68 merc leaky gas tank

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

  1. jaunty75

    jaunty75 Middling Member

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    That's serious and calls, obviously, for new metal. Can't wait to see the pics of it repaired.
     
  2. Toybox06

    Toybox06 Active Member

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    image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg Tommy even installed a bung for fuel injection for me. She ain’t pretty. It was oil canning really badly. But it should be good to go. I plan to have a custom one built and made to be repeatable but it may be next year.
     
  3. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    thanks for posting pics of yours! mine rusted out due to the piece of channel that was the brace between the tank and strap where dirt packed in over the years..seems to only be at the bottom seam but all will be revealed after the media blasting,,,even though it has not been blasted yet moyers called today to let me know that they could fix it so thats a huge relief! i spent big bucks shipping it from the west coast to PA and it would have been a bummer to ship it back if it couldnt be repaired, as it is by the time its repaired and back on my door step it will be an over $700 tank but it comes with a lifetime warranty and is something i will never have to worry about again, they blast the tank inside and out then make the repairs needed, then the tank gets coated inside and out with their "renu" product, should get it back in time for some summer cruising hopefully...i will post pics when it gets here and of the install..just like the fact i couldnt find a replacement tank,sending units were nowhere to be found but my plans are to use a slightly newer torino wagon sender i was able to find new, it looks identical..
     
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  4. Toybox06

    Toybox06 Active Member

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    Definitely let me know if the Torino sending unit suffices. I debated with sending it to them as well, but like I said I was more worried about it being lost in shipping than whether the repair would last or not. Again my plan is to have a custom fuel cell built for mine some time in the next year. When they do they keep the plans on file in order to reproduce them.
     
  5. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    I would love to hear the name of the place if you have one made...i was also wondering if these days one could be 3D printed cheaply?
    Hopefully mine will be repairable...today I'm going to wire brush, then treat with rust mort, the cavity under the car the tank fits in, then brush on a good thick coat of POR 15 on all the sheet metal...to anyone else doing their tank this is a good time to check the integrity of the hold down strap and where it attaches, mine has an additional brace from the tank to the bumper bracket , was doing the math of the weight of 20 gallons of gas at 6 pounds per gallon and it was not as heavy as I thought it would be but it's still 120 pounds of flammable liquid ya don't want coming loose!
     
  6. Silvertwinkiehobo

    Silvertwinkiehobo "Everything that breaks starts with 'F.'"

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    Reminds me of a story one of my HS teachers told me about growing up in the late Forties: his family was on a road vacation, in their Nash auto, and after stopping for gas, they headed out down the highway, then heard a thunk and heavy grinding. After they pulled over, my teacher's dad looked under and found the gas tank dragging underneath the car as the two leather straps holding the tank broke under the weight of the full gas tank!
     
  7. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    Finally I can update this thread! got the tank back from moyer and in a matter of 2 hours had it unwrapped, a new sender , square cut "O" ring and retainer ring installed, and had it in the car...since no sender was available for a 68 mercury I channeled macgyver and bought a 72 Torino wagon sender,it was the same as mine except being 1 inch longer, it was simply a matter of removing the screen and cutting the pick up tube 1 inch shorter and replacing the screen, then bending the float at the "Z" up so it sat 1 inch higher to match the pick up screen..and all was well...I was worried about screwing up the "O" ring and having another leak but I did it right! super nice not to have a gas drippy car...we have only owned the car 2 months so now its time for some crusing...in closing it was a $700 repair considering shipping but I wont ever have to worry about the tank again and it has a lifetime warranty..since no new or used gas tanks were available , to quote the band The Who, I would call it a bargain, the best I ever had hehe...seems its always something though, now our turn signals quit working even though the 4 way flashers still work so I will be starting a thread about that now...hopefