Technical What do you do concerning the gas tank ?

I have been driving my 40 ford pickup (45 cab) since the mid 90's. The truck has ran great until recently when tried to run up a 45 degree platform and started running lousy. I think something in the tank got in to the gas (rust?) or something and need to do something. Can you buy a new replacement exact tank for a 45 cab or do I do the bolt and nut cleaning, flush out the line or? Also I can't install a tank in the back of the frame because of the trailer hitch.I do use my truck as a truck so in the bed would limit my hauling. What would you do?

 

Have any real radiator shops in your area??? If you do drop it and take it to them to get cleaned out and repaired. I am fortunate I have a really good one within 15 miles of my shop.

 

Not knowing you set up all I can suggest is drain and remove the gas tank, wash it out and flush the gas lines.
In my 35 Chevy I run the OEM gas tank with external electric pump. I had a sump for the pick up installed so there was always gas available however when low and I go around a corner, it coughs a bit. With hindsight I should have made it deeper with a larger sump and baffles.
With my 46 Olds I again used the OEM gas tank but added an in-tank pump with sump and some fuel cell foam. I still need to add some baffles.

 

probably the first thing would be to have a look at the fuel filter. how do you even know it is the tank?

 

After trying to clean out 3 old gas tanks, now I replace them with new if available. I had a radiator shop clean out one years ago that took two tries to get it clean. I went back a few years later and they told me the EPA won't let them clean them out like before and he couldn't get it clean if it was too rusty or had that crappy gas tank sealer in it. So now I avoid the work and hassle and just replace them if I can. Last car, I had to replace the tank. all lines, fuel pump and rebuild carb because the old gas was so gummy

 

I agree ^^^.. Buy new....

 

I sent mine to “tank Renewal “ back in 2001 they cleaned and sealed it.
It’s still holding up

 

My luck with trying to clean old tanks has not worked out so well for me in the past. These days I won't even mess with them. I just buy a new tank. If one is not available for your ride, have one made (I'd find it hard to believe you couldn't buy a tank for any Ford). Gene

 

I agree with 49, in that it may not be the tank. You may swap the tank and still have an issue.
"Divide and conquer" troubleshooting. Do the easy stuff first.

If it's an under hood filter, disco the fuel line aft of the fuel filter and gravity feed a gallon gas can to see if the engine runs from the can through the filter. If it doesn't, bypass the filter to see if that was it or there's junk in the float bowl, etc.

 

You could plum in a bulk tank filter most filter co. offer one

 

Maybe hard to buy a new tank being a'40 with a '45 cab.

 

Replace, retrofit from an other make/model, or make a new one.

 

Be a hot rodder and clean it out , start by disconnecting fuel line and blowing compressed air backwards through it.
Take tank out and rinse etc.

(Any chance of pics of trying to run up 45 degree slope ? )

.

 

Wouldn't running up a long 45 degree platform make it extremely difficult for the gas in the tank to
flow forward, even with baffles,especially if it's gravity feed system?

 

I believe the tank may be available, I was helping someone find one for a '42 Ford truck. Old tanks, I'd run a big old Holley canister filter just after the tank. They take the old Ford fuel pump filters, plumb a valve into the line and you can drop the canister quickly and see what is in it. With my '59 Ford, a new tank was $160 and well worth it.

 

No pics

 

What is a bulk tank filter? Please and thank you.

 

It is a large filter mostly used by farmers on bulk fuel tanks you would have to use bushings to adapt would catch a lot of rust and dirt http://www.wixfilters.com/Speciality/FuelDispensing.aspx I might add my helper left the cap off my Combine 2 years ago lots of chaff and dirt got in the tank and pluged the electric pump cleaned the pump and it did it again. I had an extra bulk tank filter plumbed it in and no more trouble.

 

I'd like to see that too. Must be a rock crawler. 45degrees is extreme to say the least. A 6% grade is probably more like it. Boil it out and get an Eastwood gas tank kit. It worked for me.

 

You are attempting a hill climb?

Thank you for the bulk filter lesson Sunbeam.

 

On a 45° slant you may have been low on gas and starved the pickup. HRP

 

Wherever you are driving, don't.

I live in San Francisco, home of some of the steepest streets.

Here, they top out at about 27% grade, which is about 15°.

I have to be careful where I park, and with how much fuel, even with the new cars.

 

My experience with gas tank sealer is don't use it. Ethanol will dissolve it. I run non-ethanol in Arkansas but some of you guys are not so lucky.

 

Pics of said truck? Im mostly interested in what your 40/45 looks like.
I'd also go for cleaning out the fuel system and making sure its the tank first, then looking for a new tank. Cleaning an old one is a pain in the butt

 

Buy a bag of citric acid and give it a citric acid bath

 

Home Depot sell Muriatic Acid for swimming pools for less than $10 for 2 gallons. Just keep your nose out of it or you'll wake up wondering where you are. Slosh(sp) it around and around. You have to wash it out at the car wash. Get it dry quickly and pour about a 1/4 gal of WD-40 in it to keep from flash rusting. Less than $20 and tank should be clean.

 

Are you sure that it’s not another problem, such as electrical, worn out carb, etc ?

 

Keep in mind that if you do chemically clean the fuel tank, the protective terne coating will be removed and the bare steel surface will rust badly, unless a new coating, with its own problems, is applied.

 

I have built heavy duty tanks (3/16" thick) for my other money pits, rock crawlers. I have had really good results with the "Northern" brand gas tank sealer. It was used on new construction, just as a rust/moisture barrier. It is blue, and sets up pretty hard when cured. I would not try anything else, myself, after seeing the slop inside a few tanks sealed with some white stuff.
That said, my Forty has a new gas tank from "Tanks", and I will go the same route on my other projects. Not worth the time, hassle, and risk of disappointing results when a new one is available and reasonably priced.

 

A friend with a cruddy tractor fuel tank put in some fuel oil and better than half a coffee can of new cheap nuts,3/8 thru1/2 inch, then ratchet strapped it to the outside of the rear wheel of another farm tractor and let it ride there all day. Takes some shaking to get them out but leaves a pretty clean tank.
We used same principle on old snowmobile tanks that were rusty. Problem is volunteers to do the shaking.
Not related, but funny inventive story of a friend stranded somewhere on a cross country trip in his Ford p.u. with flathead v8 and bad cam lobe. Not much money so he hitched to town and got some wire and tubing and fittings and a 30 gal barrell.. He jumped on the roof to seat the barrel, tied it down, fueled it up and made it to West coast and back to Iowa. Gravity works!

Fireball 5