I am going to have an auxiliary tank fitted to my 3.2 DID and have the choice of either the Frontrunner product or the Excel.
Are they much the same or is their a preference.
CharlesS,
It depends how serious you are about your tank and how much extra fuel you would like to carry.
The frontrunner tank is installed in the most fulnerable place on a Pajero - behind the rear suspension and below the bin that holds the third row of seats. If you plan to do some serious travelling of the beaten tracks then this position is not good. If you are only going to travel on paved and dirt roads, then it is OK.
We ( some friens and I) make a stainless steel tank (2mm) that fits into the bin of the third row seats. It holds about 100litres and is out of harms way. I have installed a pump and filter in the space between the bin and the rear suspension. So when I want to transver fuel, it is as simple as fitting the tanks outlet into the standard Pajero filler, switch on the pump and wait till the standard tank is full.
I made and installed my tank whilst my Pajero was still under maintenance plan and at that stage I did not want to have the possibility of the agents saying that I tamperede with the standard fueling system and then cancelling my maint plan. My tank has been in this position for years and although it will take about 15 minutes to remove, I have decided to lreave it permanently in place. I have never had any problems with the tank eg leaks, fuel smels, etc.
Cloyd.
It depends how serious you are about your tank and how much extra fuel you would like to carry.
The frontrunner tank is installed in the most fulnerable place on a Pajero - behind the rear suspension and below the bin that holds the third row of seats. If you plan to do some serious travelling of the beaten tracks then this position is not good. If you are only going to travel on paved and dirt roads, then it is OK.
We ( some friens and I) make a stainless steel tank (2mm) that fits into the bin of the third row seats. It holds about 100litres and is out of harms way. I have installed a pump and filter in the space between the bin and the rear suspension. So when I want to transver fuel, it is as simple as fitting the tanks outlet into the standard Pajero filler, switch on the pump and wait till the standard tank is full.
I made and installed my tank whilst my Pajero was still under maintenance plan and at that stage I did not want to have the possibility of the agents saying that I tamperede with the standard fueling system and then cancelling my maint plan. My tank has been in this position for years and although it will take about 15 minutes to remove, I have decided to lreave it permanently in place. I have never had any problems with the tank eg leaks, fuel smels, etc.
Cloyd.
Site Admin
Fuel tanks (or the position thereof) are to me one of the issues that bug me about the Pajero. Mine does take a constant pounding , hence the leak and need for a full blown protection plate
SimonB,
RE: your comments on an additional fuel tank. I think that you drive a Gen 2 PAjero so I would not make any direct comments on your Pajero. In general the following comments are valid:
a. On the Gen 3 Pajero: Fitting a bashplate that can realy protect the Frontrunner tank will be difficult. The only place where a person can support the bashplate will be on the "chassis" beams on both sides of the third seat bin.
b. To be effective, this plate will have to be of a substancial thckness making very heavy. The only other place to support it will be on the towbar crosswise (lateral running -) arm. The problem with this is that the centre and thus the most vulnerable part of the bashplate will still be unsupported and any real "bump" will press it in and against the fueltank and may result in damaging it.
c. As far as I know, the metal used to make the Frontrunner tank is ver thin making it vulnerable to leaks on the seams and easy to dent The tank that we make is of 2mm staainless steel. As I have said before, after testing my tank, I removed it to weld two extra bolts to it - that is without cleaning it properly; lekker dom nê. When the welding torch touched it, the fuel vapours inside exploded making the tank oval. We completed the welding and back at home I pressed it back into an approximation of the original shape, fitted it and have been using it since then. All this without any leaks or repairs. I challenge anybody to do that with a frontrunner tank.
d. The Frontrunner tank is small - approx 40 lit. On a 3,8 Pajero this will only increase the range in difficult terrain by 160km to 200km.
Cloyd.
