230sl Fuel Tank

[steves sl]

Does anyone have any experience with the Fuel Tank manufactured by JP Group Dansk in Demark, sold through the Parts Geek, $400.83 US?

[Vander]

Yes, they are excellent! I see your title says 230SL, do you have a later 230SL with an 82L tank?

Early 230SL have 65L, if equipped your car will have a vertical spare tire in the trunk.

[lagolag]

All 230SL has the 65l tank, 82l came later.

[Garry]

The Dansk tank will be the larger tank most likely and as such you will need to modify the location of the fuel pump slightly.  There is a few writeups here whats needed if you do a search on fuel tank replacement.

[dirkbalter]

We also put an aftermarket fuel tank 65l in m yfriend car. Around $400 but I don’t remember who made it. I believe he bought it from Pelican parts. Runs and installed good.

[MikeSimon]

All 230SL has the 65l tank, 82l came later.

"Later" is relative. Not all 230SLs had the 65L tank. "Later" 230SLs had 82 Liter

[rwmastel]

My Oct 1966 230SL, VIN ending in 18381, has the small tank and I have no reason to believe anyone would have replaced a large one with a small one.  So, if any 230SL's came with the large tank, it was VERY, VERY late in production.

[Pawel66]

Confusing topic - when the 82l change happened.

As per the parts list in webparts the tank changed with 043 introduction. The trunk floor arrangement changed at 042 07205. So - the floor changed earlier than the tank seemingly.

The Technical Manual says something different here: https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Fuel/Tank

But then the modification list does not confirm it: https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Main/W113ModelData

I am in the camp of 230SL - 65l, 250 and 280SL - 82l.

I would have thought, if you search this forum, you will find remarks on fitting 82l tank to 230SL with floor without spare wheel well. Technical Manual also mentions that.

e.g.
https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=32358.msg235203#msg235203

[rwmastel]

You can fit the larger tank in the 230, but you have to relocate your electric fuel pump mounting to make room.  So, yes, the trunk structure changed for the different spare tire setup, but when did the fuel pump start getting mounted further to the left side?  That will tell you when the tank changed.  I think all the 230SL's had the smaller tank because I can't imagine MB changing that in the last 1,000 cars or so.  At that point, it just makes sense to add it to the changes for the 250 model.

[rwmastel]

Does anyone have any experience with the Fuel Tank manufactured by JP Group Dansk in Demark, sold through the Parts Geek, $400.83 US?

https://vintageeuroparts.com/ (big PagodaFest Chicago sponsor) sells a reproduction fuel tank that supposedly has a baffle system (flower pot) inside.  I asked them about it, and they say their supplier really wanted to get this part right, so with feedback from Vingate this tank has gone through two revisions to make improvements.  Vintage says they have been selling this tank for 5 years now.

[dirkbalter]

Rod,

I only see the 20 gal tank? Does he have the small (230) tank in question too?

If you buy a tank, you want to inspect the filler neck right away. I heard that these tend to bend or get damaged during shipping.

[rwmastel]

Dirk,  I already emailed them that question this morning.  I'll share their answer here.

EDIT:  Yes, I've heard the same thing about the filler neck.  Unless seriously damaged, I guess they are not too difficult to re-align.

[rwmastel]

The Technical Manual says something different here: https://www.sl113.org/wiki/Fuel/Tank

The technical manual kind of contradicts itself in consecutive sentences.

"This allowed for a flat trunk floor and a bigger 80 liter tank could be fitted from November 1965 to the 230 and then to 250 and 280 SLs. The 80 liter can also be fitted to the flat trunk floor 230 SLs but the electric fuel pump has be relocated."

It says a bigger fuel tank "could bring fitted", but not that it was.  Next sentence seems to mean "retrofitted" without using that specific term.

My car is Oct 1966, so I'm sticking to all 230SLs had 65 liter tanks.

[rwmastel]

"Later" is relative. Not all 230SLs had the 65L tank. "Later" 230SLs had 82 Liter

Mike, do you have a serial number when this change happened?  Some documentation?  Would like to put this debate to bed.

[Pawel66]

The technical manual contradicts itself in consecutive sentences.

"This allowed for a flat trunk floor and a bigger 80 liter tank could be fitted from November 1965 to the 230 and then to 250 and 280 SLs. The 80 liter can also be fitted to the flat trunk floor 230 SLs but the electric fuel pump has be relocated."

It says a bigger fuel tank "could bring fitted", but not that it was.  Next sentence seems to mean "retrofitted" without using that specific term.

