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Rusty Gas Tank (Car)

rusty6

rusty6

Well-known Member
Location
East central Sask.
Being fairly mild (+20F) today I took the opportunity to remove the damaged gas tank from my 53 Merc parts car. I doubt it is salvageable but I'll see what I can do with it. At least I can straighten the trunk floor now. It beats me how the tank could get so badly dented on the bottom that it pushed up the floor of the trunk. Yet the top of the gas tank is straight and undamaged.

cvphoto7433.jpg

Merc Gas Tank
 
You mean you don't remember all the unpaved roads, dirt driveways, and lack of bridges across streams? Bottoming out and getting stuck wasn't uncommon back then.
 

I don't see how it could have been done while driving if it was located behind the rear axle like most gas tanks. It must have been done in a salvage yard or while being handled as salvage.
 
Sometimes you can reshape the worst dents on a gas tank by sealing it up and injecting compressed air into it. It doesn't take a lot of pressure but is a pain to find pipes and fittings to seal off the filler neck well enough.
 
I've seen my share of bent up gas tanks when they were all mounted under the trunk floor. It's possible a Ford car tank will interchange with the Merc.
 
(quoted from post at 03:29:31 12/30/18) You mean you don't remember all the unpaved roads, dirt driveways, and lack of bridges across streams? Bottoming out and getting stuck wasn't uncommon back then.
Click to expand...
I'm not saying that dented gas tanks are unusual. I'm saying how is it possible to cave in the bottom of the tank as well as the trunk floor but not disturb the top side of the gas tank? It is right up against the trunk floor . And the dent in the bottom of the tank matches up with the bulged trunk floor.
If it was a driving incident it had to happen in reverse since the rear axle would have hit the obstacle before the gas tank if travelling forward.
Its a mystery.
 
Could have backed up over a stump. Could be the driver was straddling large ruts and a rear wheel dropped off. Back when I was young I didn't have a pickup. My car was my hauler and I took it wherever I needed to go. Up logging roads and fire trails too. I wasn't the only one that did. When I bought my last pickup I found the front tank looked even worse than yours and it's under the front of the bed. Fuel should equalize pressure on the top as long as it isn't near empty.
 
The normal method to pull dents is to weld on pins and use a slide hammer. Welding on a gas tank is not the best option. I wonder if gluing on large headed roofing nails with something like JB weld would work. You could put a washer over the nail to increase the surface area for better gluing.
 
(quoted from post at 09:02:29 12/30/18) The normal method to pull dents is to weld on pins and use a slide hammer. Welding on a gas tank is not the best option. I wonder if gluing on large headed roofing nails with something like JB weld would work. You could put a washer over the nail to increase the surface area for better gluing.
Click to expand...
I tried the pressurizing idea but only about 40 pounds. It pushed up the top (straight) side of the tank but did nothing to the dented bottom.
And no, the Ford tank from the same year is different. Did I mention I have a good tank from a 53 Meteor here and it is shorter? Mercury was 4 inch longer wheelbase than Fords and a bigger tank.
 
You are brave to put 40 lbs of air pressure in it. I wouldn't think it would take that much pressure before it would rupture. A lot of energy in a tank with 40 lbs of air pressure. You can fill them with water first and then apply air pressure. If they burst then there isn't much energy being released.
 
If you want to try the pressure method again, what if you made 2ea 2x4 frames that would support the tank by the welded seam, put the dented side down, the second frame on top, then weight down a piece of plywood with the loader bucket.

Then slowly pressure up with water until the bottom (with the help of the weight of the water) would mostly pop out.

Might start some leaks, but not much to loose as it is...
 
(quoted from post at 14:30:18 12/30/18) If you want to try the pressure method again, what if you made 2ea 2x4 frames that would support the tank by the welded seam, put the dented side down, the second frame on top, then weight down a piece of plywood with the loader bucket.

Then slowly pressure up with water until the bottom (with the help of the weight of the water) would mostly pop out.

Might start some leaks, but not much to loose as it is...
Click to expand...
Interesting idea. I had another one. Noticing that the sending unit plate on top can be removed and just possibly I could reach down through there with a wooden dowel and do a little careful tapping to try and stretch the bottom of the tank back close to where it should be. I see this tank already has a small rust hole in it so I have my doubts it will be worth saving.
 


You might try a bodyshop dent puller along with a bit of air pressure. I'd go real easy on the air pressure, though. Even 40 psi sounds high.
 
(quoted from post at 18:51:27 12/30/18)

You might try a bodyshop dent puller along with a bit of air pressure. I'd go real easy on the air pressure, though. Even 40 psi sounds high.
Click to expand...
I only used the air nozzle on the vent outlet to pressurize so figured if the pressure got too high it would just push back on the nozzle. I really doubt this tank is salvageable. I think I will concentrate on adapting that spare tank from the Meteor to fit in the Mercury straps. It is only a few inches too short.
mvphoto28840.jpg
 
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