Pictures of the Week

[mowerman]

42 minutes ago, 66dc75 said:

Just keep chanting,  old trucks are fun, old trucks are fun..............

I look for all my old Nissen bakery truck photos Saturday. I can’t find them they were around here someplace. I thought you would appreciate them….. and sorry Tom, I’m stepping on your tread ha ha… bob

[Vladislav]

10 hours ago, Joey Mack said:

Happy Birthday Vlad!!

Thank you, Joey!

And I belive Tom also had his day just the other day.

I just must have missed it with current hectic affairs.

[Vladislav]

6 hours ago, other dog said:

This is about where I'm at now. I'm going to end up taking the tank off, if I can. I started it today to turn it around and same as yesterday before I changed the filters- it would not run at all unless I sat in it with my foot on the gas. I looked in the tank with a flashlight and some some sketchy looking stuff swimming around in the bottom. I only let it run for a few minutes yesterday, I wouldn't think the filters would clog that fast, but I don't know. I'm going to take Fuzzy Buzzard's advice and start with the tank and go to the carburetor. I don't know if I can wrassle that tank off by myself or not, but I'm gonna give it a try.

Danged old trucks!

I'm afraid the way Fuzzy Buzzard adviced is the most right direction. You can remove the tank yourself putting a stack of pallets below it to loose the straps and land it down onto. Than you will need help to pull it off from there on the ground and for further relocations during the upcoming care.

A cement mixer or tractor drive wheel idea seems more productive to me than hand shaking and else. There's also way to cut off a portion from the rear (unseen) wall to sandblast the inside. Could be a bottom (end bottom I mean) either but depending on who's going to weld it back up and how would you sure on their skills making good looking seam.

A side idea is you may put some portable small tank for example in the luggage compartment below the sleeper and connect it to the system keeping the original tank just for look. This way you'd get the truck running reliably and 10-15 gallons might be enough for locals drives. Getting to the main tank repair later. The issue is we seldom get back to back burner deals soon.

[mowerman]

Oh hell, I missed both of you. Happy birthday to you both as well. Sorry about that. I usually don’t even check them anymore since nobody seems to pay any attention to them. I’ve grown to figure out most of us. Don’t want any more of them any way …. Mine is right after Tom’s … bob

[other dog]

Here's the latest update- I drained some gas out of it last night. Put it in this new clean aluminum pan. 

After sitting on the porch overnight, covered and untouched, it looked like this this morning.

So yeah, I have issues. I'm going to go drain it now and try to get it off. Here's the filter I took off the other day, looks like more gunk has settled in it.

I talked to Brayden Tucker, who buys, sells, deals, and restores old trucks about cleaning and sealing the tank. He said the best thing he had found was the acid like you spray on aluminum, the brightener, I forgot what you call it. He said to pour some of that in it then pressure wash the crap out of it, let it dry good, then put the sealer in.

[Geoff Weeks]

4 hours ago, Vladislav said:

I There's also way to cut off a portion from the rear (unseen) wall to sandblast the inside. Could be a bottom (end bottom I mean) either but depending on who's going to weld it back up and how would you sure on their skills making good looking seam.

 

Vlad, If his tank is like any of my step tanks, they have a plate on top for access to the Tolhiem pump that was original  fuel pump for the truck. With that removed, there is plenty of room to get your whole arm in the tank. It is a large "D" shaped opening.

 My tanks tended to rust out under the "bands" and around the step area.

 I can take pictures of what I'm talking about, but it will be obvious once the tank is out.

Edited April 9 by Geoff Weeks

[other dog]

Here's the latest update

Had a bit more gas in it than I thought.

[Geoff Weeks]

Ok, someone put a newer tank on there. Step tanks up to the late 70's have the Tolhiem access plate, as both Ford and IHC big Gassers used that in tank pump. That tank is from a later year, when the gassers were no more and diesel was the fuel of choice.

