Alfa fuel filling

[C M Smith <cmsmith@domain.elided>]

Sorry guys but when filling the tank the air pressure is not relevant to 
the pressure switch in the delivery pipe. The pressure switch reacts to 
fuel reaching the pressure switch through the second orifice inside the 
delivery pipe. Once the fuel going down the fuel filler neck backs up and 
reaches the delivery pipe the pressure switch shuts off the fuel 
(Scientific American had a good explanation of this in a not so recent 
issue). However, the air in the filling tank needs to leave the tank fast 
enough for the fuel to enter without triggering the pressure switch, which 
may seem like the same thing. The problem with Alfa tanks is the air flow 
out of the tank through the filler neck is somehow restricted causing the 
fuel to back up prematurely in the filler neck, thus triggering the 
pressure switch. The GTV6 was particularly bad this way but the 164 is no 
screaming heck in that regard. The only solution is to fill more slowly. 
Also, when the fuel filler handle shuts off on my 91 164L I never try to 
top off the last bit of the tank as the fuel just sprays out (we have no 
vapour recovery shrouds in Canada as yet.)
Michael Smith
Calgary, Alberta,Canada
91 Alfa 164L

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