Quick and dirty gas tank removal?

April 26, 2005, 06:11:54 PM

Need to take the tank out of my bird. Can anyone breif me on what to expect, bolt's that need to be removed that I can't see? Wires?

Re: Quick and dirty gas tank removal?

Reply #1 – April 26, 2005, 07:31:44 PM

How's the rust situation on your car? If it's the least bit bad on the underside be prepared to have a rough time with the bolts, but if it's relatively clean the bolts will probably come out without pulling the surrounding sheet metal out. As always, with undercar work, use some penetrating lube (PB Blaster) on the top side of the bolts. When you begin to drop the tank (it's held on by two big bolts at the front side of the strap, and a small strap around the filler neck that attaches to the seam of the tank with a 8 or 9mm bolt) you'll see that there are two fuel lines (they use the same plastic clips as the lines up on the engine and fuel filter) and there is a wire harness also. If your car is an '85+ you'll have two 2-wire plugs to undo. If it's an '84 it'll have one 4-wire plug to undo, and if it's an '83 , I dunno what it has. So, to recap:

Holding the tank on:
-Two large bolts at the front of the straps
-One small ring around the filler neck attached to the seam of the tank with an 8 or 9 mm bolt

Attached to the top of the tank:
-Two fuel lines, feed and return
-4 Wires attached in one or two plugs. One plug for the gauge sending unit, one for the pump.
-Forgot to mention, there will also be a slip-fitted vent line in about the middle of the tank. Just pull it off, no clips.

Once you get the bolts, neck strap, wires and lines disconnected, (you'll have to drop it down some to do this) then you can drop it the rest of the way and wiggle it back and forth, pivoting on the filler neck, to pull the filler neck out of the tank, then it's all the way off. You may want to use some motor oil smeared on the filler neck when reinstalling it, it will make it easier.

EDIT: Also, for God's sake, use a jack to support the tank coming down. Put the jack a bit towards the driver's side of the car as the filler neck will hold the other side. A couple gallons of gas plus a big steel tank can become quite heavy! I know this well because I've had the tanks off of all three of my T-bird's and Cougars at LEAST once.

Re: Quick and dirty gas tank removal?

Reply #2 – April 27, 2005, 10:46:14 AM

Quote

I know this well because I've had the tanks off of all three of my T-bird's and Cougars at LEAST once.

Some of them involuntarily....

Re: Quick and dirty gas tank removal?

Reply #3 – April 27, 2005, 11:32:08 AM

The above description is dead on. The good thing about these cars is that once the tank is unbolted, the tank can lay on the ground and you have quite a bit of room to disconnect all the aformentioned BS.

Just remember, a gallon of gasoline weigh approx 6 pounds. Plus the weight of the tank. I rigged up a cool fuel transfer system for problems like this, but even with say 7 gallons, the dang thing is too heavy to manuever!