Let's get this slant turbo project started. 71 Dart

Last night I finally got around to grinding, sanding and brushing out some of the rust in my trunk. It is holding me up on adding the battery to my trunk, which is what has kept me from doing about 4 other things.

I removed three of the four visible trunk plugs and went to remove the fourth one over the tank. I ended up putting a small hole in the gas tank with a screw driver. It is just a pinhole but it is enough to leak a small amount and making the car dangerous. :oops:

I tried to siphon gas out of the tank but the fumes were getting me pretty bad. I siphon my damn aquariums three times a week but failed at this one. :banghead:

So since the gas gauge is not working and I could not drain the tank I went out for a ride last night to try and burn off some gas. Probably the longest ride I have taken the car on so far. Maybe 80 miles. Runs like a champ! Plenty of power, smoking the tires, lots of acceleration going over the local passes. (Vasco Rd near Altamont pass between the Delta and Livermore for those in the area)

I did not burn off enough gas and it is still leaking. I may take another stab at siphoning it tonight when I get off work. While driving it I discovered I have a heck of an exhaust leak into the car. No headache but reeked of exhaust when I got home. I was going to replace all of the exhaust anyway, but it would be nice to not get carbon Monoxide posioning in the interim. Come to think of it the combination of gas fumes and exhaust fumes, I may have just imagined the car ran so well :color:

I purchased a new sending unit months ago as well as some of the "J" shaped bolts for the exhaust straps. I should crawl under the car and see the condition of the straps and see if I should replace them. Somewhere in the clutter I have a wrench and gasket for the tank.

While doing all this I almost made myself a darwin award winner.
I had the car running, gas fumes in the tank with the trunk lid open to air it out. I reached behind the front seat for my blue and white window cleaner spray can and paper towels to clean the windows for a late night ride. Sprayed the whole back window and thought "Wow, this stuff is not foaming at all!" Then I realized the blue and white spray can was a can of ETHER!

So I uh quickly jumped back from the car without loading my shorts! :tool:

So note to self... Focus on what you are doing!


Right before I went to write this setback update I saw that Bill Dedman posted about MLS head gaskets for our slants, need to save some moola for that : )


Be safe everyone!

Mike