Hey so I have found out my 87 V6 camaro has a rusted tank and I don't have the space or all the tools to drop down the rear axle and all that to get it out so I've come up with what I think is a solution. I've read in a thread here that you can get the gas tank out with bending the filler neck a inch, so I was wondering if I cut the filler neck on the new tank and reconnected it using a rubber tube to make it flexable for a easy reinstall it sounds like it would work to me but I wanna here what you guys think.

 

making sparks and heat near a gas tank is very, very dangerous. I would not recommend going this route, its can't be done safely with the tank and sending unit still installed on the vehicle.

 

Well I was only going to cut the new gas tank filler neck and I figured if I went the route of getting a used tank I could fill it with water while I make the cut with a hand saw to prevent fire and then once done let it dry for a few days. To get my old tank out I was just going to bend the filler neck so there would be no heat or sparks on it at all.

 

the filler neck pops right out/in place once the rear end is out of the way. I cant see the tank coming out with the rear end in place weather or not you bend the filler neck.

 

exactly


hate to be "that guy", but with all this time spend messing around, the tank could have been in and out several times already.

FWIW, i cut the filler off my 86 stock tank when i scrapped it, and there was a metal bar/rod inside the neck, not sure what it was for, but it prevented my from getting the neck off. I cut it with a large pipe cutter. If you cut it will a saw, you will get a lot of metal chips int he tank, and thats not a good thing.

you have to drop the axle and the upper/lower panhard bars and exhaust ot get the tank out anyway. So cutting the neck will get you nowhere

 

Damn ok I guess I will be attempting to drop the rear axle and all that stuff out of the way and doing it right. I have never done any of this before so is there any tips or suggestions out there to make it easier or common things people mess up on or is it pretty much just unbolt drop down and then bolt it back up when done?

 

it's pretty idiot proof if you use common sense and take your time

 

couple tricks. Jack up the car and get the back of it as high as you possible can, put the car on a level surface, preferably paved/concrete, use good jackstands on the body, put a block on the front wheels to keep ir from rolling

take the wheels off
.
Exhaust needs to be removed from over the axle and the mufler. Might have to cut it.

remove the panhard bar, the muffler heat sheild and the upper panhard brace. the panhard bolts will be a bitch.

unbolt the lower shock mount

there is a bolt holding the brake line bracket to the body right before the flex lines. Take the bolt out, it will give you a little more flex in teh brake line. be careful not to kink the flex line while you work.

might have to unbolt hte sway bar endlinks, dont remmeber if you have too.

i "think" thats it.

drop the rear as far as it will go, you need ever inch to make life easy. You may have to reove the plastic trim around the gas filler neck, just a could screws. A extra set of hands is a real help for getting the neck in and out without breaking things.

disconnect the wiring and the fule lines, and the tank is realy do come out. Hopefully its not full, or it will be a heavy mother.


just keep an eye on what you are doing, keep an eye of the brake flex line, dont break it. Be aware of your surroundings and the fact to are working with gas. Be safe.

 

dont underestimate an idiot, he/she will always surprise you

 

Thank you for all this info!! I guess it doesn't sound as hard as I was thinking so hopefully going to start tearing into it today.

 

it really isnt htat hard, just a bit involved and time consuming. the largest issue is dealing with old bolts and hardware. some of them, like the panhard bolts, can be a nightmare.

 

Meaning: Use anti-seize when you re-install them