gas tank dilemma..........

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burrpenick

burrpenick

'69 Barracuda
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
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Location
Florida/NC
I figure the issue of gas going bad in our vintage rides that see very limited use is common to many owners. I have a fuel cell in a hot rod PU that I can EASILY empty when I plan to store the vehicle for a long period, but trying to get the fuel out of an A body tank is not so easy. Has anyone on the forum fitted a PLASTIC fuel cell/tank (round or square) that fit in the spare tire well? This would be ideal in that you could easily drain it and not have to worry about rust and corrosion gumming up the engine.
 
I have seen square cells strapped into the spare tire well. No pictures though.
 
toolmanmike said:
I have seen square cells strapped into the spare tire well. No pictures though.
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Thanks. I am looking at an A body- what appears to be a very low mileage '69 340 Dart. It would not be kept in my home state, so I was thinking of how I may rig up the fuel tank as to make it easy to drain and not rust!
 
Seems like it would be easy enough. Hole in spare tire well big enough for hand to fit thru and reach bottom of cell?? Put a grommet in the hole.
 
Fill it with VP Vintage fuel when you park it and run it for a few minutes to get it through the fuel system, this fuel lasts at least 2 years so you won't have to worry about it going off.
 
I'm with the fellas that suggested the fuel additive.No sense in cutting up your trunk if there's nothing wrong with it.Mine is cut up

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Bigdummy said:
I'm with the fellas that suggested the fuel additive.No sense in cutting up your trunk if there's nothing wrong with it.Mine is cut up

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I wasnt planning to cut anything........I may only drive the car a few miles every two weeks in the SUMMER months, so filling it w/15 gallons of AV gas or similar and then treating it would pay for a new tank that would FIT the hole and be easy to empty. I have seen most east coast tanks and they all seem to get corrosion on the tops in addition to water/rust on the bottoms- thats translates to crud into the carb/engine.
 
my east coast tank never got like that. i fill it ans use an additive in it.

if you want a cell then just put one in and stop trying to justify it with the lame excuses.
 
not cheap, but I know there were some round cells that were designed to replace the spare, even used the hold down nut and stud to secure.
Why not just get a new stock tank and have a bung welded at the low point that would make it easy to drain, and keep your spare where it is!
 
Just drive it, problem solved!

The problem with welding a drain bung into a new replacement tank is that they're galvanized. Welding the drain in will burn the zinc off the inside of the tank at the weld and then the unprotected metal will rust. It would only be a small bit around the weld, but it would rust. So you'd either have to re-galvanize the tank or do some lame coating on the inside. Still an option, but not quite as easy as just welding in a drain. And needless to say never weld on anything that's held fuel unless it's been cleaned and properly treated.
 
Why not just run it out of gas?? Sitting for a few months with half s gallon of the old stuff laying at the bottom of the tank is fine. I do it all the time, never an issue
 
Hot Rod City garage

Factory fuel tanks with drain sump, baffles, in and out lines

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I had one in my car when I got it. I've since sold it to a buddy (I plan to use a factory tank so that I can run a fuel meter) but mine had brackets that were welded into the spare well. I have I never seen one IN the well, but I'm sure it's possible withe brackets over the cell. Mine would have fit width wise but was taller than the well itself
 
I might add that HRC's tank come with a mopar sending unit.
 
roccodart440 said:
I might add that HRC's tank come with a mopar sending unit.
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I saw a pic of a round one that someone had made for the wheelwell somewhere once. it was "eally expensive'' I use staybill, but I have never stored one for the winter. It may set a while do to the weather, but if it`s too bad to get out of the garage, I at least start it and get it up to operating temp. occasionally.
 
You guys really are making alot out of nothing. Gas just does not turn to varnish over night. I regularly have cars sit for a year, sometimes a bit longer, and have never had an issue with the stuff turning bad like that.
Last week I took my 73 Roadrunner out for a spin. Sat for just over a year with a quarter tank in it.
Dropped a battery, primed the carb, and she lit right off and ran perfectly.
Admittedly, I refrained from really beating on it until most of the old gas had burned up, and been replaced with good, fresh stuff.
This is something I do all the time with a few of my cars...never had a single issue.
Gotta sit for a couple of months? Just run the tank down to a gallon or two, and park it.
 
Put Sta-Bil in it, and make sure it is filled to the brim. Following this method, I have never had a rust/varnish/corrosion issue with a gas tank, even after sitting 6 months.
 
69_340_GTS said:
Put Sta-Bil in it, and make sure it is filled to the brim. Following this method, I have never had a rust/varnish/corrosion issue with a gas tank, even after sitting 6 months.
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My case w/be 7month plus, and IF I filled the tank to the top, I'd never run it out for the 5 month I was around.
 
You don't want it to sit empty, or at a half. You want it full. Simply treat with a fuel stabilizer and use ethanol free fuel if you can find it. The ethanol fuel will absorb so much moisture in half or 1/4 filled tank that eventually crap will be growing in the fuel. If you are 100% dead set on draining the fuel, just throw on a non-vented gas cap...disconnect the fuel line at the fuel pump...attach a "line extension" into whatever fuel container you wish...use an air compressor on the vent line back at the tank, she will gladly piss fuel right into you container of choice. What little fuel is left in the tank might sour, but top it off with a few fresh gallons and you are good to go. Hmmm. Except for the rust that now builds up inside the tank now that it's exposed to air instead of submerged in fuel. Did I mention a full tank of treated non-ethanol fuel is the way to go?
 
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