Gas Tank O-Ring

[Scott W. Long]

Dear All:  

Me and my mechanic are kind of stuck.  

We were able to salvage the gas tank in my 1972 BMW 2002 tii.  

Now we are trying to find a new o-ring.  

We have learned that my car had two (2) different gas tanks.  

We have ordered many o-rings, but they arrive as the small diameter o-rings.  

We need the larger o-ring for the unit with the supply and return lines.  

Do you have any suggestions?  

We may have to have one made!  

Thanks:

Scott

 

Sent from my iPhone

[calw]

I assume you mean that your car has had two different gas tanks in the past, at different times.  IF it has two now, all bets are off !

 

The part number for the large O-ring that goes around the fuel gauge sender/fuel pickup is 16111744369, and was available from BMW dealers last time I checked, along with all of the usual online parts suppliers.  It starts out as a regular round cross section O-Ring but looks like it has a very flat oval cross section by the time it needs replacement.  Your friend is www.realoem.com, which isn't exactly easy to navigate because it mirrors the BMW parts manual which was arranged by someone using different logic than mine.  It's found in the section that has the instrument cluster, not the section with the gas tank and fuel lines.  It's 58.8mm in diameter with a 4.2mm diameter cross section according to that listing.

[Scott W. Long]

Thanks Calw:

Sorry, my comment concerning two (2) gas tanks was that my 1972 BMW 2002 tii had two (2) different gas tanks during it’s run.  
We tried the BMW shop and all we received was the small diameter o-rings.  May not be available anymore. 
Scott

[jgerock]

The early tii gas tank uses a twist in fuel pickup that requires a sealing ring.  Later tii’s used a bolt in pickup that uses a flat rubber sealing gasket with pre punched holes.

 

Picture is for the older type rings.

[Scott W. Long]

Dear Jgerock:

Where can I purchase this gasket?

Scott

[mgben]

Using Jim's number it is seriously NLA. Wallothnech shows PN62168782015 the usual suspects ECS has them as does Rock Auto (but misfiled as a fuel Pump O ring) Or just Call @blunt at bluntech with your troubles I am not a Tii guy.  Just call Steve at Bluntech.

 

 

BluntTech Industries • Fuel Pump Tank Seal

WWW.BLUNTTECH.COM

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1 per car Seals sending unit to tank. If you have fuel smell replace this

•  

Seal ring for fuel sender fits for all models and years of manufacturing

WWW.WALLOTHNESCH.COM

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Seal ring for fuel sender fits for all models and years of manufacturing

 

[jgerock]

10 hours ago, Scott W. Long said:

Dear Jgerock:

Where can I purchase this gasket?

Scott

I typed the number into Google and multiple sources popped up. 
Here is just one of them

BMW 2002tii Fuel Pickup Suction Device O-ring - rogerstii

WWW.ROGERSTII.COM

 

[PhilC]

They are just standard size o rings. Any decent supplier of o rings will have them. I ordered mine here in the UK and they cost about £3 for two. Dont over think it 

[Conserv]

Scott,

 

Let’s back up.

 

How about a photo of your car’s current fuel tank, from the trunk (top) side? We’ll know in an instant whether it has a twist-on or a screw-down style of fuel tank. This will allow us to identify the correct seal.

 

If you’re ordering the seal based on your car’s VIN, you’re going to be ordering the wrong seal for your current type of fuel tank — since you’re car no longer has its original tank!

 

Thus far, this thread has focused on solving your issue, assuming your car has a twist-on pickup. But 75% of 1972 tii’s were originally outfitted with the twist-on pickups (1,963 out of 2,629 1972 tii’s). Thus, if we knew that your car still had its original fuel tank, twist-on would be a good bet: 3 out of 4 had twist-on. But your car now has a different tank…. And, who knows, maybe it’s the third or fourth tank by now — hard to say. But a photo will reveal the issue we need to address, based on actual facts, not uninformed guessing!

 

From an earlier thread on the three Tii fuel tanks:

 

“Just to review, U.S. tii’s use three different fuel tanks, three different fuel pickups, two different seals for the pickups, two different fuel senders, and one fuel-sender seal.

