How to drop gas tank

I need a hand. I have to drop the gas tank on my '73. The fuel guage doesn't work anymore (always stuck on E) and if I fill it up, I smell gas in the garage. So I purchased a new sending unit, looked at the bolts and started wrenching. Skid plate came off ok. However, after wrenching on what looks like the bolts holding up the tank, the nuts never come down off the bolt. I looked at the haynes/chilton. It looks like there are some brackets holding the tank in place. How do I get those brackets/bolts off to drop the tank? Do I have to remove the tub? Any tips, tricks, etc?

 

parts book pic of the tank located in this thread
I don't recall, but it might be easier to leave the brackets on the tank and unbolt them from the frame, then drop the tank down.
It's been a long time for me.....if you can't get access to them, then you'll have to unbolt the tank from the brackets...and no, you don't have to remove the tub...it'll come out

http://earlycj5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24496

 

I didn't find the picture in the link. As I recall the bracket bolts to the frame and drops down to the tank. The two bolts that go to the tank are like a pressed in stud. Probably turning in the bracket? I don't think you can get at the bolts that hold the brackets without pulling the tank? You have a nut splitter? You can buy one for a couple bux.

 

It does appear the bolt is spining in the bracket. I went and looked at the bracket and it rests on top of the frame, then drops down to the tank, so even if I unbolted the bracket, I still wouldn't be able to get the tank out. I'll see if I can get my hands on a nut spitter. Looks like it will be alot less effort.

 

scroll down to my post
it's there

 

When I click on that link, VBulletin claims that I'm not logged in. If you log in, you go to the picture. It's a bug that you should have to log in again, but anyway you can get to the picture.

 

Use a torch and cut the bolts

Forget I said that.....bad joke

 

I think if you can get the bolts out of the frame side of the bracket the mounts will bend enough to come out. I didn't think you could get the bracket bolts out with the tank in. At least then you can get at it to work on the bad spot. Sounds like you have to work on the brackets anyway. I have a set of brackets sitting here if you want them stop on over and pick them up.

 

my bad, found it

is part 4.142-10 the vapor canister?

 

No, I think it's the liquid check valve. CJs also have an anti-rollover valve, meant to keep gas in the tank in case of a rollover - might be that.

The vapor canister is under the hood.

 

Well, just thought I would give an update on the progress. I ended up having to cut the nuts off to drop the tank. Unable to use a nut splitter because the splitter could lay flat against the frame to get at the nut. (Fixed that for next time, put a couple of washers under the bolt to raise it up.) After installing the new sending unit, the guage still didn't work, must be the sending wire or possibly the guage itself. Oh well, it's going to get back to January weather up here so had to button it up til March or April.

One question I had, does anyone forsee any issues if I capped the vent tubes? BTW, I'm not using a vented gas cap. I had a thought that the smell of gas might be coming from a bad charcol canister. I'm going to fill up the tank today to see if there is any leaks from the tank. So I guess we'll see what happens.

 

If you cap the vent tubes you'll need a vented cap unless you want to colapse the tank or if you even can get it to run for more than a few minutes at a time without stopping and unscrewing the cap. Don't ask how I know this.

 

As far as the gas gauge goes, I had a similiar problem on a 75. There was a ground wire that came off the sending unit that had a bad connection at the frame. Reattached that and the gauge worked OK again.

 

Ok, so I go and fill up the tank and see if for some reason the leak was fixed and if the guage works. There were 1 or 2 gallons in the tank before I left. Put what ever I had in the 5 gallon can in the tank. By my calculations, there should be ~5 gallons in the tank. Guage reads a big E. I fill it up, expecting nothing to happen...The guage jumps to full!! What the heck!?! Well, I guess it's time to check both wires and the guage when it gets warmer out. Also, found my leak is somewhere in the vent hose. Anybody know if that is a specialty part or can you just purchase some hose from a FLAPS to fix?

 

I have seen a few vapor canisters and thought that was what connected to the gas tank vents? Most of the jeeps I have seen anything that could in any form be considered emissions equipment has been stripped off. Vapor Canister included.

So there is supposed to be a vent (anti roll over valve) stuffed up in the frame somewhere? I can't recall ever seeing one.

As for the gauge; Isn't it pretty common that the gauge will fail between full and empty but still read full when filled? Both mine do that. What I found when I pulled the sender out of the green one is the bar that the windings are on got brittle and broke. I had a used one that I put in it, but in retrospect I think I should have spent the cash and bought a new one.

 

I found my vent canister/roll-over valve stuffed up in the drivers side rear wheel well about a foot from the gas tank vents. Two inlets on the bottom of the canister, one outlet on top running somewhere towards the front. (Don't ask me where to though! )