Treating inside/outside of gas tank with POR15 products and removing evaporation tank

[dogma420]

Yes, what beandip said....these are powerful chemicals!

Next 3 pictures:

First one shows my plastic piece on the filler next that mates the 90 degree hose to the filler neck hose piece. Most are cracked; mine wasn't, but I still swapped it with a copper pipe.

Next 2 pictures show how I did the sending unit--I didn't have the connectors, so I soldered the wires, put connectors on the end of the wires, and sealed it all up with liquid eletrical tape. I also used the rubber tubes that contract with heat to add further water resistance.

[dogma420]

Next 3 pictures:

Show the tank right before I put it back into the car. To eliminate the 90 degree bend on the top hose, I had my retired plumber dad solder me up a 90 degree copper pipe fitting as seen in the pictures.

Also seen is how the sending unit looks on the tank.

[dogma420]

Ok, we're down the home stretch!

I'm at the point where the tank goes back into the car, and the holes through the floor board in the rear that the fuel hoses went through need to be sealed up.

Some tips:

1. Be sure that you add the very top hose (emission hose) to the gas tank before you put it up into place....I put a brand new piece, a little long to make sure it wasn't too short--actually install it on the tank end for permanent installation, so you tighten the hose clamp all the way...leave the other end loose.

2. Since the 90 degree hose is loose on both ends, attach the gas tank end to the 90 degree copper fitting for permanent installation. Fish the other end through the hole in the floor board, and as you install the tank, have a buddy (that'd be my dad) pull the hose through the hole to take up slack. Probably other ways to do this, but found this worked great.

3. I found that adding the inlet/return fuel hoses (the ones that actual fuel go through to the motor) BEFORE you install the tank is the way to go. And I mean tighten down the hose clamps on the metal fuel lines end only (before putting the tank in place)...so you place your hoses on the metal lines and tighten the hose clamps, and as you can see in the pictures below, these were kind of a bitch to get to, to tighten the hose clamps you have just enough space to get to them at the corner back of the diff--the pictures show me using a screw driver in the optimum place.

4. The 3rd picture shows what I used to block all holes through the floor board that are left over after taking out the evap tank....I used rubber corks, and coated both surfaces prior to installation with 3m rubber gasket adhesive, let cure, and then coated both surfaces again and stuck them in. Had to experiment with the right sizes, don't recall what they were at this time, but measuring/eying the corks didn't really work--I think I had to go with the next larger size...if they're too big they don't even fit though.

[dogma420]

The next pictures show:

1. How one of the corks look from inside the car (blocking one of the holes that the evap tank hose went through.

2/3. Not only did I use liquid electrical tape after soldering the wires of the sending unit together, I used the black rubber toobs that shrink when you light them.

4. shows how the wiring looks in the general area, note the male end snap connectors (which were shrink toobed as well, but I can disconnect if need be).

5. shows the tank straps completely done, and ready to go in....the longer one goes on the passenger side (the larger part of the tank side).

[dogma420]

Almost done.

Pictures:

1. show how the strap attached to the small adjusting bracket. Essentially you tighten the lower nut until tight, and then tighten the top on onto it to lock it in placed.

2. Shows how everything in the sending unit area looks when installed. Note the top hose, the strap arrangement, and how the wires looked. I couldn't get the shrink toobs to shrink as well as I'd like so I electrical tape sealed them up as well.

3. Shows the copper mating tube I used between the emission hose (the 90 degree bent tube) and the gas filler neck--I took out the plastic joint and put in a copper plumbing tube.

4. The FINAL PRODUCT! I felt like I just had a baby when I looked at this. Very proud. Now in a thousand years, the car will be gone, but the tank will be sitting there and nice and rust free looking!

[dogma420]

Well that's it. Some things I learned, and some rambling:

1. POR15 stuff is the real deal. This stuff is great.

2. All pictures were taken with a Canon SD500 Digital elph. Auto Focus, because I bought it for my girlfriend. 5 megapixels. Great Camera. Easily takes good pictures.

3. The sending unit is doomed to suck, as I found out a new one still has the same issues--goes up to 1/2 tank very quickly, sits there, and slowly goes to E....the wire piece on the sending unit is wound evenly through its motion, so I deduce that this is why this occurs...but I don't think I'll have to question its operation anymore.

4. Car runs great, no issues from my tank operations. Does need a new exhaust/brakes/tie rod ends replaced, but it runs great!

Please respond now if you'd like.

[littlefireryone]

So would stone chips ever be a problem with that awsome looking tank now?

[ncz]

Thanks for the article Dave, I'll be going there after the suspension rebuild!! Any fumes??

[dogma420]

As far as I've been told, I could have my wheels come off and have the tank scrape on the ground, and it isn't going to chip...rock chips definitely aren't going to have any effect on the tank. None whatsoever

I still have some bad door rubber, so a very little tiny bit of that...but redoing the tank didn't have any effect on the traditional exhaust fume problem. Just the stink of the tank is gone, which is completely unrelated.

[Zthing]

Thanks for the time you put into this post. Great info.

[xray]

A question and my 2 cents:

Question: Did you have any problems with the fuel outlet pick up tube getting clogged by tank sealer?

2 cents: Great job on the whole article. Good pics, concise explanations. Thanks! One addition: MSA now sells fuel system grommet sets, so you don't necessarily have to go the 3M sealer route. I think it costs like $38

http://www.zcarparts.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=SFC04E

Thanks again!

Steve

[dogma420]

Had NO problems with clogs in the inlet/return fuel lines---they were completely sealed up on the outside of the tank with a zip-lock style bag with rubber bands, so I believe this had something to do with it....when I was done shaking the tank and draining out the inside sealer, I quickly blew into the tank to make sure they were clear (just with my mouth), and had no issues...when blowing in, it sounded like NONE of the sealer got into the pipes.

I think that this is because the return tube goes in at least 2 inches and that the pickup isn't exactly on the bottom (it's like .5" from the bottom) is why they don't get clogged...If you tried real hard deliberately, you might get them to clog up...

It was a pleasant surprise, because before I started this, this was my main concern...afterwards, I would say just do exactly as I did and don't worry about it because they didn't even come close to clogging.

Thanks for all the encouraging feedback. I am glad I was able to do this article...good way to try out my new digital camera as well...this article IMO was long long overdue, and now we can just point all questions to it...I tried to do it as a "Idiot's guide to sealing your tank with POR15" so I made it as simple as possible.

It really was a simple project, but very time consuming when you only have weekends, and a few hours on a couple of weeknights available. I was very 'anal' about making sure each process was 100% dry and clean and I didn't skimp in any area. I like to make sure I don't have to do anything for at least 10 years on any kind of project like this. I shouldn't have to do anything with my gas tank for a long long time.

I don't even know what those grommets from MSA are for....but the 3m sealer and rubber cork plugs cost about $5 total with lots of extras, so I wouldn't have done the $38 anyways. What are those for?

EDIT: I think I just figured out that those grommets are for sealing where the hose goes through the floor (seal the metal tube and the fuel hose)...good idea, but too expensive imo...much cheaper (and better imo) just to use some 3m adhesive...plus there's extra left over for any other household/zed project. 3m makes some good stuff.

You all have some good Holidays!