Can you believe this I bought this 85305tpiTA and someone cut a hole in back so they could get to the fuel pump without dropping the tank. Looks like crap but I can see their point makes fuel pump removal way easy. So any remedys to fix this right know I just got it covered with carpet.

 

Clean up the edges with a file, and put some rubber moulding on the edges. Then make a sheetmetal panel larger than the hole (be sure to roll a bead into it to help strengthen itm, and use something like 18gauge muhwah ha ha ha). Drill and install 8 or more Dzus fasteners (with the Phillips head buttontops not the wingnut-like fastener) around the edges and their appropriate recepticals into the car's sheetmetal.

Or you could rivet it but as long as the hole's already there, you might as well make it accessable in the future>

 

And yes, I can believe it. I've seen two or three instances of it.

 

one word of warning though
DON'T USE ANYTHING SHARP
rivits screws and bolts will all punch through the top of the tank in a crash and could cause you to go BOOM!!!
I agree about making a new panel bigger than the ond one, but I would just hold it down with some silicone then if you need to get to the pump you just pry it up and reseal it after
good luck and lets all try to avoid blowing up our cars ok?!

 

easiest way would be to go to a junk yard and cut a section out of the rear compartment 1/2 inch bigger than your hole ..then using silastic as a gasket pop rivet the new larger section over the hole clean up and put carpet back down ..and if in 70 ooo miles the pump needs replacing just break the silastic seal and replace

 

Well, from my point of view, the silicone method sounds okay except a couple things. 1) I'd use urethane instead of silicone, and 2) that method wouldn't add any strength to what's been taken away by the hole being cut there.

Also, the bottom of rivets and the receptacle for Dzus fasteners are quite round, and if you got into a crash that would force that surface of the car DOWNWARD with enough force to puncture the gas tank, you're screwed whether or not there's anything "sharp" there. The only real trick would be getting the holes drilled without hitting the tank, but some of the nicer electric drills these days come with a depth rod that limits the depth of your hole to a specified setting.

Just my 2 cents. Go whichever route you want.

 

i only said silicone coz it was late and i forgot how to spell urethane
btw urethane would ad an amount of strenght as it is a the same stuff that holds windsreens in !!!and in some cars parts of the body on !!!

[This message has been edited by ausrs (edited April 25, 2001).]

 

I just decided to make a little door out of some extra metal I had with weather stripping around the edge. I'M going to leave it acseible for future use . Thanks for the reply's.