Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I am reinstalling the tank. No matter what I do, I cannot get the tank strap bolts to go through the hole in the frame. It is as though they were too short but, they weren't as the tank came out!! There must be a trick to it.

Any advice??

It might help to lightly support the tank with a floor jack while messing with lining it up.

Once supported, make sure the fixed end of the straps are pulled all the way down thru the slot in the fixed saddle so the curved end is fully seated. Move the tank right to left while pushing up to make sure any grooves or ridges in the tank top and trunk floor line up so the tank is as high or close to trunk as possible and at the same time make sure the tank doesn't drop at the front and that the flange around the center of tank is positioned in the wide open area of the fixed end of strap saddle so the tank is as far forwards as possible.

If the T bolts still will not go thru the hole far enough to get the washer and nut to start then you can spread the bent over portion of the strap at the T bolt end just enough that one of the jaws of a 6" C Clamp style vise grip can barely insert alongside the T bolt. After starting the bolt thru the hole, the other jaw will be able to straddle the bar mounted to the trunk floor and put enough tension on the strap and bolt so the threaded portion can be more forcibly extended thru the hole. Once nut is started and vise grip removed, the tension on the T bolt when it is tightened will pull the sides of the opened strap back together but if you want, there is enough room that a piece of 1/4" square bar stock will also fit thru along side the T bolt and a pair of vise grips can grab that instead.

Thanks Howard,
I just got the tool and am starting on it.

Made the job effortless!! Thank you Howard!!

I removed the T-bolts and cleaned them with a wire wheel brush. Next, before installing the T-bolts, I coated the threads with anti-seize. I ran the nuts down all the way to get all the threads coated, then removed them.

When tightening the straps, I tightened them enough so the straps were tight against the tank but there is a point in the very middle of the tank where they do not contact the tank. I was concerned about over tightening which might cause them to fail.

BTW, Summit Racing and Tanksinc.com both carry the fuel strap T-bolts.
A pic of the operation below:

Attach file:

---

  (264.38 KB)