Roadster Rescue - Fuel Pump Possibilites?

[SkipR]

Hi everyone,
It’s great to meet you all. I’ve recently inherited my dad’s 1931 Roadster, a car that’s been part of my life for all 51 years. With a old restoration dating back to ~1970, it’s a bit rough around the edges. Still, it’s my privilege and responsibility to keep it running. The car has been sitting in his garage for the past 8-10 years, but with the house needing to sell soon, I’ll have to move it soon.

The main issue I’m grappling with is that the gas tank no longer holds fuel. When I add gas, it leaks from the bottom where the fuel line exits the tank. In the meantime, I’ve managed to get the car running using a marine outboard fuel tank, and surprisingly, it’s running fairly well considering how long it’s been sitting.

Since it’s not easy to work on the car where it is, I’d like to drive it home where I can give it attention. My thought is to use the outboard fuel tank with a fuel pump until I can properly repair the gas tank. But, as I’ve been researching on FordBarn, I’ve started to wonder if that approach will work. The car still has the original Zenith carburetor, and I’m concerned it might not handle a pressurized fuel system well.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation or have any advice on a solution? I’d appreciate your thoughts on how to get this roadster back on the road.

Best regards, Ben

[Chuck Dempsey]

Curious - How far do you need to drive it?

[mcgarrett]

I think you would be prudent to pay a professional wrecker service to load the car up on a flatbed wrecker and deliver it to your residence. It would be far safer to spend the money having transported this way rather than jury-rigging a remote fuel tank and pump and risk possibly turning your car into a rolling Molotov cocktail.

[SkipR]

It's in the next town over, maybe 8 miles.

[nkaminar]

I am going to go with McGarrett on this one. Safety comes first. Meanwhile look around for a replacement gas tank.

By the way, welcome to the Barn and to the Model A family. When you get a chance tell us more about the car and post a photo when you can.

[SkipR]

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Good point, McGarret. I defintely don't want to be wreckless about this. To clarify, I'm not sure the tank can be repaired. Finding a compatible tank might be equally hard. I've read that there were as many as 7 or 8 tank varieties in the "A," with none of them being produced in the last 94 years. So I don't mind spending money on pump, regulator, and remote tank, etc.

[mcgarrett]

SkipR,
Be patient and look around on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, swap meets in your area. Put a "Wanted" post here on the Swap Meet section of the Barn, and put the word out with your local Model A club if possible. Meanwhile, you can be working on your car safely at home where you can test run it and go over all the necessary items to make it roadworthy. There are some good usable tanks still out there that will be worth waiting for and you'll be glad you it right.

[1930artdeco]

Welcome to the family. Here is my2 cents worth:


1) post your location as there may be another Model A person close to give you a hand. And then join a local club.


2) Get a hold of Vic n Tenacee(not sure that is spelled right). He can help you with which tank you may need/how to fix it/may even have a tank for sale.


3) Make the car safe: Brakes, fuel, electrical, oil, engine fan (ditch the original two blade steel fan it can kill you).


4) Drive the heck out of her and get to know her all over again.


Mike

[nkaminar]

A good body man (or woman) may be able to weld in a patch. Then use a tank sealer. Aircraft Spruce has good tank sealers. The patch may come from a otherwise useless tank. I had sealed up a leaking tank on my boat with a sealer from Aircraft Spruce. Still not leaking after a decade.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/searc...nk%20sealer%27

[Planojc]

Before you go and declare your tank is trash, find out what is causing it to leak. It may just need the gas line or shutoff valve tightened or need for some sealant on the threads.

[CT Jack]

I agree with Planojc before repairing the tank. Tell us exactly where the leak is, also is the firewall indented or concave where the fuel line exits the tank. If it is it would indicate your car is a late 31 and would have the shutoff valve at the firewall. All other models have the shut off valve inside underneath the tank with the fuel line exiting through the firewall.

[ronn]

get it towed or use a tow dolly from Uhaul.

[Joe K]

There are those, "vendors" if you will, who can "recondition" the tank. There has been an article about someone who will literally "cut a window" in the tank and do the necessary repairs in the best way possible.

