Restoring a 911 gas tank - tip and question
03-11-2002, 04:43 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
Restoring a 911 gas tank - tip and question
Here's a tip for a repair method, and a question about restoring a detail, on the fuel tank of an '83 SC. First, the tip.
I fixed my dented SC gas tank by blowing it up with compressed air. Lots of fun, with a couple of rubber stoppers held in place by an assistant while I worked the air gun and compothene hammer. The tank makes interesting pinging and groaning noises in this process, but it's impressive how perfectly straight it came out. Also, what a big plume of highly flammable air and fuel vapor it emits from the outlet nozzle during depressurization. It is important to do this in a well ventilated (like outdoors) and spark and flame free environment. I drained the tank, removed it from the car and let it sit for a day before I started.
I did all of this because my fuel gauge didn't work. This, it turned out, was because the top of the tank, where the level sender mounts, had been stoved in, probably by someone heavyset who changed the brake master, and used the tank as a perch to kneel on. At least, that's my best guess as to cause. The distortion caused the level sender to hit the bottom of the tank, which broke it. The distortion also made it impossible to mount a new sender.
Okay, and now my question. I'd really like to restore the undercoating on the tank where an old battery spill did a bit of damage. Anyone know a source for an exact match of the wrinkly rubbery gray stuff the factory puts on? I'm fussy.
Thanks much.
Tom Frisardi ('83 Euro Targa with weird brown pinstripe velour upholstery - you really have to see it to believe it, and I'd love to find a source to fix the sun damage on my passenger seat bottom, but that's another question and has nothing to do with gas tanks.)
I fixed my dented SC gas tank by blowing it up with compressed air. Lots of fun, with a couple of rubber stoppers held in place by an assistant while I worked the air gun and compothene hammer. The tank makes interesting pinging and groaning noises in this process, but it's impressive how perfectly straight it came out. Also, what a big plume of highly flammable air and fuel vapor it emits from the outlet nozzle during depressurization. It is important to do this in a well ventilated (like outdoors) and spark and flame free environment. I drained the tank, removed it from the car and let it sit for a day before I started.
I did all of this because my fuel gauge didn't work. This, it turned out, was because the top of the tank, where the level sender mounts, had been stoved in, probably by someone heavyset who changed the brake master, and used the tank as a perch to kneel on. At least, that's my best guess as to cause. The distortion caused the level sender to hit the bottom of the tank, which broke it. The distortion also made it impossible to mount a new sender.
Okay, and now my question. I'd really like to restore the undercoating on the tank where an old battery spill did a bit of damage. Anyone know a source for an exact match of the wrinkly rubbery gray stuff the factory puts on? I'm fussy.
Thanks much.
Tom Frisardi ('83 Euro Targa with weird brown pinstripe velour upholstery - you really have to see it to believe it, and I'd love to find a source to fix the sun damage on my passenger seat bottom, but that's another question and has nothing to do with gas tanks.)
