denmopar Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 I hope this doesn't bore too many here. After the arrival of my Plymouth sight unseen except for some eBay photos (I didn't pay a lot for it.- but I'm making up for that as I go..You bet....) I noticed the bottom of the tank had been badly smashed as if it had been driven onto a rock or something....That wasn't the worst of it.....Someone in the past with a lot of copper pennies and a whole bunch of solder had patched numerous corrosion pinholes on the bottom of the tank. Must've been a couple of pounds of lead there. Upon further 'triage' I discovered the inside of the tank appeared as if it came off the Titanic.....Worst I've ever seen! It also leaked like a sieve when I added fuel..... Of course, the guage sending unit resistive element was all but non-existent. What to do??? I checked many resources only to discover the not-so-popular 54 Plymouth hasn't been chosen to have a repro tank made for it....Understandable... This is what I came up with to solve my problem. The quite ubiquitous 1957 Chevrolets can practically be reproduced out of boxes of newly manufactured parts, gas tanks included. ($100 with sending unit, shipped.) Just so happens, with both the 54 Plymouths and 57 Chevys having a fuel filler neck located at the driver's side rear corner. (Plymouths with the filler on the left side of lower body panel and the Chevy's in the left taillight trap door trim.) There was my candidate for surgery. Now to address the fuel sending unit..... The OEM 54 Plymouth fuel gauge unit (balance type) requires a variable resistance range of 10-100 ohms, with the lower resistance registering full. The replacement Chevy fuel pickup and sending unit combo that came with the new tank was 0-30 ohms, with the higher resistance registering full. (I think I'm recalling that correctly.) -- A 65 Chevrolet pickup/ sending unit has a resistance range of around 10-90 ohms but is still designed to register resistance inverse to the OEM Mopar unit.... I took the new 57 Chevy pickup/sending unit and peeled off the spot welds on the pickup tube. Purchased a repro 65 Chevy tank pickup and sending unit combo for about $35. Stripped the 65 Chevy resistance unit from its pickup assembly and soldered it backwards onto the 57 Chev pickup tube, using a sectioned piece of the still-attached 65 pickup tube as a mounting saddle of sorts.. One bend of the float arm and I snapped on the 57 float. Added (soldered) a 5 watt wirewound resistor in series with the sending unit wire inside the tank... Tested in the empty tank before installing it by turning the empty tank upside down and upright and monitoring it with my meter....A couple of tweaks and- BINGO! Replaced a section of the gauge wire to extend forward of the original location at top-center to the new location at top-front-center of the tank. This resulted in a functional fuel gauge after filling a few gallons at a time to check tracking.....Not perfect accuracy / tracking, but not too shabby either. I've seen worse on some OEM units. The new repro tank is 2" deeper, thus hangs down more, but not too obtrusive or obvious when installed. I had to remove the soldered-in original filler necks from both tanks, purchase an angled exhaust pipe section from a big box parts store and cut and braze it all together and solder it into the new tank. Fitted it with a new piece of fuel hose coupling to the original neck and cap. Installed using the two OEM straps and replacement hex nuts in lieu of the OEM barrel nuts. The vent was easy. A little bending and coupled to the original vent lines. I extended the original supply line at the lower front-left side with a 24" flared tube and coupler to the new combo pickup and sending unit located at the top-front-center of the new tank.. There ya have it....A rambling story, but one solution for a 53-54 Plymouth (and I guess Dodge) replacement gas tank dilemma. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Elder Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 Awesome! More gallons than stock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denmopar Posted August 8, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 I think about similar capacity,...17 gallons if I recall?. New tank is slightly narrower and shorter, capacity made up by 2" more depth. Sorry- Old guy here (66) I don't recall all the figures off the top o' my balding head.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
54Illinois Posted August 8, 2013 Report Share Posted August 8, 2013 That is pretty cool! I was lucky enough to clean my 54 tank. But you are right...no after market styles out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1947coupe Posted September 4, 2013 Report Share Posted September 4, 2013 Any pictures of the installation? Any idea if this would work on a '48? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
knuckleharley Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 This is what I came up with to solve my problem. The quite ubiquitous 1957 Chevrolets can practically be reproduced out of boxes of newly manufactured parts, gas tanks included. ($100 with sending unit, shipped.) Just so happens, with both the 54 Plymouths and 57 Chevys having a fuel filler neck located at the driver's side rear corner. (Plymouths with the filler on the left side of lower body panel and the Chevy's in the left taillight trap door trim.) There was my candidate for surgery. Thanks for posting this. I had no idea you could be a new 57 Chevy gas tank for 100 bucks,and am a little shocked by it. This is one of the best tech tips I've read. It may even be a answer to the gas tank prolem with the 63 Fury convertible if I can't sell it as is and am forced to get it running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young Ed Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Thanks for posting this. I had no idea you could be a new 57 Chevy gas tank for 100 bucks,and am a little shocked by it. This is one of the best tech tips I've read. It may even be a answer to the gas tank prolem with the 63 Fury convertible if I can't sell it as is and am forced to get it running. Can you not get a new one for the 63? I believe we put a new one in the 64 fury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 some cars has a good parts following..early b-bodies do to some degree.....many car parts of this nature are close enough that a quick mod can make them work and work well and if you said nothing most would never know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Furylee2 Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 Indeed, they are out there. Just did a quick search on ePay! http://www.ebay.com/itm/62-63-Mopar-B-Body-Models-Fuel-Gas-Tank-Golden-Star-made-overseas-/390574638074?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5af01003fa&vxp=mtr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted September 5, 2013 Report Share Posted September 5, 2013 my 62 Polara is solid tank but has a dent in the bottom....lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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