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Thread: PSA: Replace your fuel tank straps

  1. #1
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    PSA: Replace your fuel tank straps

    I did a whole rebuild of my car etc about 2 years ago. I re-used the straps because they looked just fine even if the paint was lifting a smidge. I ordered new ones just to have on hand as I knew I'd have to eventually do them.

    So, while working on other things today I figured I'd replace them for the heck of it. I am really glad I did. What you see from the ground is not nearly the worst of it.


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr

    ^^ Doesn't look too bad really


    Then lift the rubber strip


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr

    Wow

    And two bends back and forth and


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr


    So, yeah, if yours look like mine in the first pic, or even close, get new ones it takes about 30 mins to replace them.

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    awwwww man! i didnt want to have to do this!
    -Alex

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    Quote Originally Posted by 5mall5nail5 View Post
    I did a whole rebuild of my car etc about 2 years ago. I re-used the straps because they looked just fine even if the paint was lifting a smidge. I ordered new ones just to have on hand as I knew I'd have to eventually do them.

    So, while working on other things today I figured I'd replace them for the heck of it. I am really glad I did. What you see from the ground is not nearly the worst of it.


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr

    ^^ Doesn't look too bad really


    Then lift the rubber strip


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr

    Wow

    And two bends back and forth and


    Fuel Strap by Jon Kensy, on Flickr


    So, yeah, if yours look like mine in the first pic, or even close, get new ones it takes about 30 mins to replace them.

    Welcome to my world breh.

    Lucky you knew they were on their way out.
    Had mine snap on me going south on the NY thruway coming from CT at about 65mph. Scary Schitz.
    Then again nothing puts hair on your chest than trying to pull that balancing act with the crapjack
    while sitting in a gas station in a not so nice part of the Bronx at 9pm.

    Funny how many people begin notice you when you in such a compromised situation.

    Good call. I'm sure everyone's checking as we speak.

  4. #4
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    Did them when installing the new tank during the transplant... got all the rubber pads too.. should easily outlast the engine..

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    Wow. Yay for my rust free car!!! I'm not doing it!!

  6. #6
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    Mine look exactly like that. I will have to order some. Thanks for posting the info.

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    mmm I sure do love my bimmer, she was born and raised in SoCal

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    bigsixe34 had one of his go on the way to the PA meet 2 years ago. It was dragging and sparking as we drove. Had ben fix it with something on the side of the road.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by mateo710 View Post
    mmm I sure do love my bimmer, she was born and raised in SoCal
    You guys gotta realize its not a "bad weather" thing - the rubber strip on the strap traps moisture. Moisture occurs on cool nights that turn into hot days and then repeats. Seriously, I picked at the paint on mine to get it to look like that - it really did not look very bad at all until I removed the rubber strip.

  10. #10
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    While you're at it, replace the gasoline vent lines, preferably with hoses instead of iron-pipes.
    [E39 540i] - with S/C ESS kit (plus some upgrades)
    [E34 540iA] - Gone


  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by dme88 View Post
    While you're at it, replace the gasoline vent lines, preferably with hoses instead of iron-pipes.
    My fuel system i s totally taken care of, just the straps remained.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mateo710 View Post
    mmm I sure do love my bimmer, she was born and raised in SoCal
    She ain't in SoCal any longer :P The Utah winters will eat her like they've eaten mine.

  13. #13
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    BavarianFanatic is offline Commonsenseisnotsocommon BMW CCA Member
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    Simply too many...
    I thought everyone already knew E34 tank straps were a maintenance item? Just paint the new ones with POR-15 or a similar ceramic paint and you'll never have to replace them again.

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    Quote Originally Posted by BavarianFanatic View Post
    I thought everyone already knew E34 tank straps were a maintenance item? Just paint the new ones with POR-15 or a similar ceramic paint and you'll never have to replace them again.
    Heh - these are 20 years old. I can deal with that. I do know its a maintenance item - the point was that from below it just looked like the paint was peeling. It's what lurks under the rubber on the topside which you can't see!

    I'll have my aluminum fuel cell in over winter probably.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Psykick5 View Post
    She ain't in SoCal any longer :P The Utah winters will eat her like they've eaten mine.
    ugh dont remind me luckily i didnt have to drive it often this winter so road salts werent getting there too bad. plus every two weeks id take it to a car wash and pressure wash everything from top to bottom to get grime out of it

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    Quote Originally Posted by mateo710 View Post
    plus every two weeks id take it to a car wash and pressure wash everything from top to bottom to get grime out of it
    I pulled the bumper to do the straps - you should have seen the amount of rubber dust/marbles/shavings were in my bumper lol

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    OK, few more things to add to the list while the car sits on jackstands... New tank straps and fuel lines!!!

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    Wow. Glad you caught that in time. One of the many reasons I am thankful that my car spent its life in Mexico.

  20. #20
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    Mine look an awful lot like the first pic....Only $12.72 each from ECS for my 90L tank! Adding these to my next order!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Analog View Post
    Mine look an awful lot like the first pic....Only $12.72 each from ECS for my 90L tank! Adding these to my next order!
    Definitely do it. I had my tank out at the end of 2009 or beginning of 2010 and obviously handled the straps. They were fine, a little paint peeling, but fine. I obviously don't drive the car in the snow or rain and so it's just been chilling in bad weather, and the straps went to crap since. It's that the rubber traps the moisture, not that the region is snowy. It stinks. I thought about stripping them and powder coating, but too much of a hassle and I'll be removing them in the winter/fall anyhow.

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    Quote Originally Posted by mateo710 View Post
    ugh dont remind me luckily i didnt have to drive it often this winter so road salts werent getting there too bad. plus every two weeks id take it to a car wash and pressure wash everything from top to bottom to get grime out of it
    Yeah I got nice amounts of rust all over the bottom of mine... oh well. She still drives the 215 at high speed like a champ.

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by GIANUCCI E30 View Post
    Welcome to my world breh.

    Lucky you knew they were on their way out.
    Had mine snap on me going south on the NY thruway coming from CT at about 65mph. Scary Schitz.
    x2!!!

    I had a strap break in heavy rush our traffic on I-75 thru Dayton, Ohio. I had to drive with my gas tank strap dragging (and sparking) for about a mile before I could pull over. Very nerve wracking situation!
    Lead, Follow or Get the Hell out of the Way!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Funk49 View Post
    x2!!!

    I had a strap break in heavy rush our traffic on I-75 thru Dayton, Ohio. I had to drive with my gas tank strap dragging (and sparking) for about a mile before I could pull over. Very nerve wracking situation!
    Yeah scary stuff. my tank was literally hanging. Lucky for me the ends had enough tension to hold the tank till I could stop.

    If I didn't hear the straps scraping the ground... I'd hate to think what the outcome would have been. (raging fireball comes to mind)

    So after that adventure I just made some heavy duty straps from some items at home depot. Didn't even bother to put the plastic pieces back on. Considering they hold moisture the likelyhood of it reoccuring was too high for me. I just undercoated the crap out of them and the tank. Once dry threw the new straps on. Not a problem since.

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