Since somebody was talking about fuel tank slushing a week or so ago, I'll
take you thru my tank removal and slushing story as it goes.
Between yesterday and tonight, I removed the tank fitting and connections,
unbolted, and removed the tank. For some reason, some of the tank bolts are
reached from the inside of the trunk, and the square nuts are prevented by
turning by tabs.
The metal tabs may have been great at the plant, but time and weather will
make them useless when removing the screws. This leaves you with trying to
hold a nut under the car at the same time you are supposed to be turning the
screw head inside the trunk. I bent the nut tabs away, and used my favorite
tool (vise-grips) to hold the nut.
After removing the tank, which fortunately was rust free on top, I removed
the fuel sender retaining ring. There was some kind of rubber ring around
the wire holding the float. It had turned to mush, so I took it off (I'll
replace with a bead of RTV). The sender gasket was also pretty much gone.
After about nine years, there is a bunch of gunk on the tank bottom which
at first looks like rust, but is actually what's left when the gas evaporates
away. I don't want this stuff in the fuel system, so I'll be cleaning and
slushing the tank. I'll tell you how it goes. The outside of the tank is
going to be cleaned, stripped, primed, and painted with Hammerite.
If you're still with me, maybe I can get answers to some questions:
1) The filler neck (with internal rust) has some kind of surface prep which
might be an anodize. I don't want to strip the rust and leave this
unprotected. I'll try and use the slushing compound, but maybe somebody
knows what was originally used. Anybody have a good filler neck?
2) Eastwood sells a rust eating compound that is water-thin, unlike most of
the syrupy stuff sold in stores. Does anybody know what this stuff is?
Eastwood wants a lot of money for this stuff, and I get the feeling that it's
not that high-tech. I'd like to fill a bucket with the stuff and soak rusted
parts.
3) Does anybody sell the in tank filter screen at the end of the pickup tube?
The one on mine has some gunk, and a new one would be simpler than cleaning
the old. V-B and Moss don't list it.
I've rambled enough. Thanks for answers in advance.
Sean Johnson '79 MGB
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