 

Type I. VIN’s 2760001 through 2761963 (most 1972 models): tank (46 liters) = 16111107596; pickup (twist-in) = 16121107413; pickup seal = 16121105332; fuel sender = 62161354267; fuel sender seal = 62168782015

 

Type II. VIN’s 2761964 through 2764369 (some 1972 and all 1973 models): tank (46 liters) = 16111110614; pickup (screw-down) = 16121110621; pickup seal = 16121110598; fuel sender = 62161354267; fuel sender seal = 62168782015

 

Type III. VIN’s 2780001 through 2782927 (all 1974 models): tank (51 liters) = 16111111604; pickup (screw-down) = 16121111607; pickup seal = 16121110598; fuel sender = 62161358096; fuel sender seal = 62168782015

 

Type I. is used on 1972 models through VIN 2761963, which was built in early June 1972, just twenty cars after the initial switch to E12 heads and aluminum intake runners. Thus, a majority of 1972 tii’s have Type I tanks, with their twist-in fuel pickup. Later 1972 models, VIN’s 2761964 through 2762629, and all 1973 models received Type II tanks, with screw-down fuel pickups. Lastly, all 1974 tii’s, VIN’s 2780001 through 2782927, received Type III tanks, with screw-down fuel pickups and a cropped right rear corner, but having an additional 5 liters of fuel capacity (51 liters versus 46).”

As a point of reference, below is the fuel tank in my ‘73. It has the screw-down type of pickup, original to late 1972 models and all 1973 models. It takes a gasket, part number 16121110598.

 

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

[Mike Self]

Also to remember:  the sender/pickup units that fasten to the tank with a quarter turn bayonet-style lock (vs bolt-down) use a rubber o-ring that's compounded to expand when exposed to gasoline, thus creating  tight seal.  I've been warned for years not to use a "garden variety" o-ring, but the specific product for that sender unit.  

 

With that flat-topped gas tank, you really want a tight seal between sender and tank; otherwise you'll have a gas smell in your trunk which will inevitably waft into the passenger compartment.

 

mike

[PhilC]

1 hour ago, Mike Self said:

Also to remember:  the sender/pickup units that fasten to the tank with a quarter turn bayonet-style lock (vs bolt-down) use a rubber o-ring that's compounded to expand when exposed to gasoline, thus creating  tight seal.  I've been warned for years not to use a "garden variety" o-ring, but the specific product for that sender unit.  

 

With that flat-topped gas tank, you really want a tight seal between sender and tank; otherwise you'll have a gas smell in your trunk which will inevitably waft into the passenger compartment.

 

mike

I think technology has moved on in 50 years somewhat. My replacements are fuel resistant and I haven’t had any leaks or smells. I’ll bet that the o rings available from the usual BMW parts suppliers are nothing special.

[Scott W. Long]

Dear All:  

Here is my gas tank update report.  
My sending unit and intake/outtake assembly are of the screw type, not ones with bolt holes.  
We are having difficulty finding the larger O-Ring for the intake / outtake assembly.  
Working on it.  
The sending unit we ordered came in too long, so we are ordering a shorter unit.  
We were able to salvage the gas tank.  
So we are still waiting… 

Any thoughts?

Scott

[Conserv]

1 hour ago, Scott W. Long said:

Dear All:  

Here is my gas tank update report.  
My sending unit and intake/outtake assembly are of the screw type, not ones with bolt holes.  
We are having difficulty finding the larger O-Ring for the intake / outtake assembly.  
Working on it.  
The sending unit we ordered came in too long, so we are ordering a shorter unit.  
We were able to salvage the gas tank.  
So we are still waiting… 

Any thoughts?

Scott

So you obviously have a Type I tank, original equipment on U.S. tii’s with VIN’s 2760001 through 2761963. Here are the relevant part numbers.

 

“Type I. VIN’s 2760001 through 2761963 (most 1972 models): tank (46 liters) = 16111107596; pickup (twist-in) = 16121107413; pickup seal = 16121105332; fuel sender = 62161354267; fuel sender seal = 62168782015”

 

And have you tried Blunttech, Walloth & Nesch, Roger’s tii, and Maximillian BMW for part numbers 16121105332 (pickup seal) and 62168782015 (sender seal)?

Regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

[Scott W. Long]

Dear Steve:

Thanks for the Blunttech tip.  

Any thoughts that you (or anyone else) concerning my too long sending unit?  
Thanks:

Scott
 

[jimk]

Put both the new long one and the old crusty on in the for sale section.  Folks look for them from time to time.  Old one can be rehabbed.