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The 1970 cutlass i just bought had a gas gauge that wasn't working. I figured out it was the sendung unit. Today I pulled the tank and it was prety cruddy inside. Just wondering if cleaning it was worth it or just getting a new one. The car has been sitting a very long time. As you can see in the pic the sending unit and tank are pretty cruddy. This tank has 2 vent tubes coming out passenger side corner, that didn't go anywhere and were just open. If I get new tank do i need these 2 vents and shouldn't they have a one way valve on them or something ?
been looking online and noticed on e bay a place called "Bobs" has a tank for $109, any idea if those are any good.
Thank you
Bill
Last edited by Prodjbm; November 26th, 2019 at 11:47 AM.
I'm not sure I'd even try to clean it. Its possible that could be cleaned but I'd worry about any rust that might have weakened it.
Get a new one. I see lots of vendors for the GM34r tank at about that same price. Just make sure you order the correct one. I would also keep all the vent lines and learn where they go to the stand pipe, that thing behind the back seat.
This tank has 2 vent tubes coming out passenger side corner, that didn't go anywhere and were just open. If I get new tank do i need these 2 vents and shouldn't they have a one way valve on them or something ?
The presence of vents and their number matters, and, no, they shouldn't necessarily have a valve on them. The tank on my '67 Delta 88 has two vents on it. They're there to allow the pressure in the tank to equalize so that it properly fills and drains. On my car, there are two rubber hoses attached to the vent ports, and both are attached by clips to the body above the tank and are open to the air. Tanks with 1, 2 or 3 vents are available for your car at Rockauto, so, wherever you buy it, get one with the same number of vents.
A 2-vent Spectra Premium tank for your car costs about $150 plus about $30 FedEx shipping at Rockauto. Shop around, though, because prices can vary from vendor to vendor.
Rockauto also shows another brand, Liland Global, that's about two-thirds the cost of the Spectra Premium. I have purchased Spectra Premium tanks in the past, and they have been fine. I have no experience with Liland Global.
Bill, I would suggest cleaning the fuel tank. I used one of these kits on the tank in my 71 98 and on my Ford truck. You can also coat the exterior of the tank with Rust-oleum. As long as the tank is structurally sound these kits work great. Just make sure you wear a respirator when you do it!
It's not just crud, the tank is rusting and will eventually leak. I would dry it out to where you can't smell gas anymore and fill the tank with a bunch of nuts and bolts and carry the tank around in the back of a truck for a couple days. Then threat with phosphoric acid, rinse and dry. Then put a fuel tank liner in it such as Red-Kote.
That kit somebody listed is $60, not a small amount of money when you can go brand new for $150. Your time is worth something.
I can see that if your tank is hard to find, but if its readily available and affordable, why go through that.
Just curious, where are you located? I have a new but 12 years old gas tank (never installed) for a 1970/72 Cutlass. $50 pickup only. My zip is 44481
Thanks for the offer and a great price but I am in NJ. I did buy a new spectra ...from Amazon of all places with next day shipping for $172....how do they do that lol
Amazon is carrying more and more car stuff. We have an Amazon credit card and get an extra 5% back on all purchases and Prime is well worth it for shipping and videos.
I can see that if your tank is hard to find, but if its readily available and affordable, why go through that.
^^^THIS^^^
That's good that you got a new tank Bill. I'm sure you'll be happy with it. I had to restore the tank on my 71 because they were hard if not impossible to find. Since I had done it once already I decided to do it for my Ford truck even though tanks are available aftermarket.
Hey Bill.. just a word of advice: Pressure test the WHOLE DEAL with the sender installed etc. for peace of mind! Use about 5 psi. I had a cruddy tank that I tried to run a new motor on. The tank, sender, and old fuel pump were toast. Car ran pretty lousy like a block at a time then dying out. I changed my fuel line as well and upped it to 3/8. This is a '64 Buick Special, but the results net the same outcome. I also went with a stainless sender... cheap stuff. The downer is my tank arrived with a cracked solder job on the filler neck (hence the pressure test!). I called on it and they refunded my money and I kept the tank. It was a simple repair. The chinaman uses LEAD instead of solder.
The easiest way to clean the old tank is to plug it all off, toss some kerosene in it with a length of light duty kinda sharp chain. Lash it to a riding mower rear wheel with rubber bungee cords, and jack it up and let her idle in first gear for about 4 hours.
Glad yer going new. Dont waste your time otherwise! Mine was put away wet in 1980! Bill
November 26th, 2019, 11:25 AM
