How to drop the fuel tank?

[Petros]

I have seen where the metal tube comes out of the top of the tank will rust. salt residue must get blown up on top of the tank and just sit there and corrode the lines away.

I was able to salvage one I had like that by cutting it off, I had just enough of the stub left to force a new longer rubber fuel line over it and put two hose clamps on it.

the flange on top of the tank uses a rubber gasket, if it is not damage it can be reused. most sealants will dissolve with exposure to fuel, so if it is still pliable you can reuse the rubber gasket on the flange. I have also used fuel resistant sealant on it if it was old stiff and brittle, but do not use much, keep it way from the fuel tank edge of the gasket.

As long as you can get the fasterners out, dropping the tank is not that hard, so you might spray all of the screws and bolts on the tank with penetrating oil or ATF the day before and let it soak.

[DanT]

Excellent advice. Thank you.

I cleaned up the 14 mm bolts and have them soaking in blaster now. Hopefully I will not twist them off tomorrow, but I can tap those holes if I need to. I don't think I can use MAP heat that close to the fuel tank, and the fuel lines.

The pins on the backs of the straps are very corroded, but the straps look good. I have those pins cleaned up as best I can, and soaking in blaster now also. Those pins are not moving yet, even with a carpenters hammer. I may end up cutting the pins at the hinge seams. Looks like I could fabricate a new pin from a brass pin from a door hinge in the house.

As long as I have enough metal line above the tank, I will follow your approach and attach rubber fuel lines. I won't know until the tank is down what is left to work with though.

Thanks again for the advice. Very much appreciated.
Dan

[marlinh]

You can drop the tank by just removing the 14 mm bolts at the front of the straps and not worry about the pins. If the factory plastic cover is still in place there are three or four 10 mm head bolts to remove. Here where I live they are usually rusted badly and they break. Then you can slide the tank out around the straps.

[DanT]

Good news for tonight: The tank came out pretty easily, and it looks like I have enough to work with to attach rubber fuel lines. The bolts and the pins came out without much trouble. I think it was soaking in blaster for 24 hours that helped with this.

The supply line is rusted, and I can see holes in it, but the back part where it goes into the tank looks okay. I will seal up the back part with chassis saver paint, which should keep that section from rusting any further. ( I painted the metal fuel lines with chassis saver under the car, and those lines have seen tons of salt, and are still good. I was told that the state of Pennsylvania paints the bottom of their salt trucks with this product.)

I might also pack some gas tank epoxy putty around those metal lines in the back where they go into the tank to provide extra protection and support.

Thanks very much to everyone for your help with this project. It would have been very difficult for me to figure this out on my own. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions?

Go Yoda!
Dan

[Petros]

It would be intersting to see pictures of the area where it got holes in the lines. It will be useful for others in the future to know where to look if they have the same problem. And see the fix you came up with.

[ARCHINSTL]

I will seal up the back part with chassis saver paint, which should keep that section from rusting any further. ( I painted the metal fuel lines with chassis saver under the car, and those lines have seen tons of salt, and are still good. I was told that the state of Pennsylvania paints the bottom of their salt trucks with this product.)

For general elucidation - what is the product name for the "chassis saver paint?"
Thanks,
Tom M.

[DanT]

Here is the link.
http://www.magnetpaints.com/underbody.asp

I will just wire brush the loose rust off of the fuel lines and paint this stuff on directly. The beauty of this product is that you don't need to overclean the parts. It will adhere to rust . It sets up rockhard and will seal all of the pinholes, and with two or three coats will add structure to the lines also. Gasoline has no effect on it. I think in this application it will work better than epoxy.

I have used this stuff to seal all of the rusty parts underneath my car: brake lines, backing plates for brakes, driveshaft, rear axle, any exposed body metal, etc.

Chassis Saver is similar to POR 15, but I get better results from it, and do not need to fuss around with the prep for POR 15 . It acts like a one part epoxy, and will also glue metal parts together. for example, you cannot drip any paint into the edge of the paint can lid , or you will never get the lid off.

I buy the high gloss black from my local auto paint supply shop for $16 for an 8 ounce can. I prefer to buy it in small amounts, as the paint goes a long ways, and can set up if it is not sealed well. They say to use rubber gloves, because if you get it on your hands, it won't come off. I also bought the reducer, which helps a lot with cleanup.

[marlinh]

Wow, something that can handle fuel! I hope it is available in Canada.

[DanT]

Thanks guys! This car is back on the road with no smell of gasoline whatsoever. Repair turned out well. Pictures attached.

As you can see,  there were holes in all of these lines: supply line, return line, and vent line. I used a small wire brush to clean the area, and then cut off the ends of the supply and return lines to prepare for rubber lines.

Chassis Saver is designed to go directly onto these rusted surfaces, and is the one product I would trust to deal with this problem . (I have applied this product directly onto heavily rusted brake backing plates, drive shafts, differentials, engine blocks, air cleaner covers, etc., and fuel lines under the car, and 15 years later it is still performing well. )

I used small pieces of aluminum foil between layers of chassis saver to cover the holes in the tubing, and to create more strength at the elbows.  (If you let Chassis Saver set out for about 30 minutes it will thicken and allow you to build up the lines more easily. ) The more layers you put on, the stronger this stuff gets. I also covered all exposed parts of the tank that were not rubberized.

Question for the group: I tested this tank by closing the filler cap and sealing all of the 3 fuel line openings after blowing air into the tank with my lungs Through one of the lines . The tank was airtight and held pressure for a long time. This is exactly what I want, yes?

The reason I ask is because there was a small hole at the very top of the filler neck that was allowing pressure to sneak out, that I sealed. If you look straight up behind the filler cap, that is where the hole was. That hole is not supposed to be there, is it?

I dreaded dropping the fuel tank due to concerns about rusted fasteners, but that part was actually not too bad.

Thanks again for the help guys!
Dan

PS: This car has been in the salty winters of the Northeast for 20 years, and would not be alive if not for the quarter inch of roofing tar and cloth that covers the entire bottom of the car... all the way to the tops of the wheel wells. The product I use is called Leak Stopper from Lowes. It has a high rubber content and sets up well.

[Petros]

nice job. I have never seen that Chassis Saver on the west coast, but I can think of a lot times it would be useful. does it cost much?

Many adhesives are not compatible with gasoline, hopefully this one is and will make a permanent repair of the fuel lines.

[DanT]

I pay $19 for 1/2 pint and $40 for a quart. 1/2 pint goes a long way. I googled this and found Wal-Mart selling quarts for under $40. EBay and other sources are listed also.

[DanT]

Here is what the Magnet Paint company has to say about their product.

Chassis Saver is completely unaffected by road salt, gasoline, diesel fuel, oils, battery acids, hydraulic fluids, solvents, chemicals, or corrosives.

http://www.magnetpaints.com/underbody.asp

Too early to confirm how long this fuel tank repair will last, but I think it will work. Tech sheet at this site.