Removing gas tank from 79 Eldorado and tips to know ?

[nanaimogene]

I was told by commercial Auto shop after paying them $368 to tell me my in tank fuel pump was only dribbling gas out for Caddy to die. In fact
they were surprised it had two fuel pumps. One shop said...they had electric fuel pumps in the 70's ??  Last month I replaced myself the external
fuel pump. Im about to remove the gas the way shop manual says and unhook battery etc etc.  The straps on the Eldorado...which bolts to
loosen first the ones on the rear of the tank or the front ?  I have a decent jack to lower tank with. The in tank fuel pump was only $35 with the
strainer. Taking tank out has its advantages since you can give it a good cleaning. Now the Auto shop would charge $400 to do the job and that might be best way to go except it bugs me it would have cost me $768 total to find out I had worn out fuel pump.  ANY TIPS on tank removable ?
The Auto Parts clerks said they have themselves have cut through the trunk floor to remove pump. My 79 is too nice for that.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

G'day Gene,

I wouldn't have thought that removing a fuel tank would be any different from year to year.

Simply remove as much fuel as you can, then unfasten any hoses, that is vent hoses, feed and return hoses, and wires, and lower it down.

You will need jack stands to hold the car up whilst you are under there, and loosening off the retaining straps until the last couple of threads, will allow you to lift the tank with your hand whilst you finish removing the nuts with the other hand.

Might help to have an assistant to help, but I have always done these things on my own.

Even used my feet, knees and the like to aid in lowering, and replacing.

Bruce.

[55 cadi]

I have a 55 but believe still the same type of set up.

Like Bruce said is the way to do it,

I believe the straps only screw off from the back side of straps, the front side of straps hook in place.

Put car on stands and use jack to lower.

After it is out look inside and see how bad it is.

If good enough to re-use then go to auto parts store and get the gas tank lining liquid, you pour it in and move tank all around so it coats all of the inside top, bottom and sides, then let dry. This gives you a "like new" tank.

Get new hoses for the rear section, might as well replace, they probably need it.

Good luck, I did mine about a year ago.

Jason

[savemy67]

Hello Gene,

I gather from your post that you have the shop manual for your car.  I suggest you follow the procedure in your manual, but sometimes the manual is ambiguous.  Regardless, drain all the gas from your tank.  A gallon of gas weighs a little over 6 pounds.  If you leave two gallons in the tank, and that 12 pounds of fuel sloshes to one side of the tank or the other while you are trying to lower the tank with a jack, you could wind up with a mess on your hands, or a damaged fuel tank.   

Attached are two photos of a tank support I cobbled together from scrap wood.  It provides a little more stability than just the saddle of the jack.  My support is narrow enough to fit between the straps that hold my gas tank in place.  The straps on my '67 have nuts only at the rear of the straps.  The front of the straps are "T'd" into slots in the underside of the trunk floor at the front of the tank.  Don't forget to disconnect all tubes, hoses, and wires as per the shop manual.  This job is easier with an assistant.  If your tank is attached at four locations, loosen all the fasteners until almost free, then remove the rear fasteners, support the tank, then remove the front fasteners.

If the inside of your gas tank is clean (you can look through the opening when you remove the fuel pump), and you see shiny metal, then you may not need any liquid liner.  Good luck.

Respectfully submitted,
Christopher Winter

[bcroe]

Whenever I work on a fuel system, I keep close a box of caps & plugs, and
some clamps.  First I try to clamp off any flow through a junction.  I then
pull it apart and instantly slide on plugs/caps to seal off both sides.  Same
thing for all 3 lines.  No gasoline slopped around or possibility of spilling it. 

Of course you want the tank as empty as possible.  I run my 79 Eldo up,
loosen the bolts at the front of the tank, and slide it onto a trans jack. 
Make sure the supports aren't weakened by rust, etc.  Clean up the bolts
and put some anti seize on before reassembly. 

Some of us are experimenting with a single high pressure pump in the
tank; ditch that chassis pump.  Bruce Roe

[nanaimogene]

Thank you everyone.  There by the bumper are two long bolts in which the straps pivot and two screw in the frame bolts at front of tank. I gather you undo the front frame bolts that hold the straps or with tank supported all four, just have to watch filler pipe. I do have both rear wheels up on drive up ramps. I do have lots of room under. There is only 2 gals in tank. Shop manual says get 10 ft of 3/8 fuel line hose and a short piece of copper tubing so you get through the tanks internal baffle plate. The tank is in excellent shape. Thanks for those pix on tank support. The tricky part raising tank up and getting the 3 hoses hooked up. Bruce is right 2 gallons is heavy, Sure miss the day when tanks had drain cocks. My British Humber has one. Gene

[TJ Hopland]

I pulled a tank out of an 80 Eldo a few years ago and I remember it being one of the easiest tanks I had ever removed.

I must have used a jack on that Eldo but the last few tanks I have done I have found these lift cart things work great.    This is not the exact one I have but its similar.



http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200631990_200631990

[76eldo]

You want to undo the nuts or bolts at the rear of the tank and let it pivot down onto something like a temporary platform while you undo the wiring and has lines.

There is a big plug to deal with and three rubber lines.
It's a good idea to replace the rubber lines with new material while you are under there.

Be careful of any source of sparks wire working on a tank. The fumes and residual fuel are obviously very flammable.  I'd also get some rubber gloves like the kind for washing dishes, not the medical type. This newer gas stinks and makes your hands stink for days.

Brian

[bcroe]

When I get a tank at the junk yard, I cut the straps at the rear, pull the
tank back under the bumper, and cut anything connected to it.  That,
because I don't have facilities to safely lift the car, and its next stop is
the crusher. 

All the tanks on my cars have been removed many times, for regular
maintenance, and to properly calibrate the gauge float.  When working
on my car, its essentially impossible to remove the rear strap horizontal
bolts, which act somewhat as hinges, because there is too much tension
from drawing up the front vertical bolts.  So remove the front bolts,
then the rear bolts are relieved, but I never find they need to be
disturbed. 

When the tank comes down (or goes up), I'd like as little interference
as possible, so I always disconnect all the hoses & wires FIRST, and
reconnect them LAST.  With all lines plugged, its a clean, neat job. 
Bruce Roe

[nanaimogene]

I want to thank everybody for the tips. I put the rear of car on drive up ramps (using shop jack) removed 95% of the gas. Unhooked battery.I made up a ramp suggested by member Chris Winter. With ramp jacked up to tank, loosened bolts at front of tank (after wires unhooked) and
slid out bolts back of tank by bumper swinging straps to side and tank came out with no problem. After old pump out my gas sender was only
half working. I used contact cleaner on it. New pump in and cleaned sender ..all is working great. Now I get correct fuel pressure and correct
fuel gauge reading. 

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Congratulations.

Bruce.