My car is Oct 1966, so I'm sticking to all 230SLs had 66 liter tanks.

Yes, I also pointed it out in my post - there are two somewhat contradicting pieces of information there, same thoughts as yours.


According to priceless manufacturing changes list from Technical Manual, we have:

Chassis 07205, October 64 - The spare wheel, which was previously at an angle in the trough, will be laid horizontally in the trunk, the trough is omitted

Chassis 14274, November 65 - Changes to frame floor, cross members and longitudinal members, to the 82Itr. tank and the stirrup suspension strut to be able to install

Seems to me there were two waves of changes to the floor. After the first one, perhaps you would have to relocate the fuel pump, after the second one - not any more. After the second wave, it was all prepared for bigger tank introduction. Probably one of the marketing improvement messages.

And to mud water a bit...

As for fuel pump relocation:
the fuel pump cover changed at 042 07205, same as floor first wave of change
the clamp holding the fuel line to the floor was introduced at 042 07205, same as first floor wave of change

[rwmastel]

Well, I can only submit a picture of my car as anecdotal evidence.

Chassis 18381, October 66 - Small fuel tank.  Fuel pump in original 230SL location (but holes for moving it??).

As for fuel pump relocation:
the fuel pump cover changed at 042 07205, same as floor first wave of change
the clamp holding the fuel line to the floor was introduced at 042 07205, same as first floor wave of change

That was probably to change away from the teardrop shaped cover to the cylindrical shaped cover since the wheel well was no longer there.

Which fuel line is clamped to the floor?  Flexible pressurized line from pump to hard fuel line (to engine)?  Mine is not affixed to the trunk floor.  I do know my fuel pump is not the factory original, changed before my ownership.  Not sure if fuel lines were reconnected properly.

[Pawel66]

Yes, indeed, that was the change from the drop-shaped to the first cylindrical one.

It is the hose from pump to steel fuel line to filter that is clamped to the floor, as per attached (courtesy of one of the Members here).

Should you decide to install a larger fuel tank, would you have to change fuel pump location?

I modified the post to attach one more picture of how the pump is hanging - probably what you are pointing is not for pump nor cover, just the drain/inspection hole in the profile, but I am not sure.

[BobH]

Quote from Benz Dr - "I'm not aware of any 230SL's that were produced with large tanks and I always thought that they started to install them with the start of 250SL."

Quote from Achim - "Gentlemen.....
?
Why don't you listed to our Benz Dr.?
Doesn't he have enough experience??

The 230 SL was never built and never available with the 82 liter tank.
This car (1130 042) always had the 65 l tank only from the factory! Nothing else.
Please see the (spare) parts list 10126 Edition C as of January 1967, which is valid for all 230 SLs.
If you don't believe so check the EPC.

Conclusion:
Only the 65 liter tank is correct for the 230,
although the 82 liter tank will fit on all cars with the flat spare tire (i.e. without spare wheel well)."

[Pawel66]

I think this is where we are, to me question was more about the trunk floor evolution and necessity or lack of it of re-locating of the fuel pump if you decide to fit a bigger tank.

The confusing factor was somewhat wrong information in Technical Manual, that is all.

[Duncan200]

My car ends in 18468 and is a November ‘66 build. It has the 65 litre tank.

My engine happened to pick up 250 rods as they may have run out of 230 rods, but that’s the only thing that I know for sure in my car that’s from a 250.

It does have the extra holes on the “rail” to reposition the pump but that’s it.

Doug

[Peter van Es]

Remember, the Technical Manual is put together by volunteers, like yourself. Information may be out of date, wrong or misleading. But that is the beauty of the Wiki: if we (collectively) have a new insight, please go and edit the page on the Technical Manual and fix the problem. That's why we decided on a Wiki.

Peter

[BobH]

I've already edited the manual with these recent posts and comments, so it's up to the members to decide until we can get definitive proof

[Peter van Es]

Thanks Bob... you are one of the Wiki regulars now!

[Pawel66]

Remember, the Technical Manual is put together by volunteers, like yourself. Information may be out of date, wrong or misleading. But that is the beauty of the Wiki: if we (collectively) have a new insight, please go and edit the page on the Technical Manual and fix the problem. That's why we decided on a Wiki.

Peter

Technical Manual is brilliant!

[rwmastel]

I only see the 20 gal tank? Does he have the small (230) tank in question too?

Vintage does not carry the small 230SL tank.