Thanks to all who sent comments regarding the fuel tank in my 72 B. If you've
never done a swap, here are some suggestions:
About a week before you plan to change tanks, start spraying Liquid Wrench or
WD-40 onto the nuts under the boot.
There are some captive nuts as well as studs. This arrangement allows one
person to install the tank. The captive nuts will probably start spinning, so
have a friend available. I found I could hold the captive nuts with a pair of
Vise Grips while my friend turned the bolt inside the boot.
Don't forget to disconnect the sending unit and pull the wire away from the
tank before you drop the tank. Save the clips. The Moss tank doesn't have
them.
The Moss tank doesn't have a drain plug, either, but your original tank may.
The sending unit is removed by bashing the holding clip counterclockwise
until the whole assembly falls out. You'll need a new clip and gasket. I
discovered my gasket hanging off the float. No wonder the gauge read 3/4 full
when the tank was filled.
My tank had holes all around the filler spout. Chances are the gasket
material that seals the hole in the boot floor holds moisture in that area,
causing it to corrode. Too bad I didn't think of that before I put in the new
tank.
I used "UV proof" weatherstripping along the top of the new tank to insulate
it from the boot floor. I also cleaned, primed, painted and undercoated the
bottom of the boot while I had access to it.
The whole job took about 2 hours, spread out over two days, as I needed to
let the paint and undercoating dry and it was cold up here in the Whip City.
I don't miss the petrol odor in the boot!
Cheers,
Jim Kearman
|