Should I just swap the whole tank?

Mstng93SSP

You have a nice rear end there Dave.
15 Year Member
Nov 29, 1999
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Mililani, Hawaii
When I fill up gas, i can smell a slight raw gas smell back near the tank. So, I figure I am in for maybe the vent, vent tube, something along that line. Since I need to pull the tank down to determine the source, I also will swap out the pump and the filler neck seal and the vent etc. I dont think there is an issue with the tank itself, but it is 27 years old so should I just do a preemptive strike and order a new tank? Or is it others experience that the tanks hold up pretty well? I see the whole tank and kit with a walbro 225lph pump at LMR for $399. (Then there is the paradise penalty assessment of $209 shipping for living with Hula Girls.)

Thanks

Chris
 
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Well... That depends upon the availability of that tank to you.

If the shop down the street has one, I'd say to pull it all apart then make the decision.

If you pull it apart and discovering a crappy tank means you gotta sit broke for several weeks... Screw it. Swap it all.
 
I AM the shop down the street :D...and I don't have one. We have no performance shops here...and I mean zero. So, I would have to order it. 2nd day air...$209......just the shipping....
 
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Being as the fuel tank is metal without moving parts, they don’t really wear out lol.

I’d probably just end up replacing the fill neck seal, the seal around the fuel hanger, as well as the pump and call it a day.
 
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Whatever you do...paint the tank before you put it in. Por15 has a really good fuel tank paint product. I've used it a few times and it worked well. New fuel tanks are hard to get clean. The metal they make the aftermarket tanks from isn't as corrosion resistant.

I'd say replace it all if need be. The tank on my 88 was perfect...except for the top being covered in fine Indiana dust about a half inch thick.
 
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The original tank in my ‘88 was spotless inside, even after sitting for years with e10 inside. It was as clean as the day it was built.

If the baffle wasn’t busted inside, I would have kept it.

Replaced it with a spectra premium tank, and my usual touch
5DCDBBED-CF5D-47E3-B5EB-9B6CA5F3EEE5.jpeg
 
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Just don't be tempted to [coat] the tank :D

There still an unknown number of Monster offspring running around the Southeast somewhere :shrug:

 
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I couldn't drop $650 on this, so I cheaped out and got most of the stuff (seals, vent, fuel pump) off Amazon with free shipping. My tank should be O.K. We don't salt our roads here....:cool:
 
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I'd use Red Kote just to be on the safe side. When I modified a Fox tank and installed it in my II, I must've had some miniscule porosity in the welds that fuel would seep through. I used Red Kote and haven't had a problem since.

Image result for red kote
 
It IS a PITA to do, that's for sure. But if you have a lot of scale or rust in your tank, you'll have to clean it out for sure. Then, if you choose to use it, that stuff can stop it from happening again. It's seemingly indestructible - when I did it I drained the excess into a drain pan that I still have and it's bottom is STILL coated with it....
 
That painted vent sure looks nice.
Some day his car will be in a museum.

"This exhibit is entitled, the cleanest Mustang that ever existed. Some say that other Mustang owners couldn't even look at this car without going insane."

I couldn't drop $650 on this, so I cheaped out and got most of the stuff (seals, vent, fuel pump) off Amazon with free shipping. My tank should be O.K. We don't salt our roads here....:cool:
Y'all salt the air instead.
 
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Some day his car will be in a museum.

"This exhibit is entitled, the cleanest Mustang that ever existed. Some say that other Mustang owners couldn't even look at this car without going insane."

He stole that idea from me. We were having a who’s new gas tank is prettier competition, but he killed me with his new rubber lines and preformed tank pads. I cheaped out and used foam tape. But yes, he has taken every part of his car he has retouched to an extreme level of perfection.
 
"This exhibit is entitled, the cleanest Mustang that ever existed. Some say that other Mustang owners couldn't even look at this car without going insane."

Trust me, it's far from that. Short of a rotisserie restoration, i'm doing the best I can. Ideally, I should take it all down to a bare shell and fix all the flaws, paint it and then start my work.