[DeTomaso] Gas tank woes

[Rob Dumoulin]

Unfortunately, My tank is about 3/4 full and I won't be able to run the car
with the headers hitting the tank shield. Family needs dictate I have to
wait until next weekend to siphon out the gas before I try to shift the
tank.  I can't see how the two mounts I see from the fender well could be
the main supports for the tank.  What else holds the tank in place and do I
need to fix or adjust other mounts once I get the two wheel well mounts in
place to make sure it stays put?

On Sun, May 16, 2010 at 1:10 AM, <JDeRyke at aol.com> wrote:

> Rob, how much gas is in the tank? Full, it will weigh around 150 lbs, so it
> won't be all that easy to shift even with the strap completely disconnected.
> On most Psantera gas tanks, the metric drain plug is corroded to the tank,
> and if you put a big wrench on the plug to loosen it, you will see the thin
> tank bottom ripple! Vendors use air-guns set fairly loose to remove the
> things, after soaking the plug inside & out with penetrating oil. Several
> minutes of air-hammering often removes them.
> The tank will move outboard a little for header clearance but be VERY
> careful in trying to jack it or pry against the tank itself- the steel is
> incredibly thin and its actually possible to shove a screwdriver through an
> unrusted tank! Once the tank is as far outboard as possible and you still
> need more space, try denting the shield and, if necessary, the tank itself
> for more clearance. The heat shield is an aluminum/asbestos/aluminum
> sandwich and if it touches the headers, the outer layer of aluminum will
> melt. One needs at least 0.040" of clearance as things expand when the
> headers get hot. Good luck- J DeRyke




-- 
Rob DuMoulin
904.476.8744
rob at dumoulins.net