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FUEL TANK REMOVAL


LS65Speed

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Have to replace fuel sender and wondering about issues in remoing the tank. I can't see a way to drop the tank with the tailpipes in place. The car has Walker tailpipes , no 3 inch stuff, just aftermarket Walker replacements for original (BB) system. Anyone had any experience with this? 

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Steve can you please describe the way you removed it...clearly it can't drop straight down. I am thinking down at the tank front by the differential then slip the tank under the center section of the rear. Is your car a BB or SB? I think the BB cars had a larger dia tail pipe and it sure looks like I am gonna be in a tight spot getting the rear of the tank below the tailpipes. Did you have any issues getting the filler pipe at the rear of the tank  thru that hole in the back crossmember ?

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You can always unbolt the exhaust hangers and spread the pipes. Use a ratchet strap and pull the pipes closer to the quarters. You should not need much but be careful. And you can possibly bring the pipes up or down 

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Yes I had to drop the front of the tank down first (by rear end) and slide the fill pipe past it frame section. I dont remember any problem getting by tail pipes. I'll go down and look at it tomorrow I'm in the middle of a colonoscopy prep tonight. Mine is a small block like I said 2 inch tail pipes. Maybe like Dennis said maybe loosen the hangers to swing them over a little. 

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43 minutes ago, cny first gen 71 said:

Yes I had to drop the front of the tank down first (by rear end) and slide the fill pipe past it frame section. I dont remember any problem getting by tail pipes. I'll go down and look at it tomorrow I'm in the middle of a colonoscopy prep tonight. Mine is a small block like I said 2 inch tail pipes. Maybe like Dennis said maybe loosen the hangers to swing them over a little. 

If you’re in “prep” mode I think you should go do it now and take your time and get lots of pics. Just kidding. Stay close to the porcelain god. Good luck and hope all goes well. Been there done that. 

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1 hour ago, cny first gen 71 said:

Yes I had to drop the front of the tank down first (by rear end) and slide the fill pipe past it frame section. I dont remember any problem getting by tail pipes. I'll go down and look at it tomorrow I'm in the middle of a colonoscopy prep tonight. Mine is a small block like I said 2 inch tail pipes. Maybe like Dennis said maybe loosen the hangers to swing them over a little. 

Tail pipe.

Rear end.

Colonoscopy prep. 

That combines for a hat trick of mental images I care not to share. 

Stay close to the crapper, dude. Otherwise you run the risk of parts of your house resembling the speckled-painted trunk of your ‘71. 

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Stop overthinking it. It's just like Steve described. Small block, big block, 2" 2.5, 3" the tank comes out.

The tailpipes run on the outside of the frame and the tank is on the inside of the frame.

I have a big block, 3 inch tailpipes and the tank comes right out. Just make sure you don't have a full tank of gas. Extremely heavy then lol

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I looked under mine today got a couple not so great pictures but I dont see where the tailpipes should be in the way. Like Tom said they are on the outside of the frame. May have to wiggle it around a little to get by the bends where they go outside the frame but shouldn't have a problem. 

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Thomas nailed it, I got mine out and in with 3" tails in place. Get that car up good and high, empty tank, get a nice blanket on the floor, plenty lights, no drinking the night before and do some stretches first.

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Steve and Paul...

Steve thanks for crawling under there and taking the Pics. I appreciate your effort.  Paul I was going to drop you a line, glad you picked up on the Thread.

Steves tailpipes appear to be somewhat different  than what I have. Mine are Walker 44330 and 44331 and I an now thinking they are shaped differently in the area where they first curve around the tank. Two dimensional pics are tough to use in drawing conclusions but it APPEARS that the pipes under Steves car exit the muffler, head up over the axle tube then make a sharper turn toward the outside of the car than mine do. Said another way I think they kinda run parallel to the axle tube for a bit more distance than mine do. Those pipes Steve has seem to have a more sever angle where they turn to run to run along the frame than mine do. That angle would be necessitated by the pipe running further along parallel to the axle tube. I gotta take a couple of PICS tomorrow and get them to you guys. Its getting dark now and natural light is better than a drop light.  Stand by for PICS tomorrow.

