gas filler-neck grounding?

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

I just replaced the left front fender on my SC, and I notice the gas-cap door has a small tab for what it obviously meant to be a female spade terminal. I assume this is for grounding the fuel filler neck?

Reason I ask is that my previous fender 1/didn't have such a tab, and 2/had a flange to which the fuel filler neck was fastened with two bolts, which would of course create a ground to the car. The new fender doesn't have the flange, so the fuel filler neck is essentially free-floating, located by its connection to the tank hose and by the rubber boot that surrounds the filler neck.

So I should create a ground, right? Or am I better off leaving the filler neck electrically completely isolated from the car, which it seems to me would mean there could never be a static-electric spark?

[James Brown]

just checked mine, no ground tab, filler has 2 bolt/flange. Wonder what fender it is from? "Bonding wires" is what there called, sounds like a good idea, put them on everything-hood, doors, deck, tank to frame. kind of cool looking.

[RWebb]

I would - it is add'l safety against a spark where you REALLY do not want a spark...

can you post a pic fo the tab and nearby area?

[LM3929]

Mine has the tabs

Lorne M.

[RoninLB]

mine has the ground

[James Brown]

so it might be a 911s fender? i'll check the PET maybe it's in there

[James Brown]

can't tell much from the diagrams

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

The requested photo. You can see the tab down by the bottom of the fuel-filler door. With the previous fender, the natural-metal flange bolted to a matching flange welded to the windshield-washer reservoir downspout. No such flange on this fender, though everything else was normal for an '83 SC.

[pozee]

I'm assuming you know that there "should" be a corresponding tab on the filler neck, just below the opening/fuel cap. If it's there, simple connect a wire with the correct female terminals.

[304065]

Stephen,

The point of the little brown ground wire is to make sure your filler neck is NOT electrically isolated from the rest of the car, so that if there's any potential difference between the filler nozzle and the car, it goes to ground as soon as you touch the nozzle to the neck. I guess what the Factory was thinking was, they don't want any discharge between the neck and the fill pipe of the tank, inside, where the fumes could build up to a stochiometric level. Probably required by TUV or some damn thing.

Tell the truth, now, do you use an anti-static wire attached to the exhaust stack or the nose gear with an alligator clip each and every time you fill the airplane's tanks?

I do, but only because I've actually seen placards that say "Last fueled with Jet-A- reduce fueling rate to one-half normal to prevent static-electric spark in fuel tank."

[docrodg]

Originally Posted by john_cramer

Stephen,

The point of the little brown ground wire is to make sure your filler neck is NOT electrically isolated from the rest of the car, so that if there's any potential difference between the filler nozzle and the car, it goes to ground as soon as you touch the nozzle to the neck. I guess what the Factory was thinking was, they don't want any discharge between the neck and the fill pipe of the tank, inside, where the fumes could build up to a stochiometric level. Probably required by TUV or some damn thing.

Tell the truth, now, do you use an anti-static wire attached to the exhaust stack or the nose gear with an alligator clip each and every time you fill the airplane's tanks?

I do, but only because I've actually seen placards that say "Last fueled with Jet-A- reduce fueling rate to one-half normal to prevent static-electric spark in fuel tank."

Hey! I work for TUV! No badmouthing TUV... that is reserved for us workers - we do enough to more than make up for others!

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Nope, no corresponding tab on my filler neck, since it's intended to be bolted to the car. I will simply bridge the short gap between the tab and the bare-metal bracket with the two boltholes.

Whatever car the replacement fender was originally from, it's what PartsHeaven sold me for an '83 SC, and it fit just fine.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

You work for TUV in Watertown New York???

[RWebb]

thx for the info & pic

there is one on my 1973.5 car, so they start at least that early

anybody know where the wire penetrates on its way to the gnd star?

[James Brown]

hey you can make a nice fancy fuel cap lanyard thinngy like on most suv's. attach it to the lug and to the cap and your set!

[docrodg]

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

You work for TUV in Watertown New York???

I work as a Quality and Environmental Management System Auditor. I travel from company to company so do not need an office.

[porschenut]

I have exactly the same setup as Stephan. My filler neck with the 2-bolt flange came stock on my '86 Carrera, and my fender is from a '71 - no corresponding flange, but with the spade connector attached to the fuel door hinge.

If I hadn't seen this thread, I would never have known it was there or what to do with it.

[304065]

Originally Posted by docrodg

I work as a Quality and Environmental Management System Auditor. I travel from company to company so do not need an office.

That's pretty cool! I see that TUV Nord has an office in New Hampshire.

So can I ask why? My guess is that products for German consumption are being made in the USA, hence it's important to pre-Toof them before export. Is that close?

[docrodg]

Nope... I work for TUV Rheinland. We do international product safety testing for all countries, including US. Heck, your computer or monitor probably has our logo on it for EMC testing or safety. Kinda like UL, they are a competitor. The part I work for is different, ISO management systems, but same deal... TUV is in many countries doing it.

[pozee]

Stephen - my mistake. Earlier cars have the corresponding tabs. Later cars have the bracket/flange.