I have a fuel leak in the back of the XJ6. I haven't pulled the tank to confirm, but 98% sure it's from the tank itself because it's pretty corroded all over, the fuel made a small puddle in the trunk that was orange/brown (rust), and judging by the runs, it is coming from behind/underneath the tank.

Mine is a 1990 so I have the tank with the fuel pump outside of the tank. I haven't been able to find an "early" tank anywhere. Certainly not new, but not used either.

Is there anything that would not allow me to use a later XJ40 tank if I also used a later fuel pump (inside tank) and extended the harness?

Furthermore, has anyone retrofitted tanks from other vehicles into XJs? Lot's of trucks have rectangular tanks like the XJ40, so if the size was right and the filler neck were in the right spot it *could* work.

Pics of what I'm working with...

 

Ill just throw out from my own experiences. Those tanks are a PITA to remove and then again to install. If you try it, dont forget to unhook the lines from the bottom or you will never succeed..... and dont lose those little clips on them- they dont need to come off, just to be turned 90 degrees. The screws holding the filler neck gaiter frame are 7mm. Sorry, Its all so emotional for me. There are threads on tank removal which I recommend you have a look at. Ive never tried an early tank but it appears to be very much the same procedure (I plan to have the opportunity not too far in the future). If you use a later tank, I suggest that you retain the external pump because of the difficulty of the tank removal. Otherwise, I dont think it would be difficult to build an extension harness from the old plug to the new location. There will be differences in the plumbing around the tank but its nothing insurmountable. By the way, what is the last 6 of your vin? I had thought the external pump was 88-89 only.
Good luck.

 

612199 - All the resources I've checked point to an external pump.

And I've read through a few of them already. Heard all about the clips, lines, etc.

 

I have a 91 XJ40 with the internal pump (formerly in the plastic container that was used to manage sloshing). I don't know about the comment regarding turning the clips. When I did it, I removed the clips (losing at least one of them and having to go to a local Jag repair shop to get another set...not cheap). It's a PITA to do. And, yes, the earlier late 80s used an external pump. i supposed you could install an external pump (my 89 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce uses 2, an internal and an external pump). As to the replacements, I bought a used tank from a 92 or 93 XJ and the inlet pipe was slightly different and it wouldn't fit. I don't recall why I bought it because mine wasn't leaking. I just know that it didn't fit (wasn't expensive, so no problem). I tried to eliminate the plastic slosh container since getting a replacement was no easy task as I recall and mine was damaged. Just putting the pump in the tank didn't work so well. Unfortunately, it's a stalled project behind a bunch of others now.

 

When you say "inlet pipe", are you referring to the filler neck from the tank? What it a location issue or were parts not plug-and-play?

Looking at the illustrations from the parts catalog they do look a wee bit different, but it can also be the viewing angle of the images since one is from the back and the other is from the front. Either way, if it is the filler neck that was an issue, it should be pretty easy to modify to work.

I have no issue modifying things. I feel as though I don't have much choice as I cannot find any early tanks anywhere.

Option B is to just run with a plastic tank from another car. There are millions of cars on the road... one of them will have the same fit and function as the tank I am looking to replace... just a matter of finding the right one. With all that being said, the less modifying I need to do the better.

 

Yes, it was the inlet pipe that didn't fit. As i said, I have a 91. I don't know when early ends and late starts, but the late diagram looks like what I have. Perhaps the tank that bought was a 94, but whatever, it looked right but when I tried to use it, the inlet was wrong. BTW, in the diagram you can see the plastic anti-slosh (I don't know what else to call it) with some sort of internal jetting mechanism with the pump inside it. In my mind, it was over-engineered and too smart by half.

As to finding another tank from another car, good luck. The sending unit has to be dealt with. The filler and breather hoses as well. And then mounting the electric pump ideally using the lines already available in the harness, and dealing with the delivery and vapor/fuel recovery sides sounds like a lot of work. I'd try to find a donor from the right year rather than go through all of that hassle.

And if anyone attending to this thread knows where I can get that whole plastic pump slosher in decent condition, i.e. usable, for a not-outrageous price, I'd love to hear it.

 

Generally I refer to the component as the pump canister ...I assume the one you have is damaged, is it beyond repair? What's the issue with it?

Some time ago, my pal Jim, @manwich66 modified/repaired his canister and posted the process to the forum.

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...p-died-125377/

 

Thank you for that link. I have not messed with it for a few years, but if I recall, some of the plastic cover was iffy. I may be wrong. I'll have to go back and dig into it again. I call it a 'slosher' and he called it a 'dum dum'. We seem to be of similar opinion about the engineering of it, especially given that it is a pretty unique approach. I've worked on literally hundreds of cars and this is a first for me.

 

I went out and looked at my 88. The lock mechanism for the body flap is completely different, but the rubber part of the gaiter looks the same. On the 88, the gaiter is held by a hose clamp, and on later cars there is a spring in the rubber gaiter which clamps it on. Not a deal breaker. The overflow tube comes into the filler tube from the tank in the same place. I will also point out that I put a 93 tank into my 92, and it was not Exactly the same, but only in that there is an extra tube for something in the egr system (I think). I was able to adapt it easily enough that I dont remember what I did- probably just capped it off.. The body cavity is the same, so it Should physically fit.
Regards,

 

Good info thanks. I'll keep looking into this. I dread removing the tank without having some sort of plan... Last thing I want is a 4,000 lb paper weight... at least I can still move it around with the leak that is has.

 

The weather was Awfully nice yesterday, so I tried siphoning the old gas out of my 88. The car has been sitting for a Very long time and the gas can not possibly be any good. I could not get my hose far enough to get any out. I decided this is a good thing in the larger scheme, since I had been researching where to take junk gas, the long and short being good luck, at least in this area. In doing so i noticed that the gas cap is different than my others, so that I dont think it would work on the newer tanks (so if you go that route, grab the cap too). Im not sure if the design was ever changed on the older tanks. I am thinking now that I will remove this tank and take it to be cleaned out and sealed. I took a tank for my 66 to be cleaned out last year and was pleasantly surprised at the cost- $140 for clean and seal versus about $600 for a new tank.