'54 AH BN1 Gas Tank Question

[tomtork]

Greetings, this is my first post.I gas torch re-soldered a couple of small seam leaks on the my Healey's original gas tank a couple of days ago.I did this by running the exhaust from my Bimer constantly into the tank intake to prevent blowups, no problem however,when I removed the gas level sender unit, I could see and hear the rattle from a loose heavy gage U shaped steel plate about 8 inch by 4inch with 1/2 inch sides! It slides back and forth along the tank bottom and probably hits the sender float. Since it is too big to remove thru the sender opening I left it in. So... is it some intended piece that broke loose or was it left in by during assembly in 1954? Has this problem been reported before? Any ideas on how to remove or stabilize it to make it harmless? Its been in there over 50 years and the gage still works ok.
Any information would be welcomed ASAP before I reinstall the tank.......Thanks, Tom

 

[Keoke]

Hi Tom, welcome aboard

This leaves me with different opinions: 1] when I didn't know it was there everything was OK. 2] Now that I know its there if I leave it alone all is going to go to the in a hand basket.3] from [1] I might conclude don't fix it probably will require replacement in the near future anyway.

What has happened here is a n internal baffle has come loose and a large ac cress hole would be require to repair the tank.-----Your Call--Regards Keoke

 

[tomtork]

Thanks Keoke for ypur prompt reply. I've owned this Healey since 1957 and had the gas tank out only once in 1964 when I torch soldered a loose outlet fitting and promptly blew it up and probably loosened the baffle as you percieved! The blast only opened up about 3 seams and I patched these with epoxi that held for 45 years, utill 3 days ago. The gage always worked fine and I never heard any thing loose in the tank. So ignorance was truly bliss, eh? I'm considering goin thru the sender hole with a stiff piesce of wire coathanger and pushing the loose baffle into an inside corner well away from the sender float.I could then fasten the free end of the wire with the sender mounting hardware screws. Hatchet yes, but better than cutting a huge hole in the tank in order to extract it or buying a new tank and sender for ahout $500!

 

[Keoke]

Tom:

When you get ready for a new tank go to E-Bay and Look Up Angel Heart George. He supplies an excellent replacement tank for a very reasonable price, IE <<<<< $500.---Keoke--

 

[roscoe]

Tom,
You may not be able to get the baffle into a far corner due to other baffles. I had a fuel tank I was trying to get a rather large mouse nest out of (not sealed during storage). I kept being frustrated by the baffles blocking the large chunks from an opening I could pull them out of. I ended up de-soldering the sump and drilling out the rivets that hold it on. I was so convinced I could make this a good tank and avoid buying a new one that I removed all the baffles, cleaned and etched the inside. Welded the baffles back in (they are normally soldered in), welded the sump back on, welded up all the pin holes that had made themselves known during sand-blasting, and filled the tank with a water and alcolol mix so if it leaked I wouldn't have gas fumes to deal with and let it sit for 3 days. There were no leaks, so I emptied it, painted it, reinstalled it, and filled it with the real stuff. After about a week I nearly burst into tears when there was a fuel spot on the floor. Yup, another pin hole. I wouldn't worry about the baffle if the gage works OK. All they do is keep the fuel from sloshing too much, and I would say that as long as fish tailing is not a problem, and you are not getting fuel sloshing into the boot when you drive it hard, it will be fine. Yeah, I bought a new tank after all that.

 

[tomtork]

Thanks Rosco for relating your tragic experance with an AH 100-4 gas tank like mine.I am installing my resoldered tank this morning and letting the loose baffle slide around as it has since '64. No Red-Neck coathanger fix like I described.
Tomtork

 

[Keoke]

Thanks Rosco for relating your tragic experance with an AH 100-4 gas tank like mine.

Now you know how he came up with that signature.----Keoke----------------- :laugh:

I am installing my resoldered tank this morning and letting the loose baffle slide around as it has since '64. No Red-Neck coathanger fix like I described.-- :hammer:
Tomtork