Radiator shop says gas tank not fixable what are my options?

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pugslybell

10 Year
Joined
Nov 7, 2013
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13
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42
The 55 I bought had been sitting for ten years with gas in the tank. I rebuilt the carb and thought it wise to get the tank cleaned as it looked full of sediment when I opened up the port for the sending unit. The radiator guy (who other mud members have used and spoke highly off) said it is too corroded inside and the previous liner is too far gone to clean and reline this tank. Are new tanks availble? Can I just put this tank back in and deal with the sediment/old liner degrading? The tank was not leaking when I pulled it and had over 8 gallons of gas in it?

Thanks
This is a 76 for what its worth.
 
I doubt new tanks are available. May be better to find used an go from there.

Pretty sure the shop I took radiator to said they could correct any tank, but no contesting the advice yours gave, since input is hearsay, at best.
 
Tank

Posting here was your best bet. Keep eyes open for someone scraping one out, and as a last resort look for a Long Range Tank up to about 55 Gallons they work well - but will replace your standard spare mount.

Good Luck
 
I was surprised he could not fix it as it was not rusted through I guess I will look for a second shop for another opinion before I look for another used one. Was just not expecting no as an answer
 
I have a tank off of a 71. Looks like it is in good shape. I would have it cleaned and lined though before use. Mine was sitting for 20 years and had at least 8 gallons in it. It had 5 gallons of crud (5-6" deep inside tank) Once cleaned, it had 5 holes that needed repair. I had all work done for $125.

71 tank is off and ready to go. Not sure about shipping, though.
 
Steve:
Get a second opinion. Mine had been sitting for 17 years and cleaned up fine...just needed one crack fixed up on top around the sensor mount, which I'm told is fairly common. Been running it for three years now and only recently changed the fuel filter and then just as a precaution. It's metal...absent serious rust-through it can be fixed.
If you need to have one shipped in, I was able to send one empty by just labeling it and taping off the openings.
Onward...
 
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You should let people know where you live, there could be one close to you that someone could mudship.
 
I started to strip my gas tank, found a few cracks and quite a bit of rust, so I had the local shop boil it and repair it. Some brass smeared in a few spots and it's good to go :) I got to seal and paint it myself to keep costs down. I've got an extra on my 71 parts car if you need, but shipping would be a bitch
 
pugslybell said:
I am dropping it off at another shop To see thanks and wish me luck
Click to expand...

I have heard of people putting a chain in the tank and agitating so the chain can remove the liner as it is sloshing around in there.

I had my tank boiled when I installed the 3FE in mine and figured out (after a very frustrated Cruise Moab attempt) that the tank was shedding lots of debris. Not sure if they didn't boil it well or what. Now I run the clear plastic filters from NAPA as a pump pre-filter. I get much less junk out of the tank now.
 
Reason the guy did not want to do the tank is because it has a badly installed attempt at a liner from the past. The tank has no pinholes so I am going to try another place to see if they are willing to do the work. If they say no I will clean it as best I can from the outside and go with the inline fuel filter.
 
pugslybell said:
Reason the guy did not want to do the tank is because it has a badly installed attempt at a liner from the past. The tank has no pinholes so I am going to try another place to see if they are willing to do the work. If they say no I will clean it as best I can from the outside and go with the inline fuel filter.
Click to expand...

Sounds like a good plan!
 
A string on the chain is a bit of a life hack so you can get it out. Sometimes getting loose items out can be difficult.
 
I did the chain trick in a Datsun 510 tank once...do you know how hard it is to agitate a tank once you put a bunch of fluid and a heavy chain in it?! Worked good enough, you can at least get the big chunks out and then just put a couple of filters on it.
 
riderjgs said:
Steve:
Get a second opinion. Mine had been sitting for 17 years and cleaned up fine...just needed one crack fixed up on top around the sensor mount, which I'm told is fairly common. Been running it for three years now and only recently changed the fuel filter and then just as a precaution. It's metal...absent serious rust-through it can be fixed.
If you need to have one shipped in, I was able to send one empty by just labeling it and taping off the openings.
Onward...
Click to expand...

Cracks around the sending unit are common? I have a gas odor back behind/under the Pig (ha ha) and some wet marks on the passenger side coming down from the top.
I haven't pulled the inspection cover in the back yet, but wondering if I need to drop the tank and get her looked at.
Did you paint yours after it was boiled? I was wondering if painting a light color would help with heat at all. Now that I type that it sounds crazy as the only light exposure is what would reflect from the road/dirt surface. Just wondering about painting the exterior is all...
 
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