these days use them.

A disturbing trend that I'm seeing happen in the near future is what is known as "ship-in-a-bottle" fuel tanks where the pump and pick-up are molded into the tank, ie non-serviceable. Pump goes bad, you replace the entire tank! This is being done to meet fuel vapor emissions standards set by the gov't.

Todd

[Beav]

I read that the sealed tanks are because nobody flushes them out when replacing the pump. I believe that they're going to do it because they can make more money. A $6 pump + a $20 plastic bubble selling for $750+ is good business, especially if you're on the receiving end.

[svx_commuter]

and this is another reason to keep my current Subaru's running fro as long as I can, hope'g they don't rust away.

Because of where the tank was to be located, it was much easier for Subaru to make the complexe shape out of plastic. It also is quit fire -resistant (remember the pics in the Road & Track guide?)


Dave

[svx_commuter]

That is what I was reading when I found out about the tank.