Fuel Tank Removal

[Jughead]

Hi guys,

I'm wanting to remove my fuel tank so that i can flush it out etc on my 13/60.... It has old fuel and lots of dirt in it. But seem crucially STUCK

What i have done so far.

Unplugged sender wires.
Removed 4 x bolts in the 4 corners of the tank...

I can see a real rusty old drain plug hanging through the boot floor under the car but seems like it has clearance all around it... (i pushed in some sort of gromet/sponge) up from around it.

The filler pipe almost comes in the boot with lots of wriggling but the back corner seems stuck.. like something is holding it under the tank?? Have i missed something really basic?? - I've read that i should really avoid mashing away at the drain plug as they are quite weak or something??. However it seems like the tank won't lift up from the floor...(around this area)

Hope this makes sense..  any suggestions would be great.

Thanks in advance

[herald948]

Don't touch that drain plug unless you know someone who likes to re-weld gas tanks (not many do)! As I recall, you'll need to undo the boot lid stay, after which the tank should come out with that drain plug still in place.

[Mark Hammond]

Remove the grommet on the filler neck, lift and turn anti-clockwise pulling the rear end of the tank forwards as you turn and it'll come out, only just though!  There is a knack.

Mark

[ferny]

Aye, don't touch the drain plug. I did, and got lucky! Never going to try again.

I can't remember how many bolts hold it in, but you may have missed a hidden one. Get your head in and have a good look and you should be able to see what's going on. As you say, it's just a grommet around the drain plug but you never know what a previous owner may have done! When fully free they lift out with a little wriggle.

[heraldcoupe]

Where the bootlid stay mounts to the body, there is a small black plate about an inch or two long. One end of this bolts to the tank, you will already have undone this end. The other end is attached to the bodywork by two crosshead screws, undo these and remove the bracket.
You should now lift the tank upwards at the front, so the drain tube lifts above the boot floor, as the tank pivots around it's filler neck. With the front end raised and clear, slide the neck of the tank through the grommet into the boot.

Cheers,
Bill.

[Zendervision]

When I did this, I spent ages pushing and pulling it before realising the nozzle was well stuck to the rubber seal and this was preventing me from lifting the tank.  A bit of WD40 around the seal freed it off and the tank came out quite easily.

Heeding all the warnings on here about not touching the drain plug I was very careful only to discover that a previous owner had been at it and lovingly re-created the area from chemical metal. Amazingly, that wasn't where the leak was coming from.

[Nick Moore]

Quoted from Zendervision

Heeding all the warnings on here about not touching the drain plug I was very careful only to discover that a previous owner had been at it and lovingly re-created the area from chemical metal. Amazingly, that wasn't where the leak was coming from.

Hmmm, must have been the same person who fixed my tank. It worked very well until I tried ethanol-laced eco-petrol, which dissolved the repair in under an hour. When you get your tank out, Jughead, try to picture me frantically trying removing a half-full and rapidly emptying tank in under five minutes, as the remainder of the leaked fuel rapidly soaks into the sandy camping ground of a National Park. What a fun and fume-filled holiday that was 🙂

[Pete Lewis]

when its out its worth replacing the rubber olive on the  suction tube , unclip the reserve lever and unscrew the sleeve nut

if any local reparer can cut the useless drian tube off and plate the base, you can fill the nasty hole in the boot floor,
no more corrosion , and the tanks so easy to remove/ refit,  

Pete

[Jughead]

Hi guys,

Thanks very much for the advice on the above!! - Great tip Bill, that definitely made a difference!

Jughead

[Alan Thomas]

Thanks to your posts i have just been able to remove the tank from my 13/60 convertible at the 2nd attempt when it came out so easily. There really is no force required and it is a slight anti clockwise and then inwards rotation. Give me another 3 or for to practice on and i will be an expert (not).
Off to be cleaned and welded hopefully to correct the previous owners bodge and put an end to the stink of petrol in the car / garage / boot hopefully.
Kudos to the previous poster 😀

[scotty71]

my tank had to come out when I had to wield around the wheel arch. so I when to undo the drain bolt, only to find I had rip the bolt off of the tank.
with fuel pudding out, be very careful on the bolt!! luckily I can wield, the tank was repaired and tank sealer from Frost. it is a good time to check the thread in the tank.
now all is good.

[Dogsbody47uk]

it's easy if someone has already modified the tank to remove the drain plug.