I have recently inherited a 76 280Z project car and need some advice along with parts.

My current tank has had the same fuel for the last 15 stored years about half full which I recently emptied. The gas was definitely bad w/ a strong varnish smell.

The tank did not seem to have any pin hole leaks w/ 1/2 tank, but there was a slight rust residue noticed as the tank emptied.

Is it a waste of my time or money to try to salvage this tank w/ a chemical liner and how do I find a professional shop to do the work in Southeast Wisconsin?

I do not mind doing most repairs, but have no interest in messing with fuel tank chemicals.

I think that I am in need of a rust free fuel tank if anyone has one available.

Thanks for any assistance
Dave - West Bend

 

Your going to have to remove the tank anyway so you might as well recoat it with the kit from Eastwood. You can take the tank to a radiator shop to have it boiled out. The rest of your fuel system is likely bad too, so pull the injectors and have an auto shop with the right equipment flush them out. You can use your fuel pump to run motor flush through the fuel lines by recirculating it back through the return line before you remove the tank, bypass the fuel filters. Motor flush is highly flammable so do it outside.

 

theramz is right, you need to remove it anyway. 280 tanks are not the same across the years (subtle differences in shape), so finding a good one can be a pain and/or expensive (though a lot of people on here swap them for less than I've seen elsewhere).
Having the rad shop boil it out is a great tip. Some of them will treat the tank, too, if you dont want to mess with it. If you don't mind the chemicals (and they are brutal), the Eastwood kit is a good bet.
There are a couple of outfits that will do it by mail, too, but shipping a gas tank is expensive and difficult (if there's even a whiff of vapor the carrier will refuse it). But treating a tank isn't cheap (up to $500 depending on who you ask, I'd bet more like $200 - $300). And the 280 tanks are so full of baffles that a really good treatment shop will cut holes in it to get at everything and then reweld. Definitely not stock looking. Mine wasn't as in bad a shape as yours (it didn't sit, it was a daily driver), so I opted to just drain it really well, shaking out any sediment and water, and obviously a new fuel filter.
theramz's suggestion on circulating the motor flush is a great idea, too. Try it first (and before you try to start the car, of course), because cleaning the injectors by hand after removing them is a pain and isn't as good as a real flow shop.
good luck,
Dave

 

I now have the gas tank off and at the radiator shop to be chemically treated. They quoted about $150 for the complete restoration. It would be more if pinhole leaks surfaced and they had to remove the bottom outside undercoating to patch weld.

Thank you theramz & BoulderZ for your helpul advice.

I have a new fuel pump on order, and I would like to replace what is listed in my service manual as a fuel dampener. It is mounted to a common bracket with the fuel pump, but my problem is that I cannot find a replacement part on any 280Z parts websites. I have searched most of the common sites.

Does anyone have a recomendation where this part can be found? Also need the fuel tank mounting straps for a 76 280Z.

Thanks for any help provided.

Dave

 

Good deal on the tank! That'll be nice piece of mind when you start it up.
If MSA and Vic Brit don't have them new, you may want to try zcarsource.com (huge salvage operation) or zparts.com (really nice online inventory, fast and friendly service, I got a great hood from them last year). For the fuel damper, you may even want to try NAPA or some of the other places like that, if you haven't already. It's a more basic part that they're likely to be able to find for you (if you get a good counterman).
Dave

 

I know you'll all think I'm nuts, I had the same experience with my fuel tank. I took it off and was going to take it in for the same fix you described. My neighbor saw this and said all you need to do is wash it out really good with Dawn soap, dry it out and fill it up with gas. I did this and got at least a pound of rust out. I put on a new gas filter and also put a clear in-line filter on right at the tank so I wouldn't ruin anything if it didn't work. It has stayed rust free and has run fine for the last 8 months.

 

I used a gas tank restoration kit from "The Por Store". The kit included a acid wash, a cleaner, an epoxy coating and a fuel stabilizer (to clean the rest of your system - I never used that part since the rest of my system was completely new). I think the entire kit cost around $40 or $50. Worked great!!

