So today I drove the 53 to the dump, filled it up on the way. It has a new tank, I have been wrestling with getting the new gas line good and sealed. The replacement tank (original form from LMC) had a different outlet hole from the original and it has been a hassle finding a good connection at the tank. The worst is that even when everything seems to be tight, it is first when the tank is in place that the Leak makes itself known. And the leak is at the bottom of the tank, impossible to tighten when in place or even to inspect. I have had the tank out three times trying to test that outlet connection before re-installing.
Today it started to leak again. From the bottom of the tank. (above the floor of the cab but behind the seat supports). I had first placed the tank on sawhorses, hooked up all lines, filled up with a coupla gallons of gas to see that all was tight, but once it is on the road and all filled up it leaks again.
The old tank had a threaded tube about 4 inched long screwed into the tank, extending through the floor to the petcock valve, from there to the gas pump via a steel gas line with flared ends. The new tank asks for a flared end from the tank itself. So I used a short piece of old steel line, bubble flared on two ends - one end goes onto the tank and the other into the petcock. I fear I have torqued so hard on the various fittings of the petcock that I have caused a minimal crack on the fitting from the tank which leaks first when the tank is well-filled.
Also, I was recommended locally to use copper gas line. Any of you have experience with this stuff. I am not pleased with my efforts to flare copper.
But that is not the cause of the main leak, I don't know what I will do about that. Why can't an original replacement tank have the same outlet hole that the original had?
Anyone notice yet? This is a rant.
Karl
