I need To change my gas tank

[Dave84]

I was putting on my winter wheels today and when i jacked up the back i noticed that the bottom of the tank was wet with gas, i could see it was comming from about half way up between the trunk floor (to the rear of car)
anyway now i have to change it on my own beacuse i cant afford to have it done anywhere, i was wondering if anyone knows what kind of work is involved changing it on the ground, like up on ramps or somthing, and how long it might take,,, also my uncle has a brand new tank for a 70's lincoln 79 i beleve it looks the same but would it fit, or is it bigger then my 84 tank?

[Tiggie]

You might want to make sure it's gas tank leaking first and not the sending unit or filler tube.

Blaze wrote an article on replacing the fuel pump, but it also details removal of the fuel tank.

If the gas tank was from an '80 model Lincoln, then you'd be okay with using it most likely. But if it's from a '79 or earlier, I doubt it will fit without serious modifications.

Link to Blaze's article: http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?t=5278

[Dave84]

ok i alredy checked and it is my tank for sure, so i guess i know what im doing next weekend

[nitroracer]

Better than it failing on you when you need it.

[gabegt90]

Better than it failing on you when you need it.

true that
hey dave is the tank pretty rusty? or do you think something hit it when driving?

[Dave84]

no i actualy thaught the tank was in pretty nice shape, not scalely very little rust, but its leaking from the side where the trunk is so i can't see it vary well...

[Dave84]

well i got a new used gas tank from work today, so with any luck i should be able to get it changed next weekend, i also got some rear springs out of a 88 lincoln town car for it

[Grandma91quis]

Hope it goes well. Im gonna take my gas tank out and put a cell in the trunk.

[gadget73]

Tanks are easy to swap, I suggest safety glasses to keep the dirt out of your eyes though. Long extensions are also very handy. If you have a lift, fantastic, if not, just putting the rear end up on a good tall set of jackstands should be fine. Drive or siphon as much fuel out of the tank as possible before swapping it. Gas is heavy. I'd also suggest new O rings for the pickup and sending unit, since half the time they stretch out when trying to remove them and you'll never get it back together otherwise. Penetrating oil for the bolts that hold the straps up are also a good idea so you don't have to fight it as much.

[Dave84]

ok thanks, so probly a couple hour job?

[gadget73]

At most. Its not that bad. I'm not 100% sure what kind of connectors are on the tank for a carb car but I imagine they are similar to the EFI ones, in which case its a plastic line from the frame held in place with a plastic clip. Be careful with the clips or get new ones. Same ones the EFI fuel filters use, and you should be able to get them seperate for just a couple bucks. Worst case, buy a fuel filter for an 86 Vic and steal the clips out of the package.

[Blaze86Vic]

Swapping tank is not bad at all. You saw my article on it. I took pics, replaced the pump, cleaned, and painted the tank and it didn't take me more than 4 hours. So if you work with a purpose you could swap tanks in about 1 hour without air tools. And providing the bolts for the straps don't cause you too much issue.