Gangly vapor fillers, our cars, and Oregon

So in a fine turn of events, I'm relocating from Warshington to central Oregon in a few weeks. As you may know, Oregonians can't pump their own gas and no exceptions for weird cars.

The filler on my 67 Coronet wagon has always been unkind to full-flow fills – if I don't hang the nozzle half out of the opening it will back up the filler tube or spash back out of the hole.

The vent tubes work - you can see gas come out of them and squirt back down the filler as the tank starts getting full, but they can't keep up. This is a non-emissions car so I only have the tank-to-filler vents, no engine-side fuel vapor stuff.

Is there later-model hardware or some modification I can do to get the car just take full flow from a modern pump without backing up the tube? I can't take the car to a place where they just lock the pump open and walk away, I will dump gallons down the side of the car...

Interesting problem. My Dart does the same thing and pisses me off every time it happens. I can't remember if Oregon uses the vapor recovery deals on their filler hoses? I've pumped my own at Pilot/Flying J in Oregon. Only diesel though. I don't know of any mods except for maybe putting that little trap door "unleaded" thing in the top of the filler tube. I think the problem is related to the filler end not going down the tube enough because of the vapor recovery thing on it and it won't shut off until the fuel is going over the bend. You could just tell them to put X many gallons in it? Carry a utility jug?

Most gas station attendant here in Oregon will allow you to tell them how to put your fuel in your classic or let you do it if you ask
You are allowed to put in diesel your trucks and cars so maybe there is hope on gasoline soon Dang them enviormental liberals anyways
What part of central Oregon, which town?

Washington has the doofy vapor boots too, but if you do the old two-hand to hold the thing back so you can eye the filler it's worked fine.

The vent design does not seem that great - they really barf out gas at first, but it stops being able to move enough air after the tank is maybe 2/3 full and it starts backing up the filler tube. I'll have to note where around that tends to happen for me so I can let people know. I was planning on filling at home via larger jerry cans for the most part, but I do want to drive out of combat radius once in awhile too.



That's good to know - I've had a hard time reading how it would go in my 90s cars. I'm going to be in the west side of Eugene. I really like Deschutes beer, so Bend is on my short list for first trips post-move Really looking forward to being down in Oregon, there's so much new big $ up here you don't see hardly any old bangers out and about day to day compared to just 5 years ago. Everyone's clueless about getting their hands dirty...

One time on a trip I had a gas jockey threaten to call the law on me for pumping my own gas, I said if he did he needed to call for an ambulance cause id put a boot in his butt.

Stupid silly law and the youngster was pretty fired up over it.

You stand over them like a hawk and bark instructions and threats. They'll like say "here, you do it .."

I delivered a car to a friend in Portland Oregon some time back, and when I pulled in for fuel, the attendant asked if I wanted to pump the fuel. Thought that was cool. It was not a premium paint job and they did just fine.

Not to many nozzle boots in eastern WA yet, but I am sure they are coming.

Can't you tell them how much to fill it and not to top it off? Just do the math and keep it at 3/4 full.

I used to live in Oregon, but that was before I was old enough to drive.

My old 71 Dart would sweat gas down the quarter panel if overfull on hot days. Paint wasn't that great, but still annoying. Helps if you don't park the car with the gas cap facing into the sun.

I had to fill my 2006 Ram 3500 CTD up today and buy some E85 for this weekend for the toy, I ask the attendant about people filling their own rigs () up he said the UPS drivers and a lot of other classic car owners do their own filling up at that station I biker guy rode in on a Harley looking road bike and the same attendant handed him the fuel handle to fill his bike up
I don't drive my 1969 Dart 383 4 speed GTS very often but when I do a lot of the attendant will ask me if I want to fill up, which I do
Eugene is in the liberal side of the state so be wary about violating their space and laws, lots of liberal nerds over their

I don't let any of those crack heads touch my stuff. If they don't honor the classic car / motorcycle / diesel rules then move on to the next station. They are legally required to start/stop the pump but most of the time nobody freaks out if you hang it up and split.

