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Gas Tank/ Radiator Advice Needed

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JPSmit

JPSmit

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I have a 1976 Midget. It has not run since 1992 or so. Here are my questions.

Gas Tank Questions

The car was parked with gas in it. It is gone now but the sludge remains. So, do I

1) Go to Complete Radiator in Orlando and pay $70.00+ for cleaning or $150.00+ for cleaning and coating or

2) Buy a new one from Victoria British for $229.00 or

3) Buy the cleaning etching coating kit from Moss Motors for about $100.00 or

4) Something I don't know about yet.

PS the Tank is in very good shape no rust or anything.

Radiator

Basically the same situation. No problem that I can see, only that is dried up with brown flakey stuff in it.

1) Complete radiator wants $ 79.00+

2) Victoria British wants $ 159.00

3) Something I don't know about yet.

Thanks in advance for your advice, I hope you don't mind me asking for lots more!
 
My car sat in Vero Beach for 18 years. I rebuilt the radiator (your price seems pretty darn good) and bought new gas tank via VB. Also -- I added a aftermkt fuel pump & rebuilt the carbs.

Not a bad idea to add a after mkt fuel filter (my 64 did not have one).
 
replace tank with VB unit - btw, I think they're on sale right now.

As for the radiator, complete radiator sounds like a deal.
 
I bought a radiator from VB for my 70 midget, and it is obviously inferior in construction to the original. I will probably get my original fixed (if possible) and swap them back. I do not know if the '76 model radiator is of similar construction.
 
I would recommend that you; GO with Complete Radiator to refurbish both Items JP, since aftermarket parts generally do not live up to the quality of the originals.--FWIW---Keoke
 
I do it myself!! So can you.
For the gas tank and radiator, as long as they do not leak, you can clean them yourself at home if you have a gas bar-b-que. I asked the local ratiator shop just what they do when they "boil out a tank"? They fill it with water and boil it. So I removed my sending unit, filled it with water and boiled it on the gas grill. In about an hour, all the sludge floated up and was just poured out.
There was 3" of sludge in the gas tank of my Austin A40. No replacements anywhere for that car so I had to do what ever it took. And it didn't take much more than some time and a bit of propane. Do respect the neighbors and do it down wind from them, itdoesn't smell like grilled shrimp /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I have done 4 or 5 tanks like this, most recent was the tank on my Healey 3000. 25 years of mung all boiled right out.
Clean as a whistle now.

Frank
 
Frank, LOL :But I am glad you are still with us. To the rest of the forum listers I say "DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME".When a radiator is tanked at a shop it is sumerged on a suspended pallet in a large tank of heated cleanser and we say it has been boiled out.To clean the tubes reguires rodding. Rodding consists of rods that are inserted into the tubes and scrape the hard stubborne deposits left inside the tubes off.To properly service a radiator requires that the top and bottom tanks be removed,Replaced and finally Pressure tested.FWIW---Keoke
 
I am in the process of replacing the tank on my 77. The PO had a new tank that he had not gotten around to installing. From what I can see, the tank is of the same quality that my original is (was,before "the trolley lift accident"). I can ask the PO where he got it, if'n you please, though I am pretty sure that it was VB about 5 years ago. As an FYI- the tank only at VB is on sale for 149.95, senders for 29.95, though you may want to investigate Trevor's quality claims.
 
I do not know about their gas tanks, but the radiator was pretty flimsy with "ugly" soldering, and it was not shaped like the original, thus causing problems with my expansion tank.
 
FWIW

I have done gas tank restos' using POR15 and the Moss product. Both are a 3 step process: Clean, etch and coat. I thought the cleaner provided by Moss worked better than the POR product. The etch from the POR package seemed better than the Moss product. The POR coating took two coats. POR makes no recommendations for additional coating, but tell you it will harden in the can overnight (thankfully it didn't). They also tell you the can will explode if you re-seal it!! The Moss coating suggests 2 or 3 coats to finish off the tank. If I were to do the job again, I would go with the Moss product.

My recollection is that the Moss product only costs $85.00 for a complete kit. While the POR kit was cheaper at $70.00 delivered. I couldn't find a new tank for an Austin A30 Countryman and a new tank for a Mini is is over $250, so the restoration options seem like the right choice for me. At $159.00 for a new tank, maybe that is the best route for you to take.

You know, they recommend coating the new tank too!!!
 
Let's not forget that when you coat the inside of the tank you will most likely clog the pickup screen. Therefore it will need to be removed, and a filter used in front of the fuel pump. (at least that was my situation). FWIW, I used the kit from Eastwood.
 
Well 77Midg, No I will take Trevor's word. However, we will just have to wait and see if your new tank also lasts 28 years I guess.---Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/driving.gif
 
No doubt. Just offering my experience thus far.
 
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