Concerning a 71 Pantera, does anyone know if the fuel tank can be removed without removing the engine.
Bartman #1554
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Not unless you want to remove it in very small pieces... Sorry.
Thats what I thought.
Thanks
Thanks
As removing a tank is a massive job for one person, WHY do you think you'd like to pull the tank? Almost all leaks and defects associated with fuel feed can be fixed with the tank in-position. If its a leak, pinholes can be fixed by draining the tank & running a sheet metal screw thru the pinhole. with a little Bondo under the screwhead. Bondo is totally fuel-proof. Or, the fill-tube hose on top can be replaced- just be sure to use a proper fuel-proof hose, not a common radiator hose. If you do decide to pull the engine & transaxle to access the tank, be sure to remove the distributor cap- it gets VERY close to the rear window and has broken them. IMHO, they are worse to fix than the tank. Also be aware that gasoline weighs 6.3lbs per gallon, so a full tank will weigh nearly 150 lbs...drain the tank before attempting to remove it.
Bartman, In case you are wondering how big a job tank removal is, I did the ZF, engine and tank removal project last week in about 16 hours, with out any help - except for removing the deck lid. I used time saving tips and hints located both here, and at PanterPlace.com. Ed
Thanks for the tips. It turned out I did not have to remove it. I just purchased the car and was concerned because of the 15 year old fuel in it. The drain bung was frozen in and the previous owner twisted it a little. I siphoned out the old stuff and put in fresh. I have replaced the filter twice and it seems ok. Looks like I lucked out this time. I would like to think it is clean living on my part, but I doubt it.
Bartman
Bartman