As far as making sure they don't spill fuel on any car I always specify "no top off" and tell them to "fill it slow" on my old trucks and stuff.

If you live in a rural area you might be surprised at how the gas station attendant laws are handled between the locals. "Just make sure you don't light up a smoke" is what one kid yelled to me from the register inside the store.

Welcome to Oregon. Where in the state are you headed?

My Challenger will only accept fuel if you hold the nozzle handle up and aim the nozzle at the bottom of the fill tube. You cannot set the handle and let it go at any speed. This is a '71, and here in CA with the vapor recovery BS pumps, the shield is bigger than the opening in the flip-top cap. Sucks.

Most of the gas station attendants are pretty good at pumping gas. They are accommodating if you have a classic car, motorcycle, etc.

I love the full service in Oregon, especially when it is raining (which is 75% of the time out west!). The station I frequent in Astoria has mildly developmentally disabled workers...they take exceptional care and effort to not spill, overflow, or scratch your car.

[/quote] That's good to know - I've had a hard time reading how it would go in my 90s cars. I'm going to be in the west side of Eugene. I really like Deschutes beer, so Bend is on my short list for first trips post-move Really looking forward to being down in Oregon, there's so much new big $ up here you don't see hardly any old bangers out and about day to day compared to just 5 years ago. Everyone's clueless about getting their hands dirty... [/quote]

Maybe you pal around with Mark Worman, he's always looking for friends..

As said above, most stations will let you pump your own if your not a moron and you have a "special" case vehicle.. I am sure you will find a station close to your home that will work with you..

A law was passed several years ago allowing motorcycles to pump their own, so that is a no brainer..

NO car cruises allowed in hippie Eugene.. Too much pollutin going on..

100,000 Californians in the Bend area now.. An overpacked zoo of people who think they are real "impotent"... Not like the neat town of 13,000 I used to ski out of in the 70's and 80's....

Enjoy

Inn At The Seventh Mountain

Up until one of your special attendant friends put a large chip in the paint of our '66 Coronet ragtop I was a little more lenient. They were even nice enough to deny it after it happened in front of me.

No more people touching our stuff after that.

It would be hard to live with that silly rule. I usually just don't like being waited on or attended to and would rather take care of it myself.

Self-reliance is discouraged pretty much everywhere these days.

Glad we don't have those goofy pump nozzles here yet. But I did go sideways on the local pump jockey who got to the filler cap on the Demon before I could get out of the car....

....and immediately dropped it on the pavement.

My 77 D100 doesn't take fuel like newer vehicles and the new gas nozzles won't stay in the filler neck. All the places I go to are okay with me pumping my own fuel. Especially if they are busy and can't really stand there and hold the nozzle in place.

I have a theory and maybe some old timers can confirm...

Wonder if pumps today have a higher flow rate than in the 60s?

My 70 Cuda is a [censored] to fuel. Cap is behind the plate, you have to hold the plate up with one hand to make sure it doesnt contact the tailpanel and damage the paint while manipulated the nozzle with all its vapor recovery Krap in a tight area.

And the fill nozzle is low on the car, I place a paper towel to prevent spill from running down the tailpanel paint. (In the event I am careless enough to let it burp fuel)

Ain't no way in hell anybody but me is going to fuel the car as long as I own it.

There are hi flow pumps but not sure if they are used at commercial service stations..

I worked at a gas station in High school when gas was 30 cents a gallon.. I can tell you that the price numbers turn a lot faster than they used to.. The pumps we had were mechanical readouts, not digital like todays......

A long time ago when I was a college kid in Oregon I had a '69 Falcon station wagon that hated to be filled up with gas. It would stop, then puke gas and dump gas down inside the inner fender and everything. That was a pain. I also had a '69 Dodge truck that difficult to fill up with gas. These days all of my newer rigs are Oregon pump friendly.

