So, today I pumped out all the fuel via a long fuel hose attached to the engine bay hard line fuel supply. Back end then jacked up, the shields/guards around the tank removed (only one reluctant, rusted bolt), the three pipes to the top of thee tank were then marked and disconnected. Three bolts holding the filler neck in place, under the fuel flap, removed, sender connector removed.
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"Tank lowering supports" placed in position and the 4 strap bolts removed.
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a bit of wriggling to get the filler neck through and the tank is out
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The top plate bolts, holding the fuel supply and return lines came off easily and the in-tank filter is remarkably clean.
As expected, removing the 6 bolts holding the sender unit in place was another matter. Four bolts gave a fight, but were removed cleanly. The top two bolts were solidly corroded in place, such that the heads both sheared off. I had to drill out the remains of the bolts as best I could and will need to tap some new threads for replacement bolts- I have some stainless steel bolts, courtesy of Ian Mothersole, who recently had the fuel tank of KIMI 2 out for refurbishment.
Bolt remnants, before drilling out:
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I'll need to clean the exterior of the tank, give it some rust treatment and apply some protective paint. I can't put it back like that
I've got new fuel hoses and will replace all the existing ones when refitting the tank.
Not sure what to do about the tank interior. As far as I can tell, there are only two areas where rust is appearing. I was thinking of the full POR15 tank restoration kit, but it seems overkill. I could gain access to the two areas with a long paintbrush, so I'm tempted to clean as much loose rust as possible, and apply some rust treatment and paint just those areas with POR15. Any suggestions/thoughts on what the best approach might be would be welcome.
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