About three weeks ago, it became painfully obvious that there was some form of
blockage in my gas tank. My car would "run out of gas" every few miles. The
filter was always empty when this happened and it took a long time for any
fuel to find its way back in there (I never remember the filter ever being
even half full).
Draining the gas tank from the drain source was painfully slow so I also
siphoned from the top as well. Once the tank was removed, I pulled a large (1
1/2 sq ft) sheet of plastic-like material out of the tank. I have a receipt
from the previous owner dated 1991 showing that the tank was sloshed and
sealed. Obviously, some of the sealing material had pulled away from one side
of the tank and was the culprit. The front lower portion of the tank showed
evidence of past fiberglass patch/repair.There was also sediment and rust in
the tank resulting in frequent filter changes.
Triumphs Only, Stockton, CA advertises original refurbished gas tanks on their
web site for $300/exchange and a lifetime warranty. There is a $130 core
charge. The tank arrived in primer red. I painted it satin black. It included
new screws for the sending unit. Shipping to No Va was $40. The interior
appeared to have a baked-on black substance. Overall appearance was
excellent.
I replaced the entire fuel line consisting of three lengths of pipe and four
rubber hose connecting pieces and associated clamps. The removing and
reinstalling of the pipe took me much longer than I expected, partially
because I wanted to run the new pipe as originally installed (it's somewhat
"attached" to the fuel vent line and brake line). I also replaced the sending
unit, and all grommets.
As many of you pointed out, there are several choices in selecting gas pipe,
from copper to stainless and from pre-bent to do it yourself. Following
Randall's recommendation, I decided on "bundy tubing" from McMaster-Carr. $18
for 25 feet. Except for "sharp" bends, the pipe can be bent by hand which
really made the job easier ( using a pipe bender is not as easy as it looks).
Everything worked the first time with no problems or leaks or other
"issues".There's nothing like clean gas running through your carburetors. My
gas filter is always full and the car runs better than ever.
I would recommend these refurbished tanks from Triumphs Only. My only
complaints: They don't have refurbished tanks on the shelf; they have one done
when you order it. It took seven days and another five to ship it. Their web
site offers a choice of textured paint or regular paint on the exterior (or
powder coating for extra). I selected regular paint but mine arrived only with
primer so I had to paint it myself.
It's a worthwhile restoration project for anyone thinking about doing it.
Please let me know if any of you need any additional information or other
questions answered.
Bob Fabie
'75 TR6
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