Gas Tank 71

[treasurehunter510]

Does anyone have an exploded picture of the gas tank and inside. Car runs when I bypassed the gas tank and used a gas container. There's gas in the tank but seems like its not getting to carb. The fuel pump has been changed. Any help is appreiciated. Other questions, if replacement parts are needed are they hard to find.

RacerX

[okayfine]

Inside the tank are just a couple metal sheet baffles.

Have you tried to unplug the feed tube? Have you popped off the sender unit and had a look inside for rust? Likely you have a bunch of sediment/rust that's finally clogged up the feed tube leading to the rubber line. Single feed, or feed and return line tank? You could also be trying to feed from the return tube.

[defdes]

Have you checked fuel filter(s)? Tried running compressed air thru the lines? Have you taken the line off at the carb to see if anything is coming out? Could be sediment just built up at the bottom of the tank if it's been sitting. You might try just removing the tank and flushing/inspecting if none of the above work.

[James]

I fought this once on a car that had been sitting a long time. I cleaned out the lines, replaced the filter etc....
Finally decided to get the tank acid dipped, and bent a new fuel line as it would run fine for a day or so and then clog up.....

[goichi1]

I had a 71 super beetle once that got a slug (slimy snail) in the tank, I had put gas in it with a can, so maybe it was on the can or something??? but anyway, it would run fine, then die, run then die,....so I finally removed the tank and dumped it out.....there it was...all slimy...it would suck up to the pick up tube then stop the gas...I went crazy till I figured that out.....so take out your tank and rinse it out, you may be surprised what you find!!

[treasurehunter510]

Problem fixed....fed some air with a compressor and it's all good now.

[okayfine]

Problem fixed....fed some air with a compressor and it's all good now.

Which way did you blow air? You may have just unclogged the clog, but left it in your tank/system to rear it's ugly head at a later date. If you didn't inspect your fuel system carefully, I would definitely adivse that.

[treasurehunter510]

yeh, blew some air from front of engine to rear gas tank. Yep..I thought about that thing or whatever is there floating around in the gas tank.

[okayfine]

Quite likely whatever piece (or, even more likely, pieceS) was clogging is going to become an issue down the road. While nothing involving gas can be said to be simple, if you get low on gas again and then drain the tank (clamp the hose beneath the car behind the rear suspension and remove from the metal pipe heading forward, release the clamp and gravity drain into a gas can) then remove the gas gauge sender. Shine a flashlight (no lighters, please! ) and check the bottom of the tank. You might very well find a fine coating of rust particles. I did, (lines were full of crap, hang_510 saw my original tank with 1/16" of rust particles all along the bottom ).

IF so, unbolt the tank and drain the rest of the gas and whatever rust comes out. Don't reuse this bit. Either flush with water or take your tank to a radiator shop to get flushed. Ensure your tank feed line and the fuel line heading forward aren't full of rust. Again, mine was.

[hang_510]

...so, if you think its electrical, its fuel rusticles.