Date(s): Dec 4 '09. Album by chris case. Photos by chris case. 1 - 30 of 30 Total. 9280 Visits.
1 Made from 18 ga 304 Stainless Steel. TIG welded seams with spot welded tabs. Stainless steel pick up tube has a sock/filter on the end.
2 Flashy bit of stainless, eh? Goes good with the oak planks.
This reminds me, I'll need to cable tie some wires under my truck.
3 A necessary modification to the filler neck, to replace the original vent tube. The copper vent tube is to allow the air to escape when filling the tank. Modern gas seems to lack some of the anti-foam ingredients, making replacement of a lost tube necessary. The copper tube is bent around the ell, and is soldered in. Top end is visible when fueling.
4 End view installed.
5 Finished tank on left, nearly finished in center, original on right.
6 Large tank, about 40 gallons gross, 36 net. Still has some of the protective plastic stick-em on.
7 Small, 18gallon tank, size of the O.E.
8 The long and the short of it.
9 Companion product- SS Gas Tank Straps. 14ga Stainless steel, 1 1/4" wide, ends doubled over and Tig welded. Comes with long bolts to snug up on tank.
10 Closer view of SS straps.
11 First step. Flange around tank ends has to be hand hammered. Leave the corners un-flanged at this step. (I have since built a leaf brake, lots more efficient for the straight sides)
12 Corners are then hand hammered around a steel blank with radius to suit.
13 One blank on top, another on bottom, keeps things as precise as hand work can get.
14 Many clamps used at all stages.
15 Finished end caps. A similar precess is used to make a flange around the filler neck cut out. (Since getting the leaf brake, I'm doing a cross-break, it helps with distortion)
16 Bending body to shape around a piece of pipe. You want metal to be pretty close to the correct shape before assembling, or it will tend to want to distort.
17 Next bend.
18 Three bends done, with one end cap inside to mark location of last bend.
19 One of the things that makes stainless hard to work is the way it holds heat on one place, causing more warpage than other materials. So it takes a LOT of clamps to hold it still while tacking. Then tack every 1/2", before getting to the actual welding.
20 Latest version- cross breaking end panels (the X bent into them) to make things more rigid, less distortion from welding. 5-screw sender system to suit aftermarket senders.
21 Cross break of end panel.
22 5-screw sender mount.
23 Ground tab- a good ground keeps the gauge system reliable.
Plus the tig welded outlet. This is an 18 gallon tank, outlet should line up with OE location. On the longer 36 gallon tanks, it is in the same location in relation to the frame so OE style tubing should hook up. Fitting is 1/4 pipe, adapter will be required to suit tubing- elbow or barbed for rubber, to suit filter?.
24 Inside pic showing pick up sock filter, and anti-fatigue support bracket- we don't want the tube to crack and make an air leak.
25 Ditto, with the cross break end panel.
26 Got to love them rainbow colors of Tig welded stainless.
