[DeTomaso] fuel tank installation???

[JDeRyke at aol.com]

In a message dated 2/10/10 3:12:14 PM, kenn_green at yahoo.com writes:

> 1)  does this single strap hold the gas tank in place.
>  
> 2)  what kind of material should I put where the tank rests on the frame 
> and between the tank and the strap?
> 
The single strap, plus gravity does hold the tank in place. Remember that 
22 gallons of gas weighs 147 lbs plus the tank's wt, so its not inclined to 
move much. Loosening the strap, its possible to shift a stock (mostly empty) 
tank towards the outside of the engine bay by as much as 3/4 inch. So if you 
have header clearance issues, this comes in handy. Once a tank is shifted, 
I add a small bolt & nut through the clamp's slot so the strap (and tank) 
can't shift back.

The stock insulating rubber was a hard semi-porous foam, and absorbed 
water. Then the rubber held water close to the tank surface. The steel tanks were 
mostly unpainted from the factory, so this combination sometimes caused 
rust-through of tanks from the outside! If you have a tank out, a good epoxy 
primer and paint will quickly cure this. As far as replacing the rubber, 
virtually any kind of medium-soft rubber belting will work as a cushion, and it 
won't be porous and hold water. I haven't checked but I woundn't be surprised 
if some of the vendors have stuff in stock that does all this without you 
having to reinvent the wheel, so-to-speak. Good luck- J DeRyke