removing gas tank...

[jmir018]

ok, i'll be soon soon installing upper and lower control arms and would like to take the opportunity to remove my gas tank and grinding down some rust spots i have and painting them.. doing it the right way.
And i'm too much of a pussy to grind stuff with the tank in place.
How hard is this to do? will it requiere any special tools?
Do u guys know of any write ups that show step by step the procedures needed to achive this task?
Thanks.
Jersey

 

[jimbbski]

Run fuel in tank as low as you dare.

Strat by disconnecting the fuel lines. Disconnect fuel guage plug. Remove the two nuts holding the straps in place. Tank will drop with the removal of second strap. Slide it to the side to get it off the filler pipe.
Tank is now removed.

Total time about 10 minutes.

 

[Quadcammer]

Run fuel in tank as low as you dare.

Strat by disconnecting the fuel lines. Disconnect fuel guage plug. Remove the two nuts holding the straps in place. Tank will drop with the removal of second strap. Slide it to the side to get it off the filler pipe.
Tank is now removed.

Total time about 10 minutes.

um, this is a bit overly simplistic.

There are approximately 4 vent tubes that need to be removed
there is a nut that holds the filler neck to the tank

there is also a nasty grommet where the filler neck hits the tank that will make it very hard to get the neck out without breaking it, unless you cut the grommet.

If you are doing it alone, figure about 1 hour if not a touch more.

 

[SNAKEYE]

Rust on an '03! Check your warranty, you may have recourse with Ford.

Your concerns about grinding close to the gas tank are unfounded. If the tank is not leaking and the cap is securely in place there is practically no chance of a problem. If I were you, I'd be more concerned with my clothing catching fire! To feel better, get a fire extinguisher on-hand. If you don't have one at all, this is a golden opportunity to get one for a good reason.

You may wish to support the tank with a floor jack and a piece of wood to spread the weight out. Even a couple of gallons of gas in the tank can be unwieldly as it sloshes within the tank while beneath the car.

You may have to loosen the filler pipe at an intermediate support and at the fender (at least on a '97 you have to) in order for the tank to drop enough to allow pulling it toward the driver's side of the car and off of the filler pipe.

Of course, do something appropriate to seal the filler pipe hole in the tank to keep dirt out and vapors in while it is out of the car.

When re-installing the filler pipe into the seal apply clean engine oil to the pipe over the entire length that it will penetrate the tank to help it slide through the seal without ripping the seal (which will leak when the tank is near full).

 

[jmir018]

.. sounds like a lot of work.
it's the 96 that has rust spots. it's nothing major, but i rather take care of that now instead of waiting.
I think i'll simply remove the fuel tank cover, and paint the straps.. seems much easier to do than removing the whole unit.
will the tank cover just fall off when i remove the straps or will i need to pry it off?
thanks.

 

[Dano]

Clean and paint the tank cover too!

Here are a few photos showing you what to expect, and how it will look. These were taken by one of our fellow owners ...

I hope they aren't too large for the page:

I've never done this, but I wanted to - then I sold the Cobra.

Viewed from behind, it looks very clean ... very clean. Something else to clean off, when you wash the Cobra.

 

[SNAKEYE]

.. sounds like a lot of work.
it's the 96 that has rust spots. it's nothing major, but i rather take care of that now instead of waiting.
I think i'll simply remove the fuel tank cover, and paint the straps.. seems much easier to do than removing the whole unit.
will the tank cover just fall off when i remove the straps or will i need to pry it off?
thanks.

Oh it'll fall off, but, and as you can see from Dano's pix, the straps hold the cover, holds th tank. Getting just the cover off is nearly as bad as dropping the tank.
But, here's what a clean cover can look like:

 

[forcedLX]

i'll help you jersey, when this heat goes away///////////