1COOL60

Installing a new fuel tank in the '60. It has been modified with an internal pump for the Tuned Port. Tight fit getting it in, but cannot get the fiberglass cover installed. It seems the tank is too big in the rear at the rounded corners (too wide). I think the back of the tank is low enough because I can install the bolts in the straps and tighten. Cannot pull the straps all the way down against the body, but I don't think they originally were. This is a reproduction tank, so it should fit. I have had the old original tank out and in several times, so this is not the first time I have done this. The tank being modified has no bearing on this problem.

Anybody run into this problem? Am I doing something wrong? I was wondering if I don't have the tank centered laterally, but I have slid it back and forth and the only difference that makes is which side the cover hits.

Thanks.
160

wmf62

if the pump is not recessed into the top of the tank you are gonna have a problem getting the cover on as the fittings will hit the cover.
Bill

1COOL60

That looks exactly like mine. Did you get your tank from Rock Valley? My repop tank came out of Canada, and it looks like your has the same label.

I removed the fuel lines and the cover still wouldn't fit. I wonder if the back of the tank is sitting too high.

Also, it looks like your straps are pulled all the way down, correct?

160

wmf62

yes, my tank came from Rock Valley. its been so long since i did it that i can't exactly remember if the tank straps are tightened all the way, but my guess would be that they are.

when you set the cover on the tank, where does it hit the tank; the front edge, the back edge, at what point on the tank does it rock? or is it just sitting too high all the way around?
Bill

AZDoug

I have a stainless fabbed tank from Rock valley, and other than having to make sure it was exactly centered, it fit under the cover in my '61.

I bought some 3/8" brake line and borrowed a tube bender and made hard lines to and from the tank, and used ferruled compression fittings in a place or two. so there was no flex line under the cover.

I did find out that when the fuel gauge reads ~3/16 full, the pump starts sucking air, fortunately, I was able to coast downhill to a gas station a mile away.

I usually don't let it get that low, but i was heading to get gas anyway, and wanted to use up as much of the older gas as possible. I think the Rock Valley stainless tank only holds about 14 gallons.

Doug

427390HP

I had the same problem on my repo tank. The new tank was in the car with the straps on and my cover would not go down flush with the body. I even went so far as to get another tank, but it didn't make any difference. I also put my old tank back in to test and it slid right in and the cover would fit.

I felt that my new tank was too deep, meaning front to back. It seemed like the bottom of the tank was not sitting flush on the body. So I ended up bending the entire front or forward flange down so it let the tank sit about 1/4" - 3/8" more forward than it was. That seemed to let the tank sit better on the body and then I was able to get my cover on.

I don't know if this will help you or not, but I thought I'd share my solution with you.

Terry

1COOL60

Thanks for all the input, guys, your suggestions are giving me ideas on where else to look.

Terry: I ground down the rear flange as much as I thought would be safe because the tank would not even clear on the back side initially. I also bent the flange up where the straps are located and this gave me enough for the tank to go into the "hole" and to barely get the stap bolts started. I will work on the front flange too.

When I put the cover on, it will lie flat, but it will not slide forward enough to get the screw holes lined up. If the right front screw hole lines up, the left front screw hole is about 3/4" off (cover hole rear of the body hole). Same thing if I line up the left front screw hole. I will try what Terry suggested because it sounds like the tank is not forward enough in the "hole" to allow the back to slide forward thus dropping down.

Doug: I used aluminum fuel line with inverted flare fittings. My bends right at the edge of the tank look about the same as Bill's, so I am thinking additional messaging will get the tank into it's proper location.

wmf62

grinding the flanges is not the best approach; bending them down would have been better, kinda like how it is bent where the straps go across
Bill

Fawndeuce

I changed the tank in my '62 last winter and had to flatten the flange some at the back of the tank in the strap areas to get the tank to drop all the way in.
Before I did that, I had the same problem as you, but my tank is not modified so I don't know if that is contributing to your problem.



Paul

427390HP

Kim,

I tried bending the flanges where the straps go, but that only helped in getting the straps on a little easier.

As Bill said, grinding the flanges is probably not the best. I just bent my flange as close as I could get to the outboard side of the crimp area. I sure didn't want to get a new tank in and then have it leak.

To clarify my earlier post, I had to bend the flange the ENTIRE LENGTH of of the tank - all the way across the front - not just the strap areas. Just that relatively little bit of difference in the depth of the tank was enough to get everything fitting okay.

Terry

Frankie the Fink

Well sometimes Bill's parts tend to pop back out after they're installed.

Like his rear hardtop window after "Bill and Rebecca's Excellent Adventure"!

Redbird

Lay both flat on the driveway. It should be apparent if they are the same or not. Have you taken any measurements? Post some pictures of them side by side.

wmf62

yeh, like axles....

seeing as how my car was one of the last few built in the C1 design run, i figured out that the rear window thing was an experimental design for the C2/C3 'flow thru' ventilation; they just didn't get it figured out how to close it up again....
Bill

427390HP

In my case a you could not tell a difference between the old and new by a side by side visual comparison. I did take a soft tape measure and did find a difference in the girth between the two however. The new one was slightly larger. I didn't keep my measurements so I can't say exactly how much larger, but the new one was actually larger.

Steve59

I put a Quanta tank in my 59 a few years ago. And it was JUST big enough to cause headaches. It's a tight fit with an original tank and I think the repro's are slightly bigger. I needed to bend the lip of the tank to get the straps on and then do some bending at the top corners to get the tank cover on. If the tank were 1/4 to 1/2 inch smaller, it would have been a 30 minute job instead of 4 hours.

1COOL60

I plan to dive back into the project tomorrow night. As far as grinding the flange, well, what's done is done. I figure if I have a leak at the flange it can be welded. But no more grinding! I will bend the front flange the entire width of the tank and see how that works.

I spoke with Rock Valley and they have been really great to work with. I just sent an email to Spectra Industries, the manufacturer of the tank, but haven't heard back yet.

Thanks again for all the input, I appreciate the help.

Kim
160

firstgear

I have a Rock Valley tank and it a tight bastard to get in place. So tight that I didn't use the straps. If you want to get it out you have to ang the bottom through the body vent holes. The cover makes sure if for some reason it got loose tat it wouldn't come out. But so far it hasn't even budged...it isn't come out unless physically persuaded.

Not shown below is the return line.

don peters

I am doing a 62 conversion and just went to check mine and found a similar problem. The culprit is the spot welded hose clips are not in the ideal location and stick up too high from the tank and hit the bottom of the cover. My cover flange is bowed and appears to aggravate the situtation. Hope this might help you in your quest.
don