Here's the link

http://www.easycarts.net/ecarts/Perm...ALS.html#TS2QT

 

The only thing you have to be careful of (other than the fumes of course) on the seal-it-yourself kits is that you really have to be sure to thoroughly spin/turn/coat the tank (especially with all the baffles) and really get each step to it's fully clean and dry completion. Sounds like yours went great, ZChief. Can you give us some details on how long you turned the tank to ensure coverage, how long you let it dry/cure at each step, and what kind of conditions you had (i.e. cold and damp, hot and dry influencing cure/dry times)? Also, how bad was your tank before sealing it?
thanks,
Dave

 

Dave,

It's been over a year since I restored the tank, so I'm a bit fuzzy on the exact details (time between steps etc.), but I did it in a week (had plenty of time between steps since the car is an ongoing project). I followed these directions exactly and have had no problems - worked great! I did not have to worry about steps 4 and 5. Here is the link to the exact kit I purchased $55.

I used a hair dryer to completely dry the inside of the tank before using the metal ready / sealer. I do remember sloshing that stuff around for a while (maybe 15 or 20 minutes or so / rotating the tank every which way.

http://www.prp-porstore.com/page/por15/PROD/Kits/FTRK

1. Marine Clean:
This step removes any of the oily residue remaining from the old fuel. Mix 1 part Marine-Clean with 1 part very hot water and pour it into the tank. If you know you have loose rust in the tank, place some gravel or some old nuts and bolts in the tank with the solution. Shake the tank, then place it in a different position every 2 hours so the solution can cover all inside surfaces. As you shake the tank, the gravel or nuts and bolts will knock that rust loose When all surfaces have been subjected to the cleaning solution, shake it again, then dump out the tank including the gravel or nuts and bolts. Rinse it with water, dump out the water, and start all over again, but without the gravel or nuts and bolts. The first time you dump the solution, it'll be very dirty; after the second solution has been discarded, the tank should be clean. Rinse the tank out with fresh water, drain, and let dry.

2. Metal Ready:
Pour entire contents of the Metal-Ready into the tank. Rotate the tank several times to get the inside completely wet with the Metal Ready. Place the tank in different positions every 5 - 10 minutes until the entire inside of the tank has been treated with Metal-Ready. Do this on and off for approximately 30 - 45 minutes. Drain the Metal Ready out, but capture it, as you can reuse it to treat other metals to be painted. Immediately rinse the tank thoroughly with water several times and drain it. LET THE TANK DRY THOROUGHLY! To get the tank completely dry, you should blow warm air into it for a long time. A blow dryer or shop vacuum (on blower) will provide good air movement inside the tank to promote drying. A TANK MUST BE COMPLETELY DRY INSIDE BEFORE SEALING. THE SEALER WILL NOT STICK TO A DAMP OR WET TANK.

3. Sealer:
Open sealer and stir thoroughly. Pour in the entire can of fuel tank sealer and slowly "roll" the tank around until all surfaces are coated with the sealer. After you're sure the entire contents of the tank is coated with the sealer, tip the tank and drain out any excess sealer. You do not want the sealer to puddle up inside the tank, as it will not cure and adhere properly. DON'T PUT THE LID BACK ON THE CAN TIGHTLY OR IT MAY EXPLODE. Leave the can open and it will harden overnight. Then throw it out the next day. The day after you seal the tank is the best time to add patches on the outside of the tank where the holes in the tank may be too big to be sealed by the sealer alone. Allow at least 3 days before putting fuel back into the tank.

4. Patching:
Paint the area where the hole is with POR-15 or Tank Sealer, and place a piece of our reinforcing fabric into the paint. Paint the cloth outward from the center with more POR-15. About 4-5 hours later, paint it again. You have now sealed the tank from both the inside and the outside. And remember, whenever you want to seal a tank, you must use Metal-Ready on the inside or the outside, because the adhesion must be perfect. After the tank is sealed, wait at least 3 days before putting fuel into it.

