I was thinking about replacing the rubber hose from the tank to the steel line. Also considering trying to fish the sock off the pickup and installing a filter in the new line I put back in there.

There is a little gas in there I need to drain before I start. Any input on safety concerns working around the tank would be great.

 

[QUOTE=boltnut;1580071664]There is a little gas in there I need to drain before I start. Any input on safety concerns working around the tank would be great. [/QUOTE

Uh, fumes and sparks.....? This ain't rocket science!



I wouldn't use my 18V Milwaukee cordless drill as a screw driver! Use non-powered hand tools and make sure you are well ventilated...

 

Best to be outside and disconnect the battery before removing the line to drain the tank.

 

An old pilot adage is...fuel burns, fumes explode.

I decided on a new tank when I installed an intank fuel pump for my LS conversion. But that required cutting and tack welding; spark producing operations. I did a lot of research and felt I didn't want to take a chance even after repeatedly flushing the old tank. In my research I learned that gas actually seeps into the old metal and when it is heated (cutting, grinding, welding) the gas becomes fumes in a confined space and.......! There are places that weld old tanks and they each have their own techniques. Some keep the tank filled with water or an inert gas. I didn't like the idea of welding on a full tank of water and I didn't want to mess with inert gas. The $190 for a new tank in a high dollar project just didn't seem like much.

In your case, I think that all you want to do is pull the hoses and replace them right? Just be careful and don't cause sparks or heat. Carefully cut the hoses with a blade lengthwise along the tubing to remove it and slide the new hose on. Use gas to lubricate the hose to help slide in on the metal tubes.

I removed the pick up and sending unit as well as the filler neck from the old tank without any problems. Keeping in mind there were fumes in the tank, I carefully unscrewed evrything after, as the previously post said disconnecting the battery and working carefully so as not to create a spark.

 

Aside from the safety issues, you said you were installing a filter near the tank? A gas filter should only be installed between the pump and the carburetor. So unless you're using an electric pump, you don't want a filter near the tank.

 

If you need to ask this question, you may want to consider having a professional do the work.

That said, don't use an incandescent trouble light near where you're working. I saw one of these explode when a drop of gas dripped onto the bulb.

 

Oooh. Right. No electric pump on this build. At least not yet... I guess I don't need to worry about sparks too much. Ya just can't be too safe....

 

I'll take all the crap you guys got if it gives me a few good bits of advice along the way. Not using a trouble light that could fall and break causing sparks is a great one for the safety list. Thanks.

 

The in tank fuel pump was for my LS conversion which uses electronic fuel injection, hence needs an electronic fuel pump. I don't think the OP intends this. I was just pointing out the precautions I took when doing this install, and I chose to do it on a brand new tank for safety reasons.

 

Are you serious? If this were the case, the gas would leak right through the metal.

 

What I would do is is completely drain the tank and make sure the inside was completely dry with the cap off until the job was completeley done, I would run a ground-bonding wire from clean metal on the tank to clean metal on the frame to disapate any static electricity on the in or outside surface of the tank, static charge can also build on the surface of gas, thats why the inside has to be dry, when working on your car your cloths can pick up static from rubbing against the plastic body of the car, wear rubber sole shoes and if its a steel bumper car make contact with the bumper to bleed off static from your cloths, if not touch a clean grounded steel part of the car every once in a while, not trying to scare anyone but it can and does happen like refueling at a gas station or during racing caused by static elec., plastic tanks and fuel bottles are the worst, I also agree, filter on the pressure side, the sock is a prefilter to keep the chunks out, just replace the sock

 

On my '69 there was no way I could replace the hoses going from the hard lines to the tank without releasing the tank straps and rotating the tank so I could get my hands in there to attach the hoses and set the clamps.

As far as the sock on the end of the pickup pipe, you can easily access that by removing the sending unit/pickup. You just need to rotate the ring that holds the assembly in the bottom of the tank. The new sock should come with a large o-ring gasket to seal the assembly when you reinstall it. If your sock is original, it must surely need replacement. They are pretty cheap at most Corvette supply stores.

Be sure to completely drain the tank, and let it air out, easier if you have the sending unit removed and cap off as you now have holes top and bottom to help air circulate.

 

You should be fine, but always a good idea setting up a fan to move air around. I have a mid sized Power Cat blower, that comes in handy for lots of things. Has a built in light and got the hose kit. You're right for being concerned though, as know a story. Guy was patching a leaky gas tank with an epoxy putty kit. Made a phone call, then saw a big bubble when coming back. Burst into the work light bulb, shattering it, and whole thing went up.