The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Need Ideas for TEMPORARY Gas Tank

Getting ready to start mystery engine for the first time.
Have set up minimal temporary wiring.
Looking to set up something sensible to get fuel to the mechanical pump during testing.

Suggestions?

Thanks!

simple rubber fuel hose from the inlet side of the pump into the opening in a gasoline jug, the jug could be set slightly higher than the pump to aid in the suction action.

I actually drove Ol' Roy 30+ miles with a gas can on the passenger floor with a 10 foot rubber fuel line snaking out the window and under the hood to the fuel pump in order to get it to my house to begin its resurrection because the tank was full of rust and crud..

Simple.
Effective.
I like that. My ideas were getting really complicated.
This is better!

Thanks!

Got a plan for cooling system?

I place my plastic gas can on a stool and connected the fuel hose to the fuel pump. The gas can was a little higher than the fuel pump.

I have a dedicated nurse tank for start-ups and such. I looked around one day and notice that I have several of the 2 gallon plastic fuel cans. I drilled a hole, low on the front side, below the spout. I used a tubeless tire stem, the type that fastens in with a nut, not the pop-in type, for a fitting. Be sure to remove the core. Thread a wire through the drilled hole and the spout hole so you can slide the valve stem into place. Some fuel hose clamped to the valve stem and you have yourself a nurse tank. Hang it by the handle for gravity flow. Attach the hose to your fuel pump if you want. Tie the hose to the handle or spout to prevent draining when not in fuse. Remember to loosen the cap when in use. I hope this is helpful.

Mike

Cooling:
BC, I have the original radiator in place and hope that it will hold water well enough for a short run. (There were a couple cracks in the top tank that I soldered up...we will see if I was successful!)

Temporary Gas Tank:
35Mike, is the wire to slide the nut down to the threads on the valve stem that are inside of the tank? Maybe I am not getting the picture. Sounds intriguing.

Exhaust Fumes Removal:
I know that this is off topic for the original question...but since I have changed from the 216 exhaust manifold to the 235 manifold, the original exhaust pipe will not work. My thought was to cut it off as far from the manifold as possible and then attach SOMETHING to it to get some of the sound and some of the fumes out of the garage. What, if anything do people use for this? I was thinking of some of that black, flexible, corrugated downspout extension pipe. Thoughts? (Maybe I should just open the door and use a fan to blow fresh air in?)

Since I only wanted to make sure my engine would fire up, I did not have a radiator. I only ran it for a few seconds, so it didn't have time to warm up. LINK

Nick, I don't think I'd use that plastic corrugated stuff for exhaust. I might melt from the exhaust heat and catch on fire. Steel flex tubing is available, but if you're not running it that long, you can just blow the fumes out with a fan.
I think Mike meant using the wire to be able to get the valve stem thru the hole from the inside, since the spout is too small to reach thru, except maybe with a flexible grabber tool. But the wire is a good trick. The nut would go on from the outside.

You for sure want an exhaust system, no use starting it up if you can't hear what it sounds like when running.

My break-in stand has an electric fuel pump that sucks fuel from a five gallon plastic can, if the engine has a mechanical fuel pump, I just move the hose from electric pump to mechanical pump, it has plenty of suction to pull fuel up a hose, no need to lift the jug up. My fuel hose is about five feet long, long enough to get the fuel out away from hot headers.

For cooling an engine, hook up a garden hose to the lower water pump inlet with a long hose on the thermostat outlet, then vary the water flow according to how hot the water is coming out as the engine is running. I have run engines for 20 minutes using the water hose method. Its best to do it outside as your floor and feet will get wet.

Even if you need to have a short section of pipe bent and flared for the manifold, it's well worth it, you also need to add a muffler. If you are tearing it down for a rebuild, don't bother starting it, there's no point, if it turns over easy, it most likely will start, that's all you need to know.
If you are not rebuilding it, then starting it will have benefits, but you must be able to hear the engine, not the open exhaust. My test stand has four mufflers, two 3" stainless steel race mufflers, then two smaller quiter mufflers with " tail pipes " to get the noisy as far away as possible. Once it's broke-in and all the tuning is done, I pull the smaller mufflers off so the customers can her the engine run on the deep tone race mufflers.

You can always use the parts to break-in the engine if you rebuild it.

I break-in all engines outside, away from the garage. No need risking a fire in the garage if you don't have to. I've had plenty of fireballs out the carbs to know not to stand over them, plus the fumes will give you a terrible headache. Even out side, I have a fire extinguisher, wet towel, and a garden hose near by. Years ago I had a car catch fire due to open headers and spilled fuel, after that I take no chances. Lucky my mom was watering flowers at the time and we were able to run enough water on it to get the fire out with only a burnt wire harness and some near by grass.

Nick, Good to hear from you.
Bend the wire in a smooth curve and make sure the stem/fitting will slide over the full length.
Slide the stem down the wire through the fill spout so the threads go out through the drilled hole. Put on the washer and nut. You're done.
Mike

I have used a boat gas can before.

Thanks for all the great replies.

The engine I am trying to start came with my project and had a "story" that it was a crate engine...so I figured that if I was lucky, it MIGHT have been rebuilt. The oil looks brand new and the area behind the pushrod cover is very clean, so it is not impossible that the engine will turn out to be functional...I am hopeful that turns out to be the case.

The idea that I should put a muffler on whatever exhaust system I come up with for the test makes sense. I see that the flexible steel exhaust tubing is readily available at the FLAPS. The next thing I should do then, is figure out what I should do for a muffler that I could use on the permanent exhaust system. Quiet would be an important quality for both testing and final installation. Any suggestions as to what to use or what to avoid for a muffler?

No sense spending money twice. If you're building this truck as stock, buy the stock muffler. The one on Ol' Roy is 30+ years old, it's the plain Jane factory muffler that looks like a Browning water cooled machine gun from WWI.

It's about 20" long and 6" in diameter. Chevy used the same one from the 1930s to the 1960s.

The resto places sell them for over $100. You can find them online for $30-$60

I found an AP Exhaust #709993 6"dia x 19" for $32.80 from Fortluft Auto Parts. Walmart for $55

Muffler of the same model as Otto's, flexible exhaust pipe, and muffler clamps are on order.

Thanks all!

Small plastic boat tank with the hose with the squeeze ball is the ticket.
The hose even fits the fuel line going into the fuel pump.

Good idea Carl!

When I was involved in demolition derbies, most cars had boat tanks, very easy.

To all those who responded to this thread...

Following advice I received here on several different topics - It eventually started and ran very well!

At first it seemed to have a few of valves that were not closing properly. (There was zero compression on three cylinders. The engine has hydraulic lifters.)

At the suggestion of Hot Rod Lincoln, I backed all the lifter adjustments off and reset them to just zero lash.

After rechecking everything and with my wife taking video...I hit the starter and the engine started instantly! It ran and sounded great!

Thanks!!