 

Thanks guys

Ray

Ray

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Paul & Steve

Here are a couple of pics I took today....I wanted to put them on a screen and be able to look more closely. They don't necessarily show what I am talking about above but they might give you guys a hint at what I am now thinking. 2nd Pic shows how that flange on the tank is located  right above the pipe.  First Pic shows what I think is a fair pic of what I am talking about in terms of my pipes not running as far towards the side of the car as Steves' do. I know it is had to see but try to compare my Pic to Steves. As I said before...more tomorrow.

 

Ray

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You do know that once you remove the tank straps that you can move the tank approximately 8 inches toward the rear bumper and will have no problem removing the tank. 

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10 hours ago, MC1of80 said:

You do know that once you remove the tank straps that you can move the tank approximately 8 inches toward the rear bumper and will have no problem removing the tank. 

Did not realize there was 8 inches to play with. That might be enough. I guess that is why we talk on boards like this. You are saying...remove the straps, slide tank rearward then drop the forward end of the tank down and slide the front end of the tank under the rear end. 

I have been stuck thinking that once the front of the tank had been lowered it was gonna be impossible to get the neck of the tank thru that last frame cross member w/o bending, manhandling, the neck.  that option was just not on the table for me, didn't want to go there. Bending the neck was just not something I wanted to sign up for but if that is not required maybe I see a path forward w/o removing the pipes. Are ya sure the 8 inch rearward movement can be accomplised and that the neck can clear that crossmember after the front end of the tank is dropped to go under the rear end?

I know I have been over thinking this but I really am gunshy of fooling with the tank having never removed one. The more I dig into this the more I see options and I gotta thank everyone, especially those who have taken time to explain the "How its done" involved in this.

More later. Thx again.

Ray

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On 6/7/2021 at 9:22 PM, cny first gen 71 said:

Yea they are definitely a little different,  I've never been a fan of Walker exhaust I sold AP for years. Walker is a little thicker but bends are different. May have to loosen it up like Dennis said and wiggle it out of there.

I have a new set of new Walker tailpipes in my basement AND an old set of "who knows what brand" tailpipes in my basement. The bends are pretty darn close when I nest the Walker along side the older pipes. I assume that the old pipes in the basement are Walker but don't know. Looking at your pipes I still think that the bends in yours are a bit different but the question remains as to which are closest to factory bends. Will take a picture of the tailpipes and an under the car shot today if nothin gets in the way of progress on this.

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22 hours ago, Andy's Auto said:

You're going to have to just get the tank as far back as you can so the filler neck clears the frame. The take it down filler neck first. 

I agree with this approach and am not trying to be a PIA about this. Sounds totally logical and I am sure you speak from experience. Right now I am thinking I gotta get the rear as low as possible, then maybe lower the ehaust system toward the floor....in one piece (just disconnect the hangers and the connectons at the manifolds) I think that then the tank can move backward  (toward the front of the car) until the neck clears the frame crossmember. I might even disconnect the shocks to allow the rear and the disconnected pipes to drop further away from the tank. 

Gonna keep this project on the front burner and will be back to you guys as it evolves.

Thanks so much for the help so far.

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Like Tom said earlier, you're over thinking it. Unhook the fuel lines, loosen the straps and it's going to just about fall out. Sometimes you have to bend the straps down a bit to let the the tank drop out, no big deal. Don't forget to unhook the ground and signal wire either, that'll snag you up. And to repeat earlier advice, an empty tank is a good thing.

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They put blinders on horses for a reason. So they can’t see everything and look for issues. Put on  your blinders and git er done. I also agree with empty tank. Siphon the gas out if necessary. Gas tastes good but you can use a siphon pump 

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50 minutes ago, Dtret said:

Gas tastes good but you can use a siphon pump 

It's the unpleasant aftertaste when you're burping it up hours later that I'm not too fond of, lol

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