 When you put it back, do yourself a favor and either get some strap webbing or make some by cutting an old inner tube to put between the strap and tank. Everything flexes and it will rust and wear a hole under the strap.

[The Rubber Duck 006]

They make Tank strap rubber you can order to fit under them straps to protect from Rubbing and Rusting. Don't go the cheap route and try to put 4inch strap material under the straps because that will in turn cause rubbing of the tank and it acts like Sand paper hahaha. I know from personal experience on a 1995 Peterbilt 379 logging/OTR truck I drove for about 2yrs. 

[Mean Green]

Your doing the best thing drain it clean it and new gas it seems once it’s bad if you don’t take it all out the new gas ain’t no good either my dad had worked on his sisters blazer and he replaced everything to get it to run right fianly drained the tank empty and put in fresh gas and it ran great went to use the old gas in his mower and it couldn’t even run on it . Wonder if you used some muratic acid on it to clean the rust out may have to cut it some it’s kinda strong

[Vladislav]

5 hours ago, other dog said:

Here's the latest update- I drained some gas out of it last night. Put it in this new clean aluminum pan. 

After sitting on the porch overnight, covered and untouched, it looked like this this morning.

So yeah, I have issues. I'm going to go drain it now and try to get it off. Here's the filter I took off the other day, looks like more gunk has settled in it.

I talked to Brayden Tucker, who buys, sells, deals, and restores old trucks about cleaning and sealing the tank. He said the best thing he had found was the acid like you spray on aluminum, the brightener, I forgot what you call it. He said to pour some of that in it then pressure wash the crap out of it, let it dry good, then put the sealer in.

What you showed in the alu pan doesn't look like rust chips. So my guess the things are much better than I expected. There's probably no need to sandblast or gravel wash the inside. Just some heavy cleaning agent of those the guys mentioned and you must be fine.

My issues were concerning heavy rust on the inner walls which chipped off and clogged filters or needle valve and duses in carbs. I have friend's Mercedes 280CE car of 1972 in my stable for a while and it used to ruine electric fuel pumps. When we removed its tank initially and my guys drained it I couldn't belive my eyes. There was a 10 liter can filled with gas which was HALF FULL of rust chips! We sure cleaned the tank as good as we could that time but the pumps have continued giving up the goasts. So I found a good replacement one and going to swap it. Ok, I'm going to do that for no less than 6 years now 

[other dog]

2 hours ago, Mean Green said:

Your doing the best thing drain it clean it and new gas it seems once it’s bad if you don’t take it all out the new gas ain’t no good either my dad had worked on his sisters blazer and he replaced everything to get it to run right fianly drained the tank empty and put in fresh gas and it ran great went to use the old gas in his mower and it couldn’t even run on it . Wonder if you used some muratic acid on it to clean the rust out may have to cut it some it’s kinda strong

I used the aluminum brightener, and it seemed to work pretty good, but i'm going to do it again. I ordered the sealer and it won't be here for a week, so I have time. I can still see black gunk stuck in the bottom of the tank. I didn't leave the acid in it for any length of time, I just poured it in, sloshed it around as best I could, took all the plugs out and started spraying.

 

[Mark T]

Might be better off just replacing the tank. Used to see them advertised in all those magazines that used to come for free.

[other dog]

18 minutes ago, Vladislav said:

What you showed in the alu pan doesn't look like rust chips. So my guess the things are much better than I expected. There's probably no need to sandblast or gravel wash the inside. Just some heavy cleaning agent of those the guys mentioned and you must be fine.

