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Hi Folks,

Removed my fuel tank out of a 1941 110 Coupe. I could think of a lot better ways to have fun. Getting the tank spout through the body and frame was an exercise in math/geometry. Can't wait to put it back in.

Regards,
Rich

When I work the tank on my 39 120, I lift the rear end, put it on jack stands, then place a good floor jack underneath the tank, placing a 12"x12" piece of plywood between the tank and jack. I then use the jack to assist in lifting the tank out and back in. That and be sure to drain the tank to make it as light as possible. It's still fun, and the neighbor kids may learn a few new phrases, but the jack does make it easier.

Just did this on my 1940-180. Yes, the floor jack makes it a one man job. Lining up the filler neck with the rubber hose which connects it to filler cap and then pushing on the other side of the tank worked to slide the filler neck up into the hose on the filler cap. The hardest part of this job was cutting off the rusted clamps on the filler neck to get the tank out.

your post is timely, since I just asked about removal on the AACA forum. I am uncertain about how the tank in my '41 120 is secured. Can I assume that removing the straps at the rear of the tank will allow it to be pulled down and out?
Is the filler neck an integral part of the tank? What words should I use to get the tank out if the filler is part of it?
Advice will be appreciated.

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PM me and I will give you several of my favorite combinations

A couple of other things to be aware of which may also require use of appropriate words.

First, unless it has been drained routinely or in the not too distant past there is a good chance the drain plug will have rusted to the tank fitting. It may best be left alone but in any case, DO NOT attempt to remove it without securely holding the tank piece. Use large vise grips or something similar to bite into the tapered part while trying to unscrew the plug. If plug has rusted, the tank side will twist and break loose quite easily if not held. Once that happens there is no easy repair. I don't know if anyone has done it but if removed, some have suggested replacing the steel plug with brass to prevent future rusting.

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Yes, tank should be free once the nuts on the "Tee" bolts are removed and straps release. If the tank has not been removed in many years, unless covered by undercoating (which is another issue) there is also a good chance the nuts have rusted to the bolts. Suggest a liberal dose of penetrating oil two or three times well before the removal attempt is made. The top of tee bolt is just placed in a saddle like pocket which can twist off or be very hard to hold if the nuts have rusted.

Believe some tanks and straps also used a separate antisqueek material under the tank in addition to that placed between the body and top of tank. If so, there is a good possibility the material will be so rotten it will need to be replaced. Perhaps someone will jump in with details but believe a poster here found a modern GM product very close to the original.

I can't speak directly to the 41 tank construction as to the filler neck attachment. Later tanks were one piece and based on the comments made above about maneuvering the tank out, it must be on the 41 as well.

The tank I got for my '55 through Mike Dulinski which had gone through the "Renuz" process has a brass drain cock fitted - haven't used it yet, though.

OK. Here's what my experience was...

I was initially lucky as my tank was mostly empty and my strap nuts weren't too bad. I helped the nuts along with some PB Blaster. The actual straps did twist a bit and I held them with a small crescent while actually turning the nuts. The tank dropped a bit with a little wiggle. I thought I had it licked.

I then went after the other connection, which is the fuel line up top. From the back it's not that easy to see but if you roll around to the front of the tank there's a metal to metal line fit. Mine can apart easy enough. This was still going well.

As I let the tank drop to where it wanted to go, two items started giving me grief, A) the neck, and B) the tank was up against the left (driver) side rear leaf mount.

The neck - I still had the gas cap on. It was an interesting and kind of cool pot metal anti-siphon device. It was intended to be a pleasant looking item (has a baby chrome fin on it that acts as the handle) that was never intended to be removable. It has tabs that spring out into the neck but under the lip. The outer diameter of this device is significantly larger than the neck. After thinking a dremel would easily cut it off, I made a tool with a flat 90 degree hook out of a hangar, and was able to bring the tabs in at the right location. With a twist and pull up it came out. I thought I had it licked. Unfortunately it only helped a little.

I then searched the internet for pics and forums. One guy spoke of a removable neck. Too bad I didn't have one of those! I searched the manuals and they mentioned getting a bit more room by removing the flap at the front of the fender. That helped and I guess makes it mathematically possible.

Ultimately, once you do the above it becomes a game of the pinch points on the neck and the rear leaf mount. As I was doing this I must admit I began to look to see how hard it would be to lift the body a bit - I dropped that idea as I'm just trying to get this into a runner first - body will come off later. I have more than considered making a two piece neck but would like to do it proper and need to see an example.

I think I had a couple hours into it - I had no problems with rusty nuts/bolts. It would go slightly faster the second time. I also now have my fuel gauge out. I didn't attempt the drain plug for more than a few seconds.

Regards,
Rich

Thanks to all who replied.
You have collectively spelled out the task ahead. I suspect that I will still need to resurrect my Navy vocabulary while doing it.