Fuel tank venting guestions

Why can't I stop. I've come up with something else to do to my MGC to delay its getting back on the road. Now I'm going to drop the fuel tank and do what I need to clean it and such. Last night I took the filler pipe off and shined a light into the tank and decided it could not have more than a gallon or two of fuel in it. WOW! was I wrong. After spilling .5 gallon on my garage floor and me I ended up getting over 6 gallon out of the tank. It stunk up my whole house (wife didn't like that). Your all asking why I just didn't let the fuel pump pump all the fuel out into something. I've removed the broke aftermarket pump and have not installed the new SU pump yet. That's where my dilemma is. The after market electric pump that was on it fit in the mount but there was no place for the vent tubes so they are just hanging down under the car. The new pump I have has two places for vent tubes. One on the bottom and another on the side. My question is multi parts so here goes. First what do I need to do to the tank to clean it up and get it looking good. There is allot of rust around the filler pipe connection. How do I handle that. Second. What is the proper vent routing. I can guess where the vent pipes connect on the pump but they just travel up and exit into two different T fittings in the trunk. Is this correct, Also, there two different sizes of tube. Why is there not a vent coming from the tank. Both vents come from the pump. This makes no sense. Any and all help would be appreciated.


Thanks,
David

David, I just went through this scenario with my Midget. I removed the 38 year old tank and it had plates of rust floating in it. I dumped it out and cleaned inside with degreaser followed by rust treatment which looked like it killed all that internal rust. I sandblasted the outside, etched and primed and painted the tank like new. Got it back in the car and dumped about a gallon of gas in. She fired right up on the second crank and UHH OHH! smelling gas! The tank had 5 or 6 pin holes which I opened up by blasting and as soon as the gas got to it, it started weeping like the bride left at the alter.(Weimerism anyone?)
Ended up getting a new tank and been mucho happy ever after!
I will never screw around with an old tank again.

David,
Your venting is correct. The tube terminate in the trunk with the T fittings -- it think they're there mostly to keep the tubes from pulling through. The (SU) pump has to breathe as it works, so the tubes just ensure that it gets clean air and not whatever crap the wheel is throwing up off the road.

The tank vents through the cap. As for the rust, you might try POR-15. I didn't have to deal with that as my tank was too far gone to save... :-(

HTH!
Rob

I'll second that! After spending around $75 on degreaser, etching, and then the white liner, I had liner lifting and floating (so I'm incompetent). Prior to that, I had used muriatic acid to clean the insides of tanks. If you have no rust issues, that works pretty well. If you have rust issues, buy the new tank. You are money and time ahead in the end. There are some good used tanks out there, but I don't have any right now. Maybe Tony does.

david get a new tank and then use the POR 15 in layers (about 3)on the top of the tank. happy trails

If the last one lasted 30 years, do you really need POR 15??? I sure didn't, and whaen I store it, I fill it up and put stabilizer in!! I am all for the new tank though!!

it can't hurt anything Gary and I doubt that the new tanks are the equal of the originals

Does anything rust if it can't get oxygen?? I wonder what POR 15 would look like in 30 years, mabe fine, mabe ugly!! My point is, that if you store a tank full, it won't rust! Maybe those plastic tanks in Dakota's and S10's are good!

I think he meant to paint the OUTSIDE of the top of the tank Gary, where road grime goes and is hard to clean out. In other words, it might rust from the outside in. I'd never put anything but petrol in the tank

Good idea!! I undercoated mine!! Sorry if I misunderstood!! The crap hangs on the top and they rust like crazy!!

" I'll never screw around with an old tank again ...."

I was wondering when the light bulb was gonna come on

DUH??????

My tank was clean inside and had a few rust holes in the top. POR 15 sealer worked great in that situation, but if I ever get hold of a rusty tank I won't screw with it at all, just get a new one.

Sorry JDW,
I was referring to your other "Tank" ................

I put an aftermarket cruise control on the Tank today. The original cruise was screwed up and no way to adapt the one on the '82 engine to work with the rest of the car. Where the transducer magnet mounted on the drive shaft was up in the tunnel so I epoxied it on and have to wait 'til tomorrow for that to cure completely. That's when I find out if it works. My only concerns are: I'm sensing engine speed off a tach transducer instead of a coil primary wire, and I'm dubious about the dip switch settings I was given by the tech on the Audiovox hot line. I think she'll work, I know for certain the rest of it is right, but this is the first one I've installed on a diesel and it's a whole new ball game. If it works the one I installed on the Jettup will too, they're both set up exactly the same.