Thread: Twin tank fuel management

The multi tank installations I've fitted have the breathers hooked to the fast fill line, so that if you pump into the main tank and it's too full the excess just runs back via the breather line into an emptier tank. No timers, no float switches, no mess. Glance at the main fuel gauge occasionally, listen for the Facet pump clattering, it all works out. Each auxiliary tank gets its own pump. If you really do damage the main tank it's no biggie to carry enough hose to reconnect the plumbing accordingly.

Originally Posted by gromit

My Defender came with a LRA sill tank and a transfer pump.
The sill tank has a gauge and also a low level sensor. A three way rocker switch selects main tank gauge, sill tank gauge or transfer from sill to main. While transferring it shows the sill tank level and a green light illuminates to remind you it's pumping.
If the sill tank gets too low the pump stops (via the low level sensor) and a red light comes on so you don't burn out the pump.

What it doesn't do is stop pumping if the main tank is full.

There are a couple of relays involved and many years ago I did make a sketch of the wiring layout but doubt I could find it now.

That pretty much covers all bases and allows fuel management switching between blends...something I do each trip during winter.

I've gone with the Facet transfer method with my Shingleback tank. My factory tank has the extra spigot that I believe was a North America feature to go with a factory sill tank. I just ran the transfer into that. The facet takes about 27 minutes +/- to transfer but I've only managed to get about 62 litres into the Shinglback so far.

Is this a 110 tank or 130 tank? I have yet to fill my 130 sill tank.

I bought a cheap (coupla bucks) timer relay off the auction site. A bit of trial and error and it was set for the time I needed. I have it set up so that when you flip the switch it starts pumping right away. When the time I've set is up the pump switches off and a small buzzer goes off to remind me to flip the switch off.

Great idea.

I find that the brass taps eventually leak and become smelly and messy

Not something I have experience with or considered...good info thanks heaps.

I chose to change the filler neck so it could be modified.
The facet pump feeds into the main tank, once full it can over flow back into the sill tank.
Transfer is around an hour with ours and tops up the main tank quicker than it uses fuel on the highway so can be done while traveling.

I don't know exactly how it is done but on my 79 series ute I have 2x fuel gauges main/aux on the dash and all I have to do is push a button next to either gauge to choose which tank I want to use.

Originally Posted by alien

I chose to change the filler neck so it could be modified.
The facet pump feeds into the main tank, once full it can over flow back into the sill tank.
Transfer is around an hour with ours and tops up the main tank quicker than it uses fuel on the highway so can be done while traveling.

Neat...I have a Perentie filler neck to add in that needs modifying for the same functionality.

"Is this a 110 tank or 130 tank? I have yet to fill my 130 sill tank."

110, It's supposed to hold around 70L. I need to find filling stations with the right camber on the pad next to the pump to coax the fuel in. It ain't no F1 pit stop...

Originally Posted by trout1105

A simple transfer pump is all you need but you have to make sure that you turn it off when your main tank if full

That's what I had in both my 110 and my RRC with sill tanks.

I run a transfer pump with a circular bypass so when the main tank is full the excess fuel go s back into the auxiliary tank