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MG MGB Technical - Resto Question ***5*** Fuel Tank

Like most other Bs, my tank had scaley rust on the upper surface where moisture couldnt escape from between it and the boot/trunk floor.

It is now blasted and painted in a rust proof paint and ready for installation.

However, the pitted upper surface looks to me like potential trouble so im thinking of coating it with an epoxy resin to smooth it over making water escape a bit easier.

I was also going to use rubber inner tube strips to pack...

Any other ideas??
Innes Bint

Best idea is to replace it. A new tank isn't very expensive and solves the problem for at least the next twenty years. There should be rubber strips between the floor and the tank. You can buy the correct items, but strips of inner tube should do fine.
Mike Howlett

we have a problem with the damp here in Oregon. the inner tube strips will attract moisture and cause the rust again.if its a big problem I would forget the mild steel tank and spend the money on a stainless steel one and be done with it for ever! they are worth the money in the long run... Cheers... james.
J rozee

They are pretty easy to swap out, use it for a few years then change to stainless. I have a stainless and it has not been trouble free needing mods to the fuel pick up point, on the other hand it has been on since the 70s
Stan Best

If the inside of the tank is in good shape your resin idea should work well. You may want to use fibreglass matt as well. If you just use resin and it cracks you may create water traps rather than eliminate them.
For that matter, painting on a couple of coats of bed liner instead of the resin/glass may be the best thing.

Rich
Rich McKIe

good thinking rich

dont really want to buy another when the inside is perfect... iv repaired / restored the whole car so far.. if i went and bought new parts everytime something couldnt be fixed, id have spent 10,000s!

who knows, peraps in a few years i will build another tank- aluminium
Innes Bint

Hi
The first time I pulled my gas tank (74.5 MGB) in 1987 I had the tank lined.
Since then, every 3-4 years or so I pull the tank, flush it out, and clean up and repaint the top of the tank.
Still no problems with it.
Take it to your local shop and have them inspect the tank. If they feel their work is unable to be warrantied because of the exterior tank condition, buy a new tank and have it lined.

FWIW

Bruce
Bruce Mills

Mine's been on 17 years untouched and still no problems with it, ditto the V8.
Paul Hunt 2

My '67 still has the original tank and it has never given me any problems. That said, I try to drain off a pint of fuel from the drain plug annually as well as keeping the tank constantly topped off. Ray
RAY

How about lining the inside of the tank and using a rust preventer coating on the outside of the tank, and the trunk floor where the two meet ? A lining and can of paint still offsets the price of a SS tank, and no more crud at the bottom of your tank.

Also in Aviation its standard to fill/top the tanks up with gas to avoid water condensation. There actually is a drain plug at the bottom of your tank(aircraft) to where you take a test sample to see if there is any water in the tank, and if so, you just drain it out till there is none left. But no mater how you look at it, it will happen.
James

cheers james.. im in aviation myself and the tank has been flushed with a tank sealant used in aircraft fuel tanks. i dont think ill be going to the trouble of installing a fuel drain though!

as the rust was only on the upper surface of the tanks top, im looking for a cure for that area alone.

it would seem that moisture will always end up in the gap between the trunk and the tank so i will just have to mitigate the problem.
Innes Bint

Ah nice to hear. What type of tank sealant did u use? Name? Where to buy ? Did you do it yourself ?

I figure even some of that rubber undersealer would work pretty good. As long as you eliminate it, or highly prevent it from rusting it really shouldnt be a problem.
James

James,
I just had a look in my shed and cant find the damn tin.. i seem to remember it was PRC. A red colour which you sloshed around in the tank which then set. I scored it from some engineers who worked on the Metroliners I used to fly over here.

Iv pretty much got the rust beat. Im just trying to stop it coming back! (ie water sitting in the pitted rust holes in the tank lid)
Innes Bint

This thread was discussed between 03/03/2007 and 12/03/2007

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