68 merc leaky gas tank

Discussion in 'General Automotive Tech' started by Wagonrodder, Jul 9, 2021.

  1. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    Hi all! im a new member with a newly acquired 1968 mercury montego wagon..thats ready to go cruising except for the fact its dripping fuel...ive looked around for a replacement gas tank but have been unable to find one..i already figured it would be tough to find...im thinking the torino wagon tank would be the same? at this point im asking for any tips on pulling my old one and asking for a reliable source where I might send it off for repair? it seems to be leaking at the bottom of the tank right under the welded on brace, a difficult place to get to...however rebuilding my tank at this point seems my only option...thank you in advance for any advice!!
    wagonrodder......terry
     
  2. 60Mercman

    60Mercman Well-Known Member

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    I found one for my ‘64 Galaxie on EBay. That would be my first go to
     
  3. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    I ended up looking everywhere...ebay, amazon, rock auto, high and low, every place I could think of including on line junk yards but no luck..then I came across an old post from this site mentioning a place called Moyers in PA.., a gas tank repair company...saw their website and their work looks very professional so i will be sending my tank to them, they even photograph the work they do..i will update this thread with before and after pics and info how the process went in the event it might help someone else..stay tuned :)
     
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  4. 60Mercman

    60Mercman Well-Known Member

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    Good luck! That would be great to have it fixed amd back on!
     
  5. HotRodRacer

    HotRodRacer Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    That's awesome to hear.
     
  6. KevinVarnes

    KevinVarnes Well-Known Member

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    Older wagon gas tanks can be a real sticking point. They are normally specific to the wagon body style which limits your used prospects. Demand is low so nobody wants to reproduce them. Please do post your experience with Moyers and let us know how it goes.
     
  7. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    will do and i agree exactly..my main concern will be a gasket to remount the sending unit when the tank is done? doubt I can find a new one..can anyone recommend what kind of gasket material to make one out of?
     
  8. KevinVarnes

    KevinVarnes Well-Known Member

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  9. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    Thank you so much Kevin for the tip, and the link!! I had a gasket in my brain because i recently did my 55 chevy that uses one,later i found out the montego uses the O ring...i went ahead thanks to your tip and ordered the part and the tool for removing the lock ring...my only concern is rock auto also lists a slightly smaller one as well thats out of stock "of course",with both the inner and outer diameters being aprox .075 smaller, the one i ordered is listed for the 390 and my 302, as is the smaller one so thats confusing! they will notify me when the smaller one is in stock so i will order that one too..again thanks Kevin!
     
  10. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    In the event this thread could help someone else in the future I will post pics of the process and the sending of it for repair, for starters here's a pic from today of how the tank looks in the car leaking...i think the car just kept on being used like this for years, it drips one drop every 60 seconds, it appears the leak might be coming from the bottom of the tank near the bottom brace, I'm worried that the brace may need to come off to get to the leak, tomorrow I will be pulling the tank and describe the process the repair company asks before shipping it.
    20210718_170846.jpg
     
  11. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    So here's the tank removed and drying in the sun...moyer asks that you remove sending units, and any other hoses or plugs prior to sending, and wash the tank out inside with Dawn detergent prior to shipping it to them,
    I was amazed how washing with Dawn removed all most all of the gas smell...so we will garbage bag it and and ship it soon...will keep this thread updated...ive learned replacement gas tanks for wagons are like hens teeth...impossible to find so someday you may have to fix the one you have because there's no other option..
    20210720_171228.jpg
     
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  12. HotRodRacer

    HotRodRacer Moderator Staff Member Moderator

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    Very true words. EVERY catalog and source I have seen says "1963 Ford Full Size (except Wagon)" for a tank. Luckily mine is sound (for now).
     
  13. Toybox06

    Toybox06 Active Member

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    I had my take repaired by ACME radiator shop in Oklahoma City. He boiled it out cut it open welded and lined it for 250.00. Mine is years away from its first fill up so fingers crossed it’s all good. But I sent another guy out of Wichita to him and his car is back on the road again after Tommy fixed it. I chose him because I could hand deliver my tank and pick it up. No shipping company’s involved. My fear was it getting lost in transit and that would have been a disaster. I am going to be working with some one soon on making aluminum replacement cells for our cars. When I have more deets I’ll let you know.
     
  14. jaunty75

    jaunty75 Middling Member

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    I think the biggest issue will be the area circled in yellow below. That looks like significant rust loss of the wall of the tank. Even if that rust is removed, the remaining metal will likely be too thin to be safe to use for a gas tank. I had the same issue with a gas tank on my '78 Olds. The local shop where I took it said that there had been enough surface rust that the tank wall thickness was compromised. Fortunately, a new tank was available for my car.

    In this case, he may have to cut away all of the rusted areas and weld in new wall material. I hope he doesn't have to cut away so much of the tank that there's nothing left to work with.


    20210718_170846.jpg
     
  15. Toybox06

    Toybox06 Active Member

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    1D34F0B1-769C-4009-BEEF-6D3E4BF399F8.jpeg 09BC826E-8A05-41F1-9656-3FE7607B7DAD.jpeg You can see my damage before the repair. I’ll have to get pics of it repaired tonight. But he definitely had to cut out and replace material.
     

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