Need help getting my fuel tank out - thanks, nothing more money couldn't cure... Options

[moparrob]

The prior owner of my car tried to coat the fuel tank in my 1974 914 but it ended up flaking off. I didn't feel like messing with trying to remove the coating so I ended up looking for another tank.

Thanks to fellow member Bruce Stone (bdstone914) I now have a usable fuel tank which I need to install. The problem I am now facing is how to get the old fuel lines off and remove the tank. The problem is how to get to those hose clamps given the lack of space.

(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/uploads_offsite/i954.photobucket.com-11663-1318800639.1.jpg)

I'm also concerned about getting them re-attached properly when the new tank goes in. So are there any tricks to doing this? I tried to lift the tank partway up to get to the lines but it felt like the lines were holding it in place.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[moparrob]

*SOLVED*

In the end brute force prevailed. Although I got one clamp off I could not get the other one. There was no way to get a wrench on it.

I ended up cutting the lines. What a PITA. I broke my Dremel in the process so I had to go to the big guns - the die grinder with a cut off wheel.

The tank came out easily then, but the PO left no extra fuel line so it would be the same problem installing it. I'm going to use some extra line when I re-install it so I can fasten the clamps before I install it.

Thanks again for the input.

[Dave_Darling]

I ended up cutting the lines. What a PITA. I broke my Dremel in the process...

Whut? I used my Swiss Army Knife to cut the hoses! They should cut pretty easily, they're just rubber and fabric. I hope you didn't cut the metal fittings coming out the bottom of the tank!

--DD

[Cap'n Krusty]

I ended up cutting the lines. What a PITA. I broke my Dremel in the process...

Whut? I used my Swiss Army Knife to cut the hoses! They should cut pretty easily, they're just rubber and fabric. I hope you didn't cut the metal fittings coming out the bottom of the tank!

--DD

Uhhhhhh, Dave? You look at the picture? He's got those stupid SS braided bling covered hoses, the ones that don't fit properly and would leak anyway even if they did fit. And Strat Player's right, you have to leave just the right amount of slack so the hoses won't kink, and they have to be turned just right, too. It cost me a lot of money to find that out ..................

The Cap'n

[bigkensteele]

I ended up cutting the lines. What a PITA. I broke my Dremel in the process...

Whut? I used my Swiss Army Knife to cut the hoses! They should cut pretty easily, they're just rubber and fabric. I hope you didn't cut the metal fittings coming out the bottom of the tank!

--DD

Uhhhhhh, Dave? You look at the picture? He's got those stupid SS braided bling covered hoses, the ones that don't fit properly and would leak anyway even if they did fit. And Strat Player's right, you have to leave just the right amount of slack so the hoses won't kink, and they have to be turned just right, too. It cost me a lot of money to find that out ..................

The Cap'n

I just put my tank back in tonight, and that is what I worry about. I used the nice german cloth weaved kit from AA, which I suppose is kind of stupid, since nobody will ever see it, but it was easy at $30. The kit said that the return line was supposed to be 450mm from the tunnel line to the tank. I can tell you without question that 450mm is far to short to have any shot at tightening the clamps from above. Maybe it would work below, but I don't know. I put a longer piece of hose on it so I could tighten it up above before I dropped the tank down, but now I have no way of knowing if I have kinked hoses down there. I guess I will find out when I fire it upl. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/confused24.gif)