> How about;
>
> 1) Sell your old tank to someone who doesn't know what a pain in the a**
> and dubious proposition it is to clean and seal on old junker.
>
> 2) Don't annoy your friends by borrowing their tools, don't strap your
> tank to a cement mixer or risk injury with shards of broken glass.
>
> 3) With the time you save by doing nothing, work a few hours overtime at
> your job.
>
> 4) Take the proceeds from number 1) and the income from number 3) and buy
> a new tank.
>
> 5) Wake up the next morning with all your friendships intact, owing favors
> to no one and 10 gallons of gas in your new tank, not on your garage floor.
>
> Regards,
>
> JP
Hi, JP,
Sounds like you might have had a traumatic experience repairing a gas tank.
Granted, it certainly could be one of the less pleasant tasks involved in
vehicle restoration, so your point is NOT lost on me. However, it isn't
necessarily as bad as all that. I hope you don't mind if I philosophize a bit.
Repair vs. Replace?
As you know, the decision to repair vs. replace applies not just to gas tanks,
but to ANY part of ANY vehicle that you are restoring. One obviously has to
make logical choices, based partially on the condition of the part, but also on
economics, availability of replacements, and how much you enjoy (or hate) a
particular task.
Naturally, if you have a badly rusted tank with thin areas or serious leaks,
you should ALWAYS try to replace it (if a replacement is available). On the
other hand, a solid tank with only some minor surface rust inside can be
successfully cleaned and sealed and it should be safe and reliable to use.
Fortunately, I've had excellent luck cleaning old tanks. For example, I cleaned
and sealed a tank on an early Bronco 17 years ago, and it hasn't given a bit of
trouble to anyone (my cousin owns and drives it now). It only took about three
hours for the whole operation. As another example, years ago when I lived in
Minnesota, a friend had a 1952 M37 that developed a pin hole in the lowest spot
of the gas tank. Only that low spot had any serious rust where some water had
collected. The rest of the tank's interior had only a few small, lightly rusted
areas. We cleaned the tank, took it to a radiator shop, where they properly
patched the hole, then we sealed the tank. Total time, maybe 4 hours, plus 25
or 30 bucks to have the tank patched. No big deal.
Andreas' method of using tempered glass is probably quite safe, as long as you
cover the glass with something when you break it. If you've ever broken a
tempered glass window, you'll remember that it instantly breaks up into
thousands of tiny square pieces that are relatively safe to handle. At least
there are no long, pointed shards. Of course, I'd still wear goggles when I
broke the glass, and gloves to scoop it up.
I suppose I'm also fortunate in that my friends don't mind lending me
tools...and I gladly return the favor when they need something. I believe that
this kind of cooperation strengthens rather than stretches friendships. We also
lend a hand to each other when there's some heavy work to be done. Of course,
if someone is in the habit of not returning tools or favors, that could create
a problem...and there are a couple of people (who shall go unnamed) to whom I
don't like to lend tools.
Oh...one more thing...I'm salaried and I don't get paid overtime, so extra time
at the office doesn't help pay for replacement parts.
As usual, I've rambled on too long. Anyway, whether you decide to repair or
replace your gas tanks, try to have fun doing it, so that restoring your
vehicle doesn't become a major burden.
Regards,
Alan
(Salt Lake City, Utah)
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