Part of the issue of the tank is that the interior is "terne plated" - which is a kind of a lead like coating, seemingly done as a "wash" while the metal was pickle bright. Thought to be a preservative against corrosion, it also tended to act as a "sealant" against leaks in the assembled parts.

But it tends to "contaminate" re-welding or repairs of the tank - which is why many attempt, and possibly successfully do a "slosh coating" of one of the miracle tank sealants.

Best preparation for "sloshing" seems to be to fill the tank with square 1/4" nuts - a couple hundred - and then "rotate" the tank for an extended period. The sharp edges of the nuts abrade the surface and remove any "loose corrosion."

I have thought to use a Harbor Freight small cement mixer to do this rotating for an extended time. The Harbor freight "bowl" is made in two pieces, only one of which is required for any attachment - like a gas tank held in a suitable plywood cradle. (I currently have mine set up to screen dirt.)




Just thinking out loud here.

Joe K

[ronn]

Joe, I bought one of those 7 yrs ago to do exactly as you mentioned. Its still out there unassembled................


good intentions!

[Joe K]

Originally Posted by ronn

Joe, I bought one of those 7 yrs ago to do exactly as you mentioned. Its still out there unassembled................


good intentions!

It's not bad for mixing concrete too - for a "one bagger."

As a rotary screen it works nicely too. You throw dirt into the upturned opening and after you get it a 1/8th full of rocks, it's just the right height to turn the rocks into a wheelbarrow as you lower the opening below the center of rotation.


Joe K

[SkipR]

Hey guys, thanks for all the feedback. This has been really helpful to figure my pathway forward. I've decided to have a wrecker bring it home and tear it down and remove the tank. I watched a bunch of youtube videos on how to do it. I liked Pumpkintown Primitives on the tear down. I feel good about my ability to handle it, it's just going to take a lot of hours.

I did upload my profile details. I and the car are in Vermont. It's a late '31 with the indented firewall. Looks like I have the the A9002-E tank.

As requested, I uploaded photos to share under my profile. I'd include a link but I don't have enough posts yet to share links. You'll have to click on my username if you want to see my album and hopefully you do.

The 2nd pic in the album shows the bottom of the tank where the fuel pipe exits the tank and the exits the firewall. That's where the fuel leaks out. It looks like it's been previously sealed but I don't think this has been repaired as long as my dad has owned this thing since ~1974.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes. It's good to be here.

[katy]

Originally Posted by SkipR

The car still has the original Zenith carburetor, and I’m concerned it might not handle a pressurized fuel system well.

FWIW, Ever hear of a fuel pressure regulator? Goes between the fuel pump and the carburetor.

[California Travieso]

Originally Posted by ronn

get it towed or use a tow dolly from Uhaul.

I’m with Ronn. It’s only 8 miles so a tow dolly or a trailer from U-Haul is the most logical way.

I have Premium AAA membership with 100 miles moving. Regular AAA membership is quite cheap and you get 25 miles free moving on a flat bed.

David Serrano

[Joe K]

When I assemble a chassis, I have a board seat which clamps about where the normal seat is found. I also have a board which is mounted on the left rear engine support box which sticks up and upon which is found a Briggs & Stratton plastic gas tank.



Mine looks very much like this, but details are immaterial. (Mine came from the dump)

Gas to the engine by gravity - like in real life.

From this tank I run a plastic hose across the top of the engine and replace the compression fitting on the carburetor with a hose barb device. One has to be sure the plastic tygon tubing can't touch the exhaust manifold.

In your case, removal of the hood would probably give you a good place above the engine to strap on a plastic fuel tank and run the hose with less hazard.

Briggs sells a plastic valve with hose barbs which can be a shut-off in case of issues. Use hose clamps at each of the barb connections. (shown on the tank above.)


One thing I remember about running the chassis this way - without the weight of the body, the response/pickup was something to behold. Or hold on to. I didn't have a back to the seat.

Joe K

[mcgarrett]

SkipR,
Check out this for sale post here on the Barn. Might be just what you're looking for!

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=331917