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MG TD TF 1500 - Fuel tanks

Although bothe mild steel and stainless steel tanks are available there are no aluminium ones made. I understand problems may occur with the proximity of copper fuel pipes but are there other issues I'm not aware of. Advice please.
JK Mazgaj

I suspect that modern fuel in particular, with its ethanol content and therefore readiness to absorb water, might create a corrosion problem, especially in the base of the tank.
Dave H
Dave Hill

Be interesting to know the difference in rate of corrosion due to water production caused by ethanol in aluminium as opposed to mild steel Problem with the cost of stainless steel besides is raw material cost is the forming of the recess for the petrol guage and spare wheel fitting.
JK Mazgaj

I think it's a safety issue in the event of an accident.
W_Mueller

I have not heard of any problems with the classic bike groups. A lot of bikes are fitted with ally tanks and I do not remember any problems when I ran on ethanol doped fuels in the 50's.
Ray TF 2884
Ray Lee

Yes - I know aluminium tanks from race bikes and trollies (Diesel) too.
W_Mueller

In the US aluminum tanks are Not Approved for Highway use
W A Chasser

Yep. In the US aluminum tanks are only legal for marine or aviation use... but not road vehicles.
Kevin McLemore

My20c worth
Stay away from aluminium if you're going to be using ethanol laced fuel
Having spent several years on a leading race team using methanol fueled chevs the story goes like this------
The methanol and aluminium don't mix
If you leave the fuel in the tank, after about a month you'd have clear/white goopy paste forming in the tank and when you crank the engine up the pickup in the tank gets blocked straight away--if you're lucky
If you're not that lucky it gets all up through the lines pump and injectors and causes lean running, fuel starvation and all the fun that goes with that,overheating, holes in pistons etc.----BANG
William Revit

The white goopy paste will be aluminium oxide, a corrosion product of aluminium. It is liable to form whether the alcohol is ethanol or methanol (with water).
Dave H
Dave Hill

All very helpful thankyou
JK Mazgaj

This thread was discussed between 26/03/2021 and 27/03/2021

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