Surface rust around fuel tank

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Arya2.0S
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Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:23 pm
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Surface rust around fuel tank

Post by Arya2.0S »

While i was swapping a rear wheel over the other day i managed to catch a glimpse of my fuel tank.
It appears where the two halves meet (the lip that runs around the entire thing), theres a lot of surface rust. The old factory underseal seems to have flaked away and is allowing water to build up on the surface and rust.
Theres no leaks or anything like that on the tank itself as i have filled this tank to the brim and never had an issue, so i think ive caught it in time.
My idea was to clean it up with a wire brush and paint something over it to protect it again, like stone chip or something like that? (any recommendations are appreciated if theres something better i should be using?)
My problem is access, i can reach both sides alright as thats just a matter of taking the wheels off, its the bit in the centre under the spare wheel well thats problematic.
What im wondering is can the fuel tank be dropped down a bit without disconnecting everything to allow me just enough room to reach in and wire brush that sucka and re-apply a protective layer?
Looking for solutions that dont involve completely emptying and removing the tank you see, as that just opens up further possibilities of things going wrong and extra costs/time.
Thanks in advance.
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Noel
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Re: Surface rust around fuel tank

Post by Noel »

To drop it far enough to get in and paint it, you should be able to unclip the electrics form the sender and enough of the fuel pipe to give it some movement. Only prob is you might end up with the filler neck disengaging from its hole on the right hand end.
But as long as you are expecting that it might come out, it won't be so annoying. Then you can prepare to re-insert it when you are done. The filler pipe, or neck, can move around quite a bit so there's plenty of jiggling possible when you re-fit it all up.

Plus you may find that the tank strap bolts at the top/front of the straps are very rusty, so spray with oil and wire brush them thoroughly first. When I had mine off recently I ended up getting quite cross and hacksawing them off. Caprigear had new ones available
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Arya2.0S
Posts: 1249
Joined: Sat Dec 07, 2013 4:23 pm
Car(s): ford capri 2.0 s

Re: Surface rust around fuel tank

Post by Arya2.0S »

Noel wrote:To drop it far enough to get in and paint it, you should be able to unclip the electrics form the sender and enough of the fuel pipe to give it some movement. Only prob is you might end up with the filler neck disengaging from its hole on the right hand end.
But as long as you are expecting that it might come out, it won't be so annoying. Then you can prepare to re-insert it when you are done. The filler pipe, or neck, can move around quite a bit so there's plenty of jiggling possible when you re-fit it all up.

Plus you may find that the tank strap bolts at the top/front of the straps are very rusty, so spray with oil and wire brush them thoroughly first. When I had mine off recently I ended up getting quite cross and hacksawing them off. Caprigear had new ones available
Thanks for the info. Upon closer inspection the other side of the tank seems fine, and it doesn't seem to spread any further than that one isolated area on the left so should get away with just taking the wheel off and going from there.
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