TPIShark

So I picked up a replacement gas tank for my '58 at Carlisle last summer, (made my Quantas) and finally got around to installing it. It's a 62-style tank with the baffels, but from everyhwere I can check the fit should be the same. I've learned a few things (that perhaps I should have anticipated along the way:

1. None of the aftermarket stuff fits exactly like factory.
2. The straps they gave me were more than twice the thickness of the originals, making forrming them almost impossible. I cleaned, painted, and reused my originals, and am glad I did.
3. This thing was still a shoe-horn fit. I had it in and out a few times, learning that I needed to pull the welded crimp in pretty aggressively where the strap passes over it at the rear.

My problem is the cover still doesn't fit. With careful checking, I realized that the tank needed to be moved towards the passenger side about half an inch. It's much better, but now it seems the rear corners of the tank are still hitting the lid. After finishing all the lines I'm guessing I may need to pull it out again to bend in the front welds, so it will move forward more???

Losing my mind, as I wanted t enter the car in the local Memorial Day parade. Any advice is appreciated. I can't believe this is such an exact/tight fit...

54greg

Ive never had such issues. Bend down the corners and around the straps. Then just wedge in the straps. Nothing is ever easy with these cars. Getting the parts, installing them or adapting them to operate. Just be patient remember its a hobby and enjoy playing with your car

TPIShark

thanks Greg

Very true. A good friend told me these cars were truly hand-built. For example, if you can restore the stainless trim that's always a better route than replacing.

No worries - I still love her!

C1-Curt

I was starting to think I was the only one with this issue. I had the same issue, I bought a baffled tank to install in my 60 and I beat, bent and still could not get it in far enough to get the cover on. It was very close but I could never get it in all the way. I am starting to wonder if there is something different in the 62 baffled tank, it drove me nuts too.

I gave up and repainted and installed my old tank and I now have a new tank on the shelf collecting dust

SDVette

Had all the same issues with my 61. Refurbed and re-used the old straps too. Had to beat it with a dead blow hammer to get it in. Nasty job..

TPIShark

Oh boy. I'll have to do the "modifications" when the wife's not home.

I hope I can massage those corners in w/o tearing the metal. An insulated dead blow hammer sounds best...

John S 1961

Hammers against blocks of wood were all original factory install techniques. Levers, prybars, slotted holes. The were not that precise when new, they just had the advantage of a continuous Production line and made many adjustments along the way and could get suppliers to correct things as they went along.

jimh_1962

Also, start with long bolts when you start strapping down the tank then switch the bolts as the straps form to the tank. It helps to tape up the ends from underneath to prevent the strap from falling out. Make sure you have a towel. I remember sweating alot getting the thing to fit.

rich5962

I have a repro tank going in a '60 very soon. I may get a heavy duty vacuum pump and shrink it a little before the cover goes back on.

427390HP

I went through the installation of a new tank in my '60 a year and a half ago. I had two new tanks and the repro's are slightly larger than the original. I had quite an ordeal to get my tank in to sit down far enough to get my tank cover on.

My experience is that the front flange needs to be bent the entire length of the tank - not just by the straps- to allow the tank to slide forward and sit down enough to get the straps on as well as clear the tank cover.

Here's the discussion of what I went through. I explained in a little more detail exactly what I did in post #23 of that thread.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...62-owners.html

Hope this helps anyone doing a tank install.

Terry

Steve59

Had the same damn problems with my 59. If the tank were 1/2 inch smaller, you could do the job in about an hour instead of two days.

Frankie the Fink

Man - I hope I can stave off this job until somebody inherits my '61. Prob the only thing on my C1 I haven't had to go into (so far)

Steve59

Frank:

If you ever replace the tank:

1. try to save the old straps, no way can you bend the new ones into the proper configuration. Also the new ones seem to be a tad short so getting the bolts to line up will cause you to get religion.

2. Save the old pads if you can, the new ones are a tad too thick

3. Bang the snot out of the corners (bend them down) and also where the straps go around the tank at the crease weld.

doing the above FIRST will prevent at least three trial fits with that tank. Those edges are sharp, use gloves. I'm amazed at how mere inches in size are so critical to the fit of such a large part. There is just no extra room in that area.

jimh_1962

Go to your local hardware store and buy three different size bolts. Start with the larger one and crank down. Then move to the next size down when it is close enough to start. Then go to the correct bolts once the second set of bolts have gone as far as it will do. The repro straps will bend into the correct shape.

Frankie the Fink

So many past girlfriends have told me...

Seriously, I generally reread all old posting and advice on tackling major work on the C1 before I even buy the parts

MrPbody

You must have ended up with a lot of very well tested girlfriends then?

Russ

TPIShark

Thanks for all the replies everyone.

MUCH appreciated. So I would guess I will be taking it out at least one more time; hopefully that does the trick.

Like always, it also feels a lot better knowing it's not just me.

Thanks again...

John McGraw

I have never installed a new tank in any C1, that did not require the use of wood blocks and a 5 lb dead blow hammer. It is just the nature of the beast!



Regards, John McGraw

blackvette58

John,
I am about to install a repro tank and anticipate the same issues. Could you be more specific of how you used the wood blocks and the blow hammer to accomplish the fitting task. Thanks.
Richard

mfain

Had the same problems with my 62, plus a little more. The car was originally a big tank car. The original tank had been removed a long time ago, and the replacement tank was installed using the original big tank rear strap mounting points, so you couldn't even put a cover on it. A series of owners apparantly drove it with no cover, and one of them had "tar papered" the holes in the glass below the tank in an apparant attempt to eliminate some of the noise and gas smell -- not effective! I replaced the tank with an aftermarket tank and went through the same "hammer and force" drill. The car had the holes for the "small tank" mounting brackets (in the fiberglass well behind the tank), but had never had the brackets installed, so I had to do that. The holes for mounting the tank cover had never been drilled, and the rear edge of the tank opening had been slightly enlarged, I assume for tank clearance (don't know if that was a factory mod or a previous owner). Unlike a previous poster, the aftermarket straps that I purchased were thinner than the originals (compared to the big tank straps that someone had cut up and modified to make the small tank fit), and they looked kind-of cheezy, but they fit. I drove the car a couple of months without the tank cover, and I don't really recommend it -- I got tired of people asking me why I smelled like gas fumes. LOL