My issues were concerning heavy rust on the inner walls which chipped off and clogged filters or needle valve and duses in carbs. I have friend's Mercedes 280CE car of 1972 in my stable for a while and it used to ruine electric fuel pumps. When we removed its tank initially and my guys drained it I couldn't belive my eyes. There was a 10 liter can filled with gas which was HALF FULL of rust chips! We sure cleaned the tank as good as we could that time but the pumps have continued giving up the goasts. So I found a good replacement one and going to swap it. Ok, I'm going to do that for no less than 6 years now 

That's true about the aluminum pan, I didn't even think it looked that bad last night, and I couldn't believe it this morning. It didn't even look like gas anymore. It has water or something in it. And that sample didn't even come from the very bottom of the tank, when I got it off and tilted it up all kinds of nasty looking, filthy, dirty, horrible, disgusting stuff was coming out of the hole 🤣 

[other dog]

10 minutes ago, Mark T said:

Might be better off just replacing the tank. Used to see them advertised in all those magazines that used to come for free.

I thought about that, I looked online this morning, didn't really see anything close to what I've got.

[Mark T]

1 minute ago, other dog said:

I thought about that, I looked online this morning, didn't really see anything close to what I've got.

I was just looking.  They're on there.  Looks like around a K for a brand new aluminum one (yikes)   Your tank looks maybe like it's from a Fleetstar (?)   

[other dog]

4 hours ago, Geoff Weeks said:

Ok, someone put a newer tank on there. Step tanks up to the late 70's have the Tolhiem access plate, as both Ford and IHC big Gassers used that in tank pump. That tank is from a later year, when the gassers were no more and diesel was the fuel of choice.

 When you put it back, do yourself a favor and either get some strap webbing or make some by cutting an old inner tube to put between the strap and tank. Everything flexes and it will rust and wear a hole under the strap.

Yes, he put a tank on it that had only had diesel in it, because he was having trouble with rust in the original gas tank. Said it was all fixed now. Imagine that! I guess I don't have rust problems anymore, I have sludge problems! 🤣 

[other dog]

Just now, Mark T said:

I was just looking.  They're on there.  Looks like around a K for a brand new aluminum one (yikes)   Your tank looks maybe like it's from a Fleetstar (?)   

Wow! Yeah, I didn't even know where to look, I just googled "replacement fuel tanks" or something. I don't know where he got this tank from that's on it now.

[Mark T]

Four States has a 15" X 25" X 37" brand new aluminum  $692.99

[other dog]

Oh, here's the latest latest update, what I came here to post-

 

[Mark T]

That LKQ probably has something.  The Four States ine looks similar to the one in your picture but it's aluminum. ( SSo you caan buff it to high luster)

[Mark T]

You'd almost have to cut a hole in your's and clean it. Problem is a only way to stop the chemical reaction is to completely seal the inside of it.  That's almost imposible . That caustic acid is just gonna eat into the metal unless no air gets to it.  and existing rust ????  hard to stop without access .  Then even if you cut a hole, how would you seal where it's welded back together.  And this is all if it can be done without getting hurt from burns or worse

[Vladislav]

Just now, other dog said:

Yes, he put a tank on it that had only had diesel in it, because he was having trouble with rust in the original gas tank. Said it was all fixed now. Imagine that! I guess I don't have rust problems anymore, I have sludge problems! 🤣 

Sludge is removable. And if you even have a new tank it can build up from poor condition fuel. Or otherwise from super-puper efficient additives in it. Which don't do any bad if burned in time but may bring unexpected surprizes keeping their presence in a tank for a while.

[tjc transport]

i use phosphoric acid to neutralize rust. 

clean as good as possible and get all flakes off. than coat all areas with a good coating of phosphoric acid.( i like ospho brand) 

let it dry completely. when properly treated the rust turns from red/brown to flat black. that means the iron oxide (rust) is now turned to iron phosphate. 

i did a test section on an old 4ftX4ft 1/4 steel diamond plate scrap around 15 years ago when i was doing a truck frame to see how it would last unpainted.  treated half the plate. it is just now starting to show spot rust on the treated area.  

[Geoff Weeks]

Old steel tanks like his and mine, USED to cost around $1.00/gal and Aluminum was $2.00/gal. I was in for sticker shock when I went looking before repairing what I had.  They are very expensive now. I fixed what I had rather than pay the stupid prices.  They were not all that much cheaper than the Aluminum one quoted above.