Fuel tanks

[pedro]

G'day all, I'd like to run the Commodore fuel tank in my wagon but the filler is on the wrong side and has the wrong bend, is it possible to get the tank modified, is it legal to cut the tube and use rubber pipe in between or would i be better off just getting a new tank made.
                                 Pedro

[FC427]

Pedro there is no problem Using Neoprene rubber hose a lot of car manufactures use this method  or having the tank modified to suit your application most radiator shops also do fuel tanks if you chose to do it at home after "really good cleaning and hosing out"...  I run a pipe from a car exhaust in to the tank at let it idle for 10 to 15 minutes the cardon dioxide is to neutralize any fuel vapour that may sill be presant and then wash again before soldering ....Don't want to go BANG  do we  ........FC427......

[Glenn 'Stinky' Stankevicius]

if you chose to do it at home

Don't choose  we were warned about this on my welding course.
Even after washing/flushing etc etc fumes will be present, we were told tanks either need to be full of water (easy) or filled with an inert gas which is a specialist job in itself.

[pedro]

Thanks FC427, Stinky, Did a bit of research on the subject and apparently there are four ways to do it, use a vacuum to blow it out, fill with water, use car exhaust or put dry ice in the tank which gives off co2
which is a fire retardent and evaporates when the job is done, there are also reasons given for not using the first three, vauums can give off sparks, water can contaminate the fuel or cause the tank to rust, cars don't burn all the fuel and exhaust gases can still contain enough to go bang, so at the moment I'm more confused than when i started but am leaning towards the dry ice idea as i imagine taking it in to a shop to be done wouldn't be cheap.
                          Pedro

[FC427]

Pedro the last few fuel tanks I have done I sent them to Ready Strip and the cleaned them in a non corrosive tank came back gas and TEL [Tetra Ethol Lead] free they charged me $40 from memory  ......FC427......

[pedro]

Thanks again FC427, that sounds like the safest option, at least i won't be crapping myself waiting for it to go BOOM all the time I'm welding that way .
                                         Pedro

[JB]

Yep Pedro, I took mine to a radiator shop and they cleaned it for me. Still scares the crap out of you when you make that first cut.