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Here's the original fuel tank as seen from under the car.
In addition to being unattractive, it doesn't utilize the space efficiently. |
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After we disconnected the fuel hoses and mounting straps,
the old 16 gallon tank is removed. However, we left the spare tire well
in place. The goal is to increase tile size of the tank without cutting
up the car. |
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Once all of the original fuel tank mounting hardware is removed,
we put the new 25-gallon tank up in the chassis for a quick test fit. This
tank is fully baffled, made from 1/8-inch thick aluminum and mounts on beefy
3/16-inch flanges. All of the CPP tanks are pressure tested before being
shipped. |
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The new sending unit after it has been set up for this tank,
pictured with a new sending unit as it comes out of the box. |
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Here you can see the sending unit mounted in the tank. This
billet flange is already tapped for both of the popular sending unit bolt
patterns. There are several sending units available to work with the OE
and aftermarket fuel gauges. |
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First we mount the new crossmember under the car. |
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The cross member is a two-piece telescoping design that hangs
off
of the top of the frame rails. It is assembled finger tight until it can
be set into its final location. |
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A measurement is taken from the rear of the tank mount to
the front of the tank mount. |
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Using the measurement taken from the tank, the new mounting
crossmember is located the same distance from the rear-frame crossmember. |
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We do the final prep work before putting the new tank into
the car. Here the vent fitting roll over valve is being installed. If any
fuel stal1s to flow through this valve, it will automatically close, keeping
the gas where it belongs in the tank. |
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Using the new crossmember as a template several 5/16-inch
holes are drilled into the frame. Then 3/8-inch self-taping bolts are installed
to hold the crossmember against the frame rails. |
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After the crossmember is bolted tight to the frame, the two
bolts that control the telescoping action are tightened. This design allows
for variances in the distance between the frame rails. |
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With the crossmember in place and the vent hose attached,
the new tank is raised into position under the '57. |
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