RE: your comments on an additional fuel tank. I think that you drive a Gen 2 PAjero so I would not make any direct comments on your Pajero. In general the following comments are valid:
a. On the Gen 3 Pajero: Fitting a bashplate that can realy protect the Frontrunner tank will be difficult. The only place where a person can support the bashplate will be on the "chassis" beams on both sides of the third seat bin.
b. To be effective, this plate will have to be of a substancial thckness making very heavy. The only other place to support it will be on the towbar crosswise (lateral running -) arm. The problem with this is that the centre and thus the most vulnerable part of the bashplate will still be unsupported and any real "bump" will press it in and against the fueltank and may result in damaging it.
c. As far as I know, the metal used to make the Frontrunner tank is ver thin making it vulnerable to leaks on the seams and easy to dent The tank that we make is of 2mm staainless steel. As I have said before, after testing my tank, I removed it to weld two extra bolts to it - that is without cleaning it properly; lekker dom nê. When the welding torch touched it, the fuel vapours inside exploded making the tank oval. We completed the welding and back at home I pressed it back into an approximation of the original shape, fitted it and have been using it since then. All this without any leaks or repairs. I challenge anybody to do that with a frontrunner tank.
d. The Frontrunner tank is small - approx 40 lit. On a 3,8 Pajero this will only increase the range in difficult terrain by 160km to 200km.
Cloyd.
Hi Cloyd,
Having a bash plate for the external tank is not that bad idea.
Also it cant be that heavy can it? i mean i got a 20.5kg 5mm steel Stofpad4x4 bash plate on. From what it seems to protect the diesel tank one need at least half the size (haven't measured it yet) as the bash plate. and not necessary to make it from 5mm steel plate. i am planning on getting a 2mm steel plate made that will wrap around the tank at the bottom and fasten to the existing bolting points.
I would rather have it on that not, the tank cracked on Saturday after a nasty bump to it on the left rear and made the front right bracket (Bolted to the rear suspension frame) twist and cracked the welding on the tank and i did loose a few liters of diesel.
took it in yesterday to be fixed and hopefully will get it back today and refit it tonight.
Having a bash plate for the external tank is not that bad idea.
Also it cant be that heavy can it? i mean i got a 20.5kg 5mm steel Stofpad4x4 bash plate on. From what it seems to protect the diesel tank one need at least half the size (haven't measured it yet) as the bash plate. and not necessary to make it from 5mm steel plate. i am planning on getting a 2mm steel plate made that will wrap around the tank at the bottom and fasten to the existing bolting points.
I would rather have it on that not, the tank cracked on Saturday after a nasty bump to it on the left rear and made the front right bracket (Bolted to the rear suspension frame) twist and cracked the welding on the tank and i did loose a few liters of diesel.
took it in yesterday to be fixed and hopefully will get it back today and refit it tonight.
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2001 Pajero 3.2 Di-D LWB Manual (sold)
2001 Pajero 3.2 Di-D LWB Auto (sold)
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2001 Pajero 3.2 Di-D LWB Manual (sold)
2001 Pajero 3.2 Di-D LWB Auto (sold)
My tuppence worth.
I have a Frontrunner LR tank on my 2002 Di-D LWB.
The capacity is quoted as 48.5 litres and filling up confirms that it must be about that.
The tank has taken a few bumps over the years - rocks in Lesotho and Eco-trails, sand middelmannetjies in Bots etc. Those bumps may have reduced the capacity a little but it has never leaked.
The only issue I had was that the piping (filler + breathers + transfer) could have been "designed" / installed better. I like this arrangement http://www.thelongranger.com.au/ta70_tech.html.
In fact, because of slow filling, I took my Frontrunner piping out recently and tidied it up - found that they had made the Y-piece such that it restricted the csa of the filler by about 50%. When I showed them, they supplied me a new Y-piece and now it fills at full nozzle flow rate.
When I reinstalled the piping I eliminated most of the cable ties that they had used and made a bracket to hold the pipes using the same fixing point shown in the image of the above link.
It may not be the best location but unless you are going to use the 3rd seat recess where else can you fit a LR tank?
I have a Frontrunner LR tank on my 2002 Di-D LWB.
The capacity is quoted as 48.5 litres and filling up confirms that it must be about that.
The tank has taken a few bumps over the years - rocks in Lesotho and Eco-trails, sand middelmannetjies in Bots etc. Those bumps may have reduced the capacity a little but it has never leaked.
The only issue I had was that the piping (filler + breathers + transfer) could have been "designed" / installed better. I like this arrangement http://www.thelongranger.com.au/ta70_tech.html.
In fact, because of slow filling, I took my Frontrunner piping out recently and tidied it up - found that they had made the Y-piece such that it restricted the csa of the filler by about 50%. When I showed them, they supplied me a new Y-piece and now it fills at full nozzle flow rate.
When I reinstalled the piping I eliminated most of the cable ties that they had used and made a bracket to hold the pipes using the same fixing point shown in the image of the above link.
It may not be the best location but unless you are going to use the 3rd seat recess where else can you fit a LR tank?