Jims50chrysler Posted June 24, 2009 Report Posted June 24, 2009 I have discovered that there is a problem inside my gas tank...it is now removed from the car and when it is half full (of water) and I turn the tank on an angle that the outlet port is facing the ground I get a short trickle of water out of it then it shuts off totally, does anyone know what the line does inside the tank and how you remove and reinstall the "bung" to repair it? thanks Jim Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted June 24, 2009 Report Posted June 24, 2009 Use a fairly heavy wire, like a heavy coathanger - not those little wimpy thin ones. Jab, jab, jab. Mine eventually went on thru.....but took a while. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Posted June 24, 2009 I found another thread about this unfortunatly too late I don't know what I was thinking but I "fixed" it by hammering a screwdriver though the obstruction then I realized that I would loose the bottom quarter tank because it won't draw below that Is that bung just soldered in? can I remove everything throught the bung hole? will I have to cut the area out and make the repair and weld it back in? what a mess!!! Jim Quote
oldmopar Posted June 24, 2009 Report Posted June 24, 2009 Not sure about removing the in tank filter but if you just pushed the junk further down you may still be able to clear it. Try a combination of carb cleaner and air from a compressor at about 100lbs it took a few treatments of letting cleaner soak in and then blowing out with air. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Posted June 25, 2009 I am my worst enemy...it looks like I am going to have to cut the tank open to fix the mess I made then weld everything back together as far as the bung goes to drain the tank...mine will come out, it's the outlet that I am curious about...is it soldered in??? Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Posted June 25, 2009 just to give you an idea...picture a screwdriver hole where the red arrow is pointing Quote
RobertKB Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 When I did my tank years ago a good friend cut a square hole in the top of the tank so I could reach the screen inside the tank. Cut the line running to the screen to get it out. Cleaned and resoldered screen. I reattached it with a compression fitting. Welded the top piece in place. Used some old chain in the bottom of the tank to clean the worst of the rust which really was minimal. Tank was actually very clean as it had sat full for years. The old gas would stay liquid for a long time and not gel up. The tank still works like a charm after 25+ years. Needless to say the tank was filled with water when cutting it open and welding on it. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Posted June 25, 2009 Thank you Robert thats what I will do tomorrow. Jim Quote
RobertKB Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 Jim, I just hope you have the same set-up I did. If you remove the gas gauge sending unit, which you should do anyway, you will be able to see what you have inside the tank. Good luck with the project. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Posted June 25, 2009 Robert I expect it is although I did not see any filter when I looked through the sender hole one question is about the filter, is it spot welded in the tank or does it just sit in there? Norm that is the logic I live by.."it's broke now what do I have to loose" some people mistake that for confidence Surgery tomorrow morning Jim Quote
RobertKB Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 I believe on mine it just sits at the end of the tube right at the bottom of the tank. It has been a long time since it had surgery and my memory is a bit fuzzy. I do remember that the filter was not spot welded to the bottom of the tank. Remember you are dealing with a tank that has held gasoline for years and there is an inherent danger. My buddy who worked on my tank felt safe doing it but there are no guarantees. Quote
grey beard Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 Truck tanks have a gusset spot welded to each end that supports the mounting hole areas. Unfortunately, the front gusset is in a position to catch road splash and such like corrosion, and serves as a pocket that promotes rust. I removed my tank and dumped more than a shovel full of grit and rust from it, then laboriously cleaned it out over a period of months, hauling it around in my van with a soapy water solution inside along with a big handful of 3/4-inch nuts and bolts that rattled back and forth at each stop. Thought I had it cleaned out - looked nice when I peeked inside. Even painted the outside with ZeroRust before I installed it. First fill-up, I had gas pouring out onto the ground. Drained and removed the tank a second time. Took it to my local friendly Old Order Mennonite welder, who filled it with carbon monoxide from his riding mower, then cut the gusset off the front, where it was leaking. The whole front top area behind the gusset was rusted through, where I couldn't see it. This explains why so much crud was inside the tank - must have been a long time developing. He put a patch on it that is roughly ten by six inches in area - just migged it in place, slick as a whistle. Truck tanks have no tube up to the filler - just a straight shot from the filler neck down to the top of the tank, but the fuel outlet has an "S" turn in it with a sock filter on the end that gums up and does the same thing you described in this thread. Someone within the past year cut a Pilothouse tank in half and showed pics of the inside - baffes and all. No wonder they're hard to clean the insides properly using the slosh method. My local radiator guy has an old cement mixer he straps old fuel tanks to and lets 'em spin with lots of shrapnel inside until they're clean - for $100 bukkz a pop. Wow! I'm happy. Quote
PatS.... Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 This was up on the hoist at my transmission shop a few years ago. It was a Ranchero I think, but the gas tank and filter set-up was interesting in that it looked as if it would easily fit on my '49. Just in case a replacement is needed, Jim. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Posted June 25, 2009 I wish I had pics of my buddies 38 chrysler rat rod....he built the car out of everything he could get his hands on.... including the kitchen sink gastank. Jim Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 Yea.....Norm, I don't know if my coupe tank still has the ceramic item or not. Jammed on the tube with a coat hanger, it finally went on thru. May or may not be any filter now. Did install in line filter. Bottom line, the tank is working again. Had a lot of pinholes in the TOP of the tank (which had been coated on the inside with some white-ish stuff). Fixed those with a fiberglass kit from WalMart. Only problem was that the little piece of cloth in the kit was not really quite big enough to cover the entire top of the tank. Went past it with the liquid stuff and it set up and took care of the rest. Inside did not get all clean and shiny looking.....used paint thinner, detergent solutions and other things, including a length of chain rattling around to knock loose the crud. Quote
BobT-47P15 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Posted June 25, 2009 On my convertible tank, there are a couple pennies soldered to the bottom as hole covers. Not sure who put them on or when, but still working. The one problem with the WalMart fiberglass kit was that the 36 square inch piece of cloth is not quite large enough to cover the entire top. So--a person probably should buy a different kit with more cloth. Quote
james curl Posted June 26, 2009 Report Posted June 26, 2009 If you go to any boat shop repair you should be able to buy the glass cloth or mat by the yard and epoxy resin by the gallon with hardener. Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 26, 2009 Author Report Posted June 26, 2009 Thanks for your help everyone. Tank is all back together and ready to install. I did not find any issues in the tank except for what I caused....I suppose there was enough pinholes in the line to the front to not let it draw fuel by. I will be installing an inline filter before the carb as well just to make sure. this is the third time I have tried to load this with the pics but this blasted dial-up does not load pics very well...you will just have to use your imagination. Jim Quote
RobertKB Posted June 26, 2009 Report Posted June 26, 2009 Jim, glad everything went well and the tank is ready to go. If you install a gas filter between the fuel pump and the carb make sure it is a metal one and not plastic in case of heat. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 26, 2009 Report Posted June 26, 2009 that is safe bet but think about things made yet today, the valve covers and intake manifolds are plastic, so are radiator tanks and pump impellors...as are the high pressure fuel injection lines from the tank to the injector rails..and yet even more strange, the swing pedal bracket for your brakes..yep..plastic... Quote
Jims50chrysler Posted June 26, 2009 Author Report Posted June 26, 2009 I got a steel and glass one and paid way too much for it....but it was shiney and I am getting to be like an old crow. Wow pics are working now. Jim Quote
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