150 Fuel Tank Removal

Hi Folks - This question's so basic, it's not in the FAQ... but maybe asking it will help me now, and some other beginner somewhere down the road. For the last 20 minutes of my car "session" last Saturday (which mostly dealt with getting all eight caliper cylinders off and ready for overhaul), I started on removing the gas tank (which needs an interior sealant before any gas goes into it). After disconnecting the fuel line, breather hose, and fill hose, and removing the four pairs of nuts that hold it onto its hangar studs... the tank will drop down 1/2" or so, but then hangs up on something. The "something", judging by how the tank will pivot, is up high, in the center, and possibly toward the rear... precisely where the front end of the spare tire well is. Does that piece have to be removed in order to drop the gas tank out of a 150 FHC? I've peered thru my books but can't find a definitive photo of the tank... although one frame pic in Porter 2nd ed. strongly implies that the top of the tank is rectangular, not curved to match the tire well. If this group weren't here, I'd just take the tire well out... but since it is held in by about two dozen ancient looking screws, I'm giving "information" the chance to triumph over "entropy"! - regards, Ed Mellinger, Monterey CA, '59 XK150 FHC 835963

Ed, I had to remove the rear of the spare wheel tray to get my tank out. Perhaps there is another solution but I couldn't find it. Look at it this way. You're probably going to have to take it out someday anyway so it might as well be now. Actually mine was not too difficult to get out with liberal amounts of WD40. I didn't have to fire up the torch one time. Entropy 1, Information 0 - Regards, Dick White '58 FHC 834699

Ed, sorry I can't really help. I did look at this procedure, the replacement of the tank at a XK150 but all this was, too funny, so I was not able to concentrate on the mechanical part... It happened on our tour through England. Already the second day a XK150 roadster developped a problem. He got no fuel. They replaced in 1 hour the fuel pump, but realized that the fuel tank was very rotten and full of rot and mud. So the driver had several times to suck the fuel to drive! (His wife was not happy at all!). So our mechanic picked up a fuel tank somewhere and in Leeds on the lift they replaced the fuel tank in 3 hours. The funny thing was that the driver, who is director of a large company, always very well dressed, took off all his clothes, leaving only his underpants on! It was a great attraction with many pictures taken. I just realised that the replacement of the tank was not a simple job. They had to "butcher" around. - Best regards Zoran Mitrovic

Zoran, Hilarious! Picturing this guy working on his car in his under attire really cracks me up. I haven't laughed so hard since Bonnet Hinge. - Dick White

I have removed the tanks on my 150 fixed head and on one of my 150 roadsters. It is easiest for me when I remove the spare tire tray extension, as Dick White has noted. Some of the securing screws will probably be very difficult to remove. I have found that liberally applying some "rust buster" fluid on the welded nuts at the rear helps immensely. A good dose of patience is also needed if some of the screws won't release. While I want to sometimes slam and bam on these jobs, I try to remember that these parts have been attached to each other for 40 years and usually won't separate easily. So I let the rust penetrating fluid make life a little easier. When I have been too hasty and impatient, I usually break something. The welded nuts at the back don't appear to be attached to well anyway and I can tell a story about twisting some off in haste. Obviously, they will separate from their mounting position very easily. Then upon reassembly I have to spend additional time correcting something I broke because I got rambunctious. It seems like the screws at the bottom are the most difficult to remove since they are more prone to heavy rusting and seizing. To carry this a little further, if I do not take the time and effort to fully restore the tank, I lose in the future. That is, I repair holes, if any, chemically clean the inside of the tank, apply a sealant, sandblast, prime and repaint the exterior before assembly. If the holes or material is too bad for patch panel or simple mig welding, then I'll replace the entire tank as I did on one of my 120 roadsters. But before I did that I applied a sealant to the interior of the new tank. I don't stop at the tank but repair, replace or whatever every component of the fuel system. If I don't address the petrol lines, then contamination is passed into the pump or up to the carbs. If I don't replace the clips retaining the lines, then something drops or rattles. If I don't attend to the pump, then it will break down as the wealk link in the system. So, it works for me to attack all the components comprising a total system. - Bob Oates

Hello to all; Did anyone visit Bonnet Hinge while at the 50th. - Skip Smith

If you have any questions or comments send e-mail to: ted@jag-lovers.org
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