5. Stripping:
Sometimes you will be asked how to seal a tank that was sealed years ago with some other sealer that has now failed. In this case, you must use our POR-Strip first to remove that old sealer. First, pour in about 1/4 of the POR-Strip and let it work on each inside surface. It may take 4 strippings to do the job completely. The old finish may come loose in chunks or pieces or strips, so a long tweezer-type tool is helpful for removal. After the stripping job is done, the tank should be rinsed out with hot water and then cleaned with Marine-Clean. This is not easy work, but it's the only way to do the job right. People who follow our directions perfectly always get a perfect job, no exceptions. Special care must be taken to make sure the sealer doesn't clog up feeder lines or other tubes inside the tank, and the tank must be propped before drying so the sealer doesn't "puddle" in places where it could cause problems.1. Marine Clean:
This step removes any of the oily residue remaining from the old fuel. Mix 1 part Marine-Clean with 1 part very hot water and pour it into the tank. If you know you have loose rust in the tank, place some gravel or some old nuts and bolts in the tank with the solution. Shake the tank, then place it in a different position every 2 hours so the solution can cover all inside surfaces. As you shake the tank, the gravel or nuts and bolts will knock that rust loose When all surfaces have been subjected to the cleaning solution, shake it again, then dump out the tank including the gravel or nuts and bolts. Rinse it with water, dump out the water, and start all over again, but without the gravel or nuts and bolts. The first time you dump the solution, it'll be very dirty; after the second solution has been discarded, the tank should be clean. Rinse the tank out with fresh water, drain, and let dry.

2. Metal Ready:
Pour entire contents of the Metal-Ready into the tank. Rotate the tank several times to get the inside completely wet with the Metal Ready. Place the tank in different positions every 5 - 10 minutes until the entire inside of the tank has been treated with Metal-Ready. Do this on and off for approximately 30 - 45 minutes. Drain the Metal Ready out, but capture it, as you can reuse it to treat other metals to be painted. Immediately rinse the tank thoroughly with water several times and drain it. LET THE TANK DRY THOROUGHLY! To get the tank completely dry, you should blow warm air into it for a long time. A blow dryer or shop vacuum (on blower) will provide good air movement inside the tank to promote drying. A TANK MUST BE COMPLETELY DRY INSIDE BEFORE SEALING. THE SEALER WILL NOT STICK TO A DAMP OR WET TANK.

3. Sealer:
Open sealer and stir thoroughly. Pour in the entire can of fuel tank sealer and slowly "roll" the tank around until all surfaces are coated with the sealer. After you're sure the entire contents of the tank is coated with the sealer, tip the tank and drain out any excess sealer. You do not want the sealer to puddle up inside the tank, as it will not cure and adhere properly. DON'T PUT THE LID BACK ON THE CAN TIGHTLY OR IT MAY EXPLODE. Leave the can open and it will harden overnight. Then throw it out the next day. The day after you seal the tank is the best time to add patches on the outside of the tank where the holes in the tank may be too big to be sealed by the sealer alone. Allow at least 3 days before putting fuel back into the tank.

4. Patching:
Paint the area where the hole is with POR-15 or Tank Sealer, and place a piece of our reinforcing fabric into the paint. Paint the cloth outward from the center with more POR-15. About 4-5 hours later, paint it again. You have now sealed the tank from both the inside and the outside. And remember, whenever you want to seal a tank, you must use Metal-Ready on the inside or the outside, because the adhesion must be perfect. After the tank is sealed, wait at least 3 days before putting fuel into it.

5. Stripping:
Sometimes you will be asked how to seal a tank that was sealed years ago with some other sealer that has now failed. In this case, you must use our POR-Strip first to remove that old sealer. First, pour in about 1/4 of the POR-Strip and let it work on each inside surface. It may take 4 strippings to do the job completely. The old finish may come loose in chunks or pieces or strips, so a long tweezer-type tool is helpful for removal. After the stripping job is done, the tank should be rinsed out with hot water and then cleaned with Marine-Clean. This is not easy work, but it's the only way to do the job right. People who follow our directions perfectly always get a perfect job, no exceptions. Special care must be taken to make sure the sealer doesn't clog up feeder lines or other tubes inside the tank, and the tank must be propped before drying so the sealer doesn't "puddle" in places where it could cause problems.

 

You can get a stock fuel dampener from www.zcarparts.com. Or call 1-800-633-6331. It is part number 11-3426 for the 75-78 fuel dampener, and the catalog lists it for $101.76

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