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Gas tank fix on the cheap


Tired iron

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Hi all,

Well I shouldn't have been surprised since my project car, a 1950 Dodge Meadowbrook,  sat for about 30 years, but discovered today that the pick up tube in the gas tank is plugged shut. So much gunk, rust and varnish that no amount of air pressure would open it up.

 

Dropped the tank, took off the sender unit and saw the reason why: that dang oilite filter! Now comes the puzzle of how to remedy this. I could by a new tank, but I dont want to shell out 300 bucks when the tank is in good shape and it's just a plugged up filter. I soooo wish that they wouldn't put filters in the tank when you can't get at them and,instead, would rather have a inline filter outside the tank that I can easily replace.

 

I contemplated cutting an access hole so I could get in there easily and separating the pick up tube from the plugged filter, but that requires alot of work: filling the tank with water so I dont blow myself up, cutting the hole and then tig welding it back up when I'm done. I can do it, but dont want to. 

 

And then I stumbled upon this solution and thought I'd pass it along for those who dont want to buy a new tank....

 

First, using a long screwdriver and a hammer, bust the end of the pickup tube off of the oilite filter. Itll take a bit of patience and precise hits, but it will come off. If you are lucky, you're done. Just clean the tank up with soap and water and then vinegar if you have rust issues. Seal it if you wish and put the tank back up. Also put a inline filter in your fuel line before your pump.

 

If you were not lucky (like me) in the process of knocking the pickup tube off, you also crimped the tube shut. Here's what worked for me.

The pick up tube comes thru a fitting which is soldered on and the the wall of the tank.  I used a big old soldering iron, the kind with the big chisel tip and laid it upside the fitting. It took a while but eventually the solder melted and the fitting could be pushed into the tank. Now the entire pick up tube is loose in the tank.  I turned the tank upside down and shook it until the tube presented itself at the sender unit hole and fished it out. Then I cut off the crimped end, put it back in the tank and resoldered it back up.  No flames or sparks, no boom, no ugly cut and repaired patch. 

 

Now I have a clean tank and an open pick up tube. I'll splice an inline filter in the fuel line tomorrow.  I like the filters with the clear plastic 20211221_110507.jpg.9bb6d82a4b5b1cf646740e0e3b398b93.jpghousing so I can see when they get full of crud and then replace them.

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