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Mon Oct 07, 2024 8:11 am

It's become time to start on the fuel tank at last. I know I need to modify it for the way I want the fuel fill to work - on top, as centered as possible, and with a cover over the filler cap (I have the cover I want).

As you can see, the center of the fuel tank is off to the side of the indent for the sender wiring so I'm going to cut it out and make a flat patch where I want to put in the filler neck which will be pretty darn short so I'll cut out the area for the patch, add the patch and then add the filler neck.

I know my Lincoln MIG welder will be an issue with sealing this patch, it doesn't "ramp down" very well and I'm thinking it may be better to strategically tack it down, and fill between the tacks with braze, or solder. I'd like to hear opinions on pros and cons from anyone with experience with it. I have been meaning to buy a tig for my home shop but its been low on the priority list

I also have thought about the outlet bung. I think I'd like to move it to the very front of the tank to make use of all the fuel in it. Using some dumdum, I stuck a spray can nozzle on the bottom near the front beam (it is approx. the same height as the bung). I'm also looking for pros and cons for this, how I should attach the new bung, and does anyone know where I can buy one?

The fuel line isn't in the top of the tunnel, but on the side so there's no issue there regarding the line between elbow and tunnel, I'll just have to make sure and route it out of the way of the steering linkage.

This is a brand new tank from Jbugs, never had fuel in it. It does, however have that electrostatic coating which isn't really powder coat, but it is
tough to get off. Heat it first, wire brush the loose stuff and then you can sand it. Lacquer thinner, dychem remover, and other chemicals don't touch it. Don't get me wrong, that's a good thing if I had a bug and wanted to drop in a new tank...

On the plus side I didn't have to bash in the front to fit it under my hood!
Thanks all.

Mon Oct 07, 2024 10:48 am

I think you have that tank oriented backwards, leaving the fuel pickup on the bottom quite a bit above the lowest point. Buggies tend to have a little of that problem even with the tank facing like stock, with the ridge on top toward the front of the car.

My Manx style buggy had a stock '64 tank with the original fuel inlet cut off, a cap welded over the hole, and then that corner of the tank bashed down a bit with a hammer to clear the body. The original tank filler had a plate with a hole in it welded to the the cut end so it could bolt on in place of the fuel sender. I installed a reserve tap and handle from an older Bug so I had some low fuel level warning (however, due to the tank angle change compared to a stock Bug the reserve capacity was only about 0.8 gallons).

Mon Oct 07, 2024 5:49 pm

Unfortunately, it isn't backwards. In picture 1, the right hand corner at the end where it is marked and the coating cleaned off, is the oem fuel fill tube with the large vent next to it.
I also know because when I was fitting it, I put it in backwards and it wouldn't seat to the body at all. It was hitting the steering linkage and I thought "duh, idiot, it will fit better if you turn it around".

So any suggestions on weld or braze or solder? That was my question.

In looking again, it looks like I can maybe use a 1/4" NPT coupler and a brass elbow/barb for the fuel outlet. I'm pretty sure brazing would be the way to go for a coupler. Getting the heat balance would be tough with solder. That will also mean being creative with the hose routing. It's a good thing for me the fuel line goes into the tunnel on the side of this one and not the top.

As always, I'm open to constructive criticism and suggestions. I am leaning toward the tack and solder idea, I found that I own a pretty darn good butane powered soldering iron and a couple of practice runs on the same steel as the patch panel came out promising.

I am still not sure of the right flux for it, and I was using 50/50 solid with whateverIhadintheshop for flux and it sealed up pretty well. I'm going to try again with some suggested 95/5 if I can find it local.

Fri Oct 11, 2024 8:29 am

I don't know who needs this information, it seems the replies here are a little scant but I'll share an easy option I have found for getting the most out of your buggy's fuel tank with minimal alteration.

Fisher snow plows makes a bulkhead fitting for their minute mount 1 setup with engine driven hydraulics. It's a brass plug that goes on the truck and mounts somewhere in the front grille area. This allows for the angle cylinder hoses to connect with a hydraulic coupler so the entire plow easily removed. It is 1/4" NPT on both sides, with a large jam nut and a star washer to keep it in place.

I assembled the coupler nut, with the star washer on a piece of scrap tin and cut off the excess brass past the jam nut so the actual outlet feed was as close as possible to the inside of the tank. I then cut a 3/4" hole at the lowest point on the tank that cleared the steering damper and tie rods. I then tinned the outside edge of the hole, where the brass will meet it with a propane torch at low temp and did the same on the workbench with the brass fitting.

After that, all I had to do was bolt the brass into the hole in the tank, and sweat it together for a good seal. The nut, and the star washer will keep the fitting from vibrating loose, and keep it in place when I turn in the 90 degree hose barb for the outlet. In contrast to installing a 1/4" NPT pipe coupler this one adds less than half an inch to the lower clearance dilemma.

Not my neatest solder job, but it's sealed. I'll test it with either some real gasoline or lacquer thinner before I wash it out and do the rest of the alterations (upper filler/patch, vent, close up the original fill holes, etc.) but I think this is a win for anyone looking to relocate their fuel outlet.

As soon as I go back out to the shop I'll post an inside picture of the coupler, as well as one from the side for depth.

In answer to my own question in this case, it looks like solder was the way to go. I may well do the same with the upper patch/fuel fill since it turned out so well. After all, gas tanks were seam soldered for many years before the welding industry became more and more sophisticated.

Edit: I know it looks easy with a large hole cut in the top of the tank, but where this was placed, it's also very easy to reach through the sender hole. It came out directly below the hole. Good luck all...

Sun Oct 13, 2024 4:54 am

Looks good to me!

Sun Oct 13, 2024 7:35 am

Yeah, not bad. I haven't soldered anything in a hot minute! I have two more of those bulkhead fittings left if anyone wants to use one, I don't see me needing another any time soon.

I've got a 1/4" NPT petcock coming from Scamazon so in the meantime I'll finish the patch on top and add a vent tube higher up on the tank so the vent isn't in the fuel. I've closed up the original fill and fill vent already and have gotten a cute little mini bottle of 75/25 mixed gas from my brother to weld on the patch and the filler neck. I'll have to do some experimentation to see how that will work out and I'll probably post some pictures when I do.

I wonder if I'll ever drive this thing...