Fuels tanks

[jmorgan]

This may have been asked before. Can the drivers side come out without dismantling the suspension?

Had the passenger side out on an early 350 but took the trailing arm off and my memory says that an article in sprint from the late 80's early 90's (still have it but up the attic) has an article on cutting the back parcel shelf for the drivers side?

This would be on a 90 400 BTW. A frame suspension. Very limited garage space.

[wooly350i]

Morning Jeff, i'd never thought of cutting parcel shelf so I don't know but when we took my offside tank out the suspension was off and body lifted about 4 to 6 inches, it wad tight. Wooly.

[jmorgan]

Oh er. I read an article where they manoeuvred the tank out by cutting a small section where the filler pipe was, but that was a trailing arm car.

[JVaughan]

Do we have a source for new ones / costs of a replacement versus refurb ?

[Rockettvr]

jmorgan said:

Oh er. I read an article where they manoeuvred the tank out by cutting a small section where the filler pipe was, but that was a trailing arm car.

That's exactly the way I got mine out on a 280 trailing arm. Not sure if it's possible to do it like this on a 400 with wishbones?

[Rockettvr]

jmorgan said:

Oh er. I read an article where they manoeuvred the tank out by cutting a small section where the filler pipe was, but that was a trailing arm car.

That's exactly the way I got mine out on a 280 trailing arm. Not sure if it's possible to do it like this on a 400 with wishbones?

[jmorgan]

JVaughan said:

Do we have a source for new ones / costs of a replacement versus refurb ?

I had a chat with someone who said they could make a new one and the price was reasonable but needed the tank first which is fair. Alloy. Rather leave it at that at the moment. I would if possible get the two up there. I would imagine it would be best to get new straps as well. That is plan Z anyway.

Out of curiosity I did speak to TVR car parts many years ago as this was on my mind and they said best to send the old one down as there were a few minor differences across the years. Never got around to it obviously. Cannot think what is so different. Body moldings perhaps? Pipe connections?

[JVaughan]

jmorgan said:

JVaughan said:

Do we have a source for new ones / costs of a replacement versus refurb ?

I had a chat with someone who said they could make a new one and the price was reasonable but needed the tank first which is fair. Alloy. Rather leave it at that at the moment. I would if possible get the two up there. I would imagine it would be best to get new straps as well. That is plan Z anyway.

Out of curiosity I did speak to TVR car parts many years ago as this was on my mind and they said best to send the old one down as there were a few minor differences across the years. Never got around to it obviously. Cannot think what is so different. Body moldings perhaps? Pipe connections?

Hmmm .... I was thinking of getting a pair to keep on the shelf in the garage as im starting to "collect" spares for a rebuild and rather than remove and have to wait for a new one to be made, a simple swap out would have been less costly on labour / storage fees

[wedgeinald]

It is easier to drop the suspension/diff etc to get them out, not quicker but easier.

You can't even change the fuel sender in situ as the tanks are so (if you'll forgive the turn of phrase) wedged in there.

[jmorgan]

Need to get it to the garage then. No way I can do that in this garage. They will have the room to swing a cat.

[Wedg1e]

My tanks are out at the moment, the nearside one has a pinprick hole in the top face and quite extensive pitting caused by water being trapped on top of the tank, so I'll have to weld in a new piece of sheet.
All the suspension was off my car and the offside tank STILL wouldn't come out until I drilled ouot the pop-rivets holding a GRP blanking panel in the wheelarch that must be there to stop tyre spray being thrown into the cabin via the filler neck hole. Even then there was only just enough room to slide the tank towards the chassis centre, tilt, twist, do the hokey-cokey and wriggle it free.

The retaining straps on my car are galvanised so have no corrosion whasoever. The bolts that pass through the straps from inside the cabin are welded to lengths of similar steel strip under the carpet so they stay put when you remove the nuts.