Gas tank filler neck and checking fluid level

[BRUISER]

So I have read a bunch about people saying to keep a stick or pipe around to check fuel tank level and not rely on gauge in cab.. so this weekend I open fuel door and looked inside to find my tank has a mesh screen.. so I can not put a stick or pipe in tank to check level.

have others seen this? what did you do?

I am assuming I could just push the screen into tank but not sure if that is the best option?

thanks

[trucktramp]

Sticking the tank is accurate but you have to know how many inches of fuel is totally empty since most tanks don't draw 100%.  You could knock the screen out and it would probably sink to the bottom of the tank.  Most people use the 500 mile method.  Start out with full tank(s), drive 500 miles and refuel.  Chances are you will not run out and you won't have a huge fuel bill.  Or once you figure your MPG, you can guess your maximum driving distance figuring that you can use 90% of the fuel in that tank in gallons and multiply by the MPG.  Remember though, you will be on fumes when you refuel and if you run dry it is no fun to reprime.

[BRUISER]

also what are the common tank size of most mid 80's buses?

this one says 179 gallons.

thanks

[trucktramp]

There should be a tag on the tank or near the fuel neck that will tell you what the tank holds.  Most tanks only draw 90% of the total capacity.  If your tank holds 179 gallons then you only have 161 useable gallons.  You may have the "draw capacity" listed on the tag along with the total gallons.  I generally figure 5 mpg (because the math is easy) even though I am getting better than that because I have a little wiggle room  when figuring maximum mileage per tank.  Others will chime in on the different tank sizes of the different busses. 

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 After just over 35,000 miles, i have an average 7.39 mpg on my 5A with a 144 gallon tank.  I use 7mpg as a round figure and figure i can go 700 miles before refueling and still have 44 gallons left. Depending on where we are and fuel prices, i will fuel up earlier or even later sometimes.  Most i have ever put in was 110 gallons and that was after about an 850 mile trip.

[BRUISER]

thanks for the info so far..

[Ed Hackenbruch]

 I just fill my tank up until i can see it after it has quit foaming. That way i know that it is filled to the same spot each time and no longer have to "stick" it and run the risk of getting dirt or anything else into my fuel.

[akroyaleagle]

Bruiser,

Please take this post as conversation and not inflammatory.

I missed your type of bus. They have different size tanks.

My Eagle holds 144 gallon. I don't know if that is to the lips of the filler necks or at the 90% level. The formula for that escapes me. I think it is LxHxW inches divided by 231.

It runs out with 20 gallons remaining. I could have lengthened the stand pipe but it is my feeling that I should not suck fuel from the bottom of the tank.

It took running out with 90 gallons remaining (three times!) when I first got the bus for me to figure out it had a hole in the stand pipe from rubbing against a baffle in the tank.

If it is handy, remove the stand pipe and inspect it.

My gauge is extremely accurate. I can predict within 5 gallons how much it will take to fill it. Most times I am within a couple of gallons. I have replaced the sender a couple of times. Once because it was handy when I removed the stand pipe and once when I installed the after market gauge.

The guys are all thinking the same as I do. Few folks drive more than 500 miles in a day. Fuel around 500 miles and let your brain wander into other places. (I feel this is pole vaulting over pissant mounds.) Like stretching limits to try to save a couple of cents on fuel. At the current prices, what difference is .02 gallon? Check the prices before leaving home and plan accordingly.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

At the time of our 850 mile trip between fuel stops, we were coming down the east side of California and there was a BIG difference in fuel prices between there and AZ.  I knew we could make it to Yuma on a tank, when we pulled in i told my wife that we were going to take at least 110 gallons, ended up taking 110.1    Usually i know within a couple of gallons what we need to fill up depending on what kind of driving i have been doing and the roads and terrain we have been traveling on. Even if my gauge, which is off by a quarter tank, was to completely quit on me, i would be comfortable knowing how far i could go on a tank if need be. I do keep a fuel log so i know where and when i stopped, the price per gallon, the number of gallons, the total price, the mileage at fillup, and the miles per gallon that i got.   

[akroyaleagle]

Ed, I've also always done that also. What I don't understand is that my Eagle uses exactly the same amount of fuel either way on the same trip.

Same fuel from Anchorage, AK to Whitehorse, YT no matter if northbound or southbound.
It is always exactly the same to the gallon.

[bevans6]

I must be a wuss  - I've never taken on more than 85 gallons in my MC-5!  l just get so the seat isn't comfortable any more, and I have to stop and fill up...   

[Chopper Scott]

I know that on my MCI the fuel inlet really isn't a very good fit for your average truck stop filler neck! I did make a telescoping rod with a foot at the base and a v at the top so I can actually let go of the hose while refueling. It works well with the smaller necked diesel hoses also. If I don't get them wedged in there they keep shutting off.

[Ed Hackenbruch]

Brian, i didn't do the whole 850 miles in one day, more likely 2-4 days.     I just plan ahead for fuel stops if there is a big gap in prices.  Although i have done over 500 miles in on day before, anymore 2-300 is what i would rather do.

[RJ]

What are the common tank size of most mid 80's buses?  This one says 179 gallons.

Bruiser -

I noticed in your signature that you've got an MCI, as well as a 179 gallon fuel supply.

That means you've got the aux tank in the front baggage bay.  It is interconnected to the main tank, so it fills/drains automatically.

Theoretically, with 150 gallons useable, at 5 mpg, you should be able to go 750 miles on a tank.

But sticking to the 500-mile fill-up guideline will definitely keep you out of trouble.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[buswarrior]

And the missing step to high mile your available fuel tankage:

Checking for the lack of a fuel puddle underneath each morning.

a leak may ruin your high mileage attempt in more ways than one.

Defend against water in your fuel, don't leave the tank part empty when parking for extended periods.

happy coaching!
buswarrior