Removing the fuel tank

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

Hello guys, I will be solving some fuel delivery issues today and would like to exchange the new sending unit also as my fuel gauge does not work. Is there anything more with the tank removing procedure than the two main bolts that seem to hold the tank in place? And anything special to look for during this procedure? Thank you.

[YellowRose]

Removing the fuel tank

Jiri, if you are just going to replace the fuel sending unit in the tank with a new one, there is no need to drop the tank to do so. You can do that from within the trunk. Knock the locking ring loose, take it off and you should be able to extract the sending unit from the tank. If you are also replacing the tank, then all you have to do, as I recall, is to unscrew the bolts holding the gas tank straps in place. If you have added a ground wire to the flange of the tank, take that loose from the gas tank also.

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

Thank you for the info Ray - great thing about the sending unit. Unfortunately, I managed to drop a plastic cap into the tank some time ago, so I need to extract it also. And I believe, unmounting the tank would be the only way to do so... Or maybe not? Is there any place to look into the tank when the sending unit is out of the tank?

[DKheld]

The plastic cap in the tank shouldn't be a problem because it would float.

Probably be in the back of my mind all the time though and I would want it out too.

You can see in the tank with the sending unit out - may be able to grab the cap with one of those flexible grabbers - most auto parts stores around here carry them.



Here is some info on the gas tank I wrote for the TRL....

http://www.squarebirds.org/picture_gallery/TechnicalResourceLibrary/SquarebirdGasTankReplacement.htm

Eric

[Tbird1044]

Very nice write up Eric. I put my tank back in without paint or coating and after seeing yours, wish I had coated it.
As for fishing out the piece of plastic, a word of caution. Be very careful if you use any kind of light to look into the tank. The smallest of spark close to the vapor space can be disastrous. Working in the oil industry for 30 years taught me to respect gasoline. We would always see a video of a tanker driver that used the light on his cell phone to look into the tank on his truck. He is no longer with us. Any electronics we had within an operating plant had to be certified as intrinsically safe from spark.
Another note is that I made a quick, simple and cheap tool to get the locking ring back in for the sending unit. I just used a few PVC pipe fittings I had in the garage. It worked great, especially if you have a new o-ring to compress.
Nyles

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

Jiri, if you are just going to replace the fuel sending unit in the tank with a new one, there is no need to drop the tank to do so. You can do that from within the trunk. Knock the locking ring loose, take it off and you should be able to extract the sending unit from the tank. If you are also replacing the tank, then all you have to do, as I recall, is to unscrew the bolts holding the gas tank straps in place. If you have added a ground wire to the flange of the tank, take that loose from the gas tank also.

Just noticed your note on the ground wire to the flange of the tank - is there any special reason for installing one?

[YellowRose]

Removing the fuel tank

Hi Jiri, the reason for putting a ground wire on the flange of the tank to the frame is insure that you have a good ground for the tank..

[jopizz]

As Ray mentioned your tank needs to be well grounded for the sender to read correctly. As it was designed the only ground is the straps and where the gas line makes contact with the frame. Where the top of the tank meets the body there is usually rubber strips so the tank doesn't make good contact. A wire directly from the tank to the body will help the fuel gauge be more accurate.

John

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

Got it, then I'll install one. Thank you boys!

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

I managed to remove the fuel tank this week and sending some interesting moments. Firstly, I was very surprised that besides a piece of plastic ring I dropped into the tank some time ago I found a gas canyster hose in the tank also .

And secondly, you would not guess WHY my fuel gauge did not work. There was a new fuel tank installed on the Bird in the US before I bought it. Would you believe that the guy who was installing the new tank used the old sending unit WITHOUT the floater ???

Anyway, I bought a new sending unit some time ago and it came very handy on this one, so I'm glad the fuel gauge finaly works .

[bird 60]

Hi Jiri, glad to hear that your fuel gauge is working now.
You mentioned that there was no float attached to the old sending unit. When you had the Gas Tank out did you Shake it to make sure that the float hadn't broken off, just in case it had a hole in it & possibly restricting your Gas flow from the tank.
I would assume seeing that the Gas Tank is new that a new sending unit would have been installed as well, but then again who knows.

Chris.....From OZ.

[Rock&Roll Firebird]

Hi Jiri, glad to hear that your fuel gauge is working now.
You mentioned that there was no float attached to the old sending unit. When you had the Gas Tank out did you Shake it to make sure that the float hadn't broken off, just in case it had a hole in it & possibly restricting your Gas flow from the tank.
I would assume seeing that the Gas Tank is new that a new sending unit would have been installed as well, but then again who knows.

Chris.....From OZ.

I checked the tank inside-out and upside-down. Besides the plastic stuff that came out everything looked clear.