My '65 Coronet doesn't seem to have to much trouble at the gas pump. The filler is behind the license plate which tends to freak out the pump jockeys but it takes gas okay.

Some of the pump jockeys are Nazi about the no self serve but the further away from Portland you get the more normal people are. Portland is full of freaks and I have zero interest of venturing into Portland with a classic car.

NO, say it isn't so....... LOL

I have to agree with AndyF, I live in the Salem/Keizer area and wouldn't even think of venturing to Portland with a classic vehicle. People are screwy in Portland. Good thing our dragstrip isn't up there!

Curious--is the concern that some "environmentalist" might engage in vandalism???

That is a distinct possibility! lol People drive like their heads are stuck up their tush and with the amount of traffic, it only gets worse.

Something similar to that happened here several years ago when someone tried to hold a car show at the city's downtown park, where all the earth-muffins typically hang out to engage in their "culture."

No permanent damage as such, but everybody who left their car unattended for even a few minutes got it papered with anti fossil fuel literature and signage. Not one of the little cowards had the balls to confront any of us directly, and they would run like scared rabbits if any of us tried to engage them.

In response to someone's earlier question about fuel pump volume: My wife manages a commercial fleet fuel outlet. They have high volume pumps on both gas & diesel for filling big trucks there. But she says you don't find them at retail fuel stations...at least in Canada.

This is what I would do but you'll have to remove the fuel tank.

If you can get your hand and arm inside the tank from the sending unit drill a hole in the top of the tank. Use a -10AN bulkhead fitting and run some -10 hose or 1/2" aluminum fuel line up into the fender or higher if you can and bend it over to form a J. If you can't get into the tank to reach the top then have a bung welded to it.

You should be able to fill it as fast as the pump will go then.

I did this to the plastic tank on my 1st Gen CTD and now I can fill it all the way up to the top of the filler without a problem.

Today's gasoline pumps for cars have a slower restricted flow rate than they used to have. They can't pump faster than 10 gallons per minutes to minimize over fills and spillage. Federal law.

Hey, I resemble that remark! Is that your way of calling me out, Andy?
It's a fact that most people live in cities, particularly big cities. That then means that the city dwellers are more normal, statistically speaking, than those who live elsewhere.
I get no flack for driving my Dart Sport around Portland, just lots of compliments even though I consider it a pos compared to the rest of the fleet. You've just gotta keep in mind that modern vehicles are more nimble and steer and brake better than your old dinosaur.
Wandering back on-on topic, I think having the gas-pump jockeys usually speeds up the process and they never give me any trouble if I want to do something myself. Most are juggling 4 pumps, keeping track of how much is going into each and predicting when they'll be done so they can get the nozzle out and get the line moving. I often hang up the nozzle myself because I'm right there and always get thanked for it.



Oh, but it is! The address to "our" dragstrip is over there <<<---- somewhere
Portland International Raceway is a publicly owned dragstrip, road course, moto-x, multi-purpose facility where you can find drag racing under the lights 3 nights a week all summer long: http://www.supercarsunlimited.com/pirbrackets/schedule/2017_2.7schedule.pdf If you prefer standing in the hot sun all day by all means head to Sunburn Dragstrip. But if you prefer racing in the cool evening air blowing up the Columbia River..bring a jacket, no sunblock needed.
If that isn't enough, every Wednesday from June through September the price of admission also gets you into one of the biggest cruise-ins around and there's usually a live band (that sucks). Watch some bracket racing, wander through the hundreds of old cars and other 'special interest' vehicles, show off your car, whatever. I usually park my tow rig where I can watch the cruise in traffic as they come in and leave. It's like the tide: a long steady stream of old cars coming in, then a slack period (not always) and then a long parade of old iron on the way out. Yes, in Portland, where that HUGE automotive swap meet is every 6 months or so.