Rusty straps - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

madm5 · 7th August 2006, 20:31

HI
On one of the many inspections of my car i've noticed the straps holding the fuel tank in the back of the car have almost rusted through and I don't fancy the idea of the metal tank contacting the road at speed should they break.

I'm gonna replace them, but can anyone advise -One end of the straps are bolted, but where do the other ends of the straps latch on to and can I just reach up and push off the old strap?

Just seen this too:

FOR VEHICLES WITH TROPICAL VERSION	S823A=YES
01	METAL FUEL TANK	81L	1	16111180090
	FOR VEHICLES WITH GULF VERSION	L822A=YES
01	METAL FUEL TANK	81L

Gulf and tropical fuel tanks what are they? I always wondered why everyone here reports a 90 litre tank and I can only push near 80 so guess I have one of those.

chaaaars

illjah · 7th August 2006, 21:07

Wout replaced these recently and posted a thread about it - I have the 90litre tank, and have put 88+litres in on more than one occasion.

Here's Wout's thread:

Tank Retainer Strip replacement

Sebring NL · 7th August 2006, 21:22

Yes, I replaced them as you can read.

If you want to be sure you fit them correctly on the "front" side ( i.e non-bolted) , you must take off the heat shield that surrounds the tank, which is connected to the shield for the exhaust side. You -could- gamble and simply slot the strap in place on the front side, but its up to you. Its not visible where the strap clamps onto, and whenever I can't properly see if its in the right place, I won't bother at all. Just be sure. You don't want that tank touching the ground in the Karousel mate.

Anyways prepare to take off the rear bumper, as the retainer inbus-bolt goes through the attachment point ( its too long on the thread so it can "jack" the tank in place during fitment), making for a nice bare piece of threaded metal to corrode and thus impossible to wrench out

good luck.