14 replies to this topic

[opelsuby]

My line to my fuel filter is plugged. The car sat for years. I dumped the liquid from the fuel filter and it was a bright yellow varnish. If the line is plugged up, I'm thinking there is crap in the tank too. So, I'll probably have to get it cleaned. I've never dropped a fuel tank and am looking for some assitance on the how to. I'm sure it isn't rocket science but I'm always for for assistance from anyone who has done this.

It's an 81 Gl Wagon 4wd 1.8

Mucho appreciato!!!

[GeneralDisorder]

Worst. Job. Ever.

Very dirty - get some good sealed safety goggles as you will be getting a lot of dirt in your face.

Pretty straightforward - you need about 17 arms to hold the tank up while you disconnected everything from it - remove the bolts and it drops out. Hardest part is the filler neck tube. Be careful not to break it.

GD

[baccaruda]

Hm, sounds like a job for a square of plywood and some jackstands to me. have fun! maybe take it to the carwash and spray the crap out of the underside to save your face..

[GeneralDisorder]

Hm, sounds like a job for a square of plywood and some jackstands to me. have fun!

The problem is there are lines attached to the *top* of the tank, and you have to hold it up so the lines don't rip, and get your arms in there with pliers to get stuff loose, etc. It's at least a 3 midget job.... same with the filler neck. :dead:

Best way I've found is to flip the car on it's side

GD

[daeron]

I find that I am ungodly good with work like this... I'm only 5'8" (173 cm) and about 140 pounds.. ive got skinny arms and small fingers, and have gotten quite adept at tightening fasteners based upon touch alone..

I absolutely hate it, because it means I get called whenever someone needs help on something like this. Fortunately, such work hasn't come up as much as it could.. I hate it.

[opelsuby]

O.k sounds a this one's gonna be a bear. My main concern was how to remove the lines from the tank and also the filler neck.

On the worst job ever... I think diggin post holes by hand with the mother of all Cuervo hangovers probbly took the cake:drunk:

[daeron]

On the worst job ever... I think diggin post holes by hand with the mother of all Cuervo hangovers probbly took the cake:drunk:

Thats pretty bad.. but I worked as a veterinary technician for eight years. Feces, pus, tooth decay, tumors, puppies with rivers of crud oozing out of their infected noses, you name it, i have been up to my elbows in it.

Try explaining to a chick at a bar that you look at $hi+ all day under a microscope.. and they say they want honesty, pfft!

The bright side is immune exposure.. to quote Sir George Carlin.. "My immune system has been tempered in raw sh*t!"

[SOOBOUTLAW]

It's not all that bad to take out the tank. The tank has(gasp) a drain plug which will greatly reduce the weight to one arm manageability. But the hoses can get a little annoying, plan on replacing em cuz you might wanna just cut em all. They're like 25 years old anyway.

[4x4_Welder]

IIRC, isn't there an access panel over the tank so you can disconnect the lines? I know my 81 Hatch has one, and I'm fairly certain my 82 wagon had one as well.

[SOOBOUTLAW]

Is the access pannel on the side behind the plastic panel for the vapor recovery junk? Or in the floor? Gonna start tearing my parts wagon up looking for it.

[opelsuby]

I might consider replacing the lines if I could find some to replace them with.

I remember peeking under the carpet when you flip down the back seat. I think the lines are right there.

I've got time on this project as it is too cold up here to do it now and I don't have a heated garage. Besides the garage is housing my Opel GT.

[scrap487]

why not just remove the drain plug, and then flush it out with something while the tank is on the car?

[SOOBOUTLAW]

why not just remove the drain plug, and then flush it out with something while the tank is on the car?

I've done that so many times half the backyard is dead. The drain plug nut sticks into the tank and prevents much sediment from flushing, plus the plug opening isn't big enough for the larger rust particles. Reminds me this time I'm gonna powerwash the he11 outta the tank next time I take it off for a diff swap or something.

[[HTi]Dain]

I've dropped several gas tanks in my short time (none Subaru though) pretty much, just put a piece of plywood on your jack (best would be to attach it securely to the jack plate) that way you can forego renting a few midgets, and still hold your tank up there without stress.

[GeneralDisorder]

The problem is that unless you have a lift, your body needs to be right where the damn jack is so you can get your head, and arms up over the tank to unhook the top lines. And as far as I know there aint any access panels to it either. I don't have any carpet in the back of my wagon, and I welded D rings to the floor for cargo straps, and there's nothing there but corrugated metal. The sending unit is on the rear of the EA81 tanks so there doesn't need to be an access panel for it.

GD