Re: GAS TANK

Posted by Bob Carabbio on March 05, 1997 at 22:56:22

In Reply to: GAS TANK
posted by JERRY on March 05, 1997 at 17:06:26

It depends on what the condition of the tank is.If the bottom is confetti, then a repair is probably pretty much out of the question.If it sat for years full of water, then everything's probably gone or dangerously thin(mine had a rust-through right beside the gas gage on the dash surface).
On the other hand, it there was just a small hole or the Steering column brace tore loose (they did often) then a repair is probably a good possibility, but you'll have to clean it down to find out what's the real condition.
Chemical strippers can get the paint, bondo and rust off so you can see what you've got. rolling nuts, or chain links around inside the tank can loosen scale and flakey rust so you can rinse it out.Then radiator shops can boil out tanks for final cleaning, and pressure test them for leaks. If the bottom of the tank is basically sound, pinholes can be brazed closed. Pay a lot of attention to the steering column brace area. since cracks there WILL fail if not corrected.Finish with Tank sealer, and re-paint.
A fast test is to remove the tank and tap gently around on the bottom with a light hammer. If it doesn't feel solid, or goes through, It's probably too far gone.It it feels and sounds solid, then it'll probably come back.

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