Long Range Tank Manufacturer in Geelong

[dirvine]

I had my new long range tank fitted yesterday and I finally finished fitting all the plumbing today. I have not yet filled it up and tested it, petrol is too dear in Victoria at the moment.

The tank was made my Kym of Ballistic Engineering about 15 minutes south of Geelong in Victoria. He is very fussy and professional. The tank (70 litres) is a basic box, fitting behind the diff and between the chassis rails. The cost of the tank was $500. I arrived at 10am and by 3pm we had fitted the tank to the vehicle, relocating the existing filler pipes, and Kym even made the dual filler just using the existing filler neck, and with a bit of a cut and weld made the dual filler. See the pictures. For all this work and with me helping (or was that hindering) he charged me an extra $250. I am very impressed. I found Ballistic Engineering from just Googling after being completely frustrated with Kevin of Brown Davis. I have used BD for bash plates, and as I was the 1st car in Aust to have them fitted to a GW X240 you would think he would look after me, as he did with the bash plates. After asking for well over a year, I just gave up. In any case he was going to charge me $800 just for the tank. Heaven help what the filler neck and fitting off would have costed me. I am all for supporting local business (Kym is over 100kms away from me), but after a while you just get sick of asking. In any case Kym was so accommodating and he has a really good setup. Phone No 0418996131. Please note I am not on any commission or Kick back.

 

[Les PK Ranger]

Nice mate, and good value pricing too.
Assume the new aux tank is on top of your existing factory tank, due to the dual fillers.
Is it just gravity feed from the new aux tank to old tank, or possibly (due to dual filler) you just switch over somehow when needed ?

 

[dirvine]

Hi Les, I actually have three tanks. A 70 litre main tank. This tank which I will use a 12V pump to fill main tank, and a 50 litre tank behind rear seats, which can be gravity feed to main tank but will also use the pump to help it along. When I fill the main tank I just shove the petrol pump nozzle to the left. Lift it out and shove to the right and fill the new tank. The other tank is a fill from inside by pulling squab (backrest)of rear seat forward and fill seperately. Hence my worry about fumes inside car etc. I will now only use the 50 litre in emergencies. Then again I have been using it since 2010 without incident, but I always worry about the smell after I fill up. And I know it is illegal.

 

[Les PK Ranger]

Sure mate, sounds like a good setup, and having the cabin 50lt would be great for long stretches.
190lt of petty would provide decent range.
Suppose vent well after filling and fumes would then be pretty well cleared.
Trust you are a non smoker

 

[dirvine]

120 all up has served me well, until last year when I did the Anne Beadell and Canning and it was a bit stressfull. I did have a 40 litreFuel cell in the same spot but it was a pain to fill and hung down too low, getting hit every time I went over a ledge. No dont Smoke only drink too much! Given I get about 15-16 litres per 100kms in heavy 4WD most of the time, should be more than enough without having to fill the inside tank. Eventually might remove it and put a BOAB water tank there instead of the petrol.

 

[Neddysmith]

Hate to be a kill joy on some great work, but isn't it illegal to have a fuel tank mounted inside especially with the filler inside the cab?

 

[dirvine]

Didn't you read? This tank is on the OUTSIDE! The old tank on the inside I said is illegal. But if I need to have 150litres on board for one big trip who gives sh$$ about illegal. If you need to carry extra fuel what do you do? Carry it on the rear swing bar. Petrol in gerry cans on swing bars is illegal in Victoria and is very noticably so. It served me well for over 4 years until I decommissioned it last year and it has not been used since. In fact it only ever got used if I had long distances between petrol stations. As it always worried me, last year I bought a fuel cell and mounted that under the car to get the range I needed, but it was a pain to fill. So this is the solution to that.

 

[underdog]

Looks like quality work mate, particularly the twin filler. I don't like the twin fill neck on my LRA aux tank as the holes are too far apart imo and it's quite difficult to wedge the nozzle in there! Enjoy the peace of mind with the extra fuel haha, and thumbs up to the water tank idea!

Hate to be a kill joy on some great work, but isn't it illegal to have a fuel tank mounted inside especially with the filler inside the cab?

I think you missed the part where he said he already knew this.. but that was also in regard to an existing tank, not the newly installed one he's just posted about (which is clearly installed underneath the car).

 

[Neddysmith]

Didn't you read? This tank is on the OUTSIDE! The old tank on the inside I said is illegal. But if I need to have 150litres on board for one big trip who gives sh$$ about illegal. If you need to carry extra fuel what do you do? Carry it on the rear swing bar. Petrol in gerry cans on swing bars is illegal in Victoria and is very noticably so. It served me well for over 4 years until I decommissioned it last year and it has not been used since. In fact it only ever got used if I had long distances between petrol stations. As it always worried me, last year I bought a fuel cell and mounted that under the car to get the range I needed, but it was a pain to fill. So this is the solution to that.

Yeah mate all good, sorry missed the part about the part where you said it was illegal, I knew you were referring to the old tank.

The new tank looks great and should do the job nicely, always good to find someone who does quality work at reasonable prices.

 

[dirvine]

Thats OK. I have been known to miss read posts as well

 

[deslexic]

That is sensational. Thanks for sharing

 

[deslexic]

Hey mate, just wondering if the new tank is where the spare wheel usually sits underneath the car, behind the diff? or is it in front? Also, either way why did you opt for installing a 12V pump and not go with a gravity feed from the new into the existing [old] tank? cheers

 

[dirvine]

My x240 is very modified. The tank is behind the diff. The straps bolt onto the chasiss where the spare tyre rubber bushes were and behind the diff bolt onto where the old spare tyre winder and stay bolted onto the crossmember. The gap between both crossmembers is 400mm but my tank was a little smaller ...390mm so I made sure it would fit.by time you put rubber between tank and crossmembers it makes a snug fit. Yes I bought a 12v pump off ebay about $25 which I have used with my old inside tank, and just pump across to main tank via the main tank breather hose with a t connector. The pump is rated at 25 litres per minute, but like air compressors, its specs are over rated. More like about 10 litres per minute. But when I get low on main tank, I just flick switch on dash and keep driving. When the pump is not drawing fuel ( its self priming) it makes a terribke racket and I then just switch it off. I have recently boughg a spare pump just incase the old one (4 years old) packs up. Pump comes with its own filter. Dont buy the real cheap ones. There is a brand name pump, which if you google seems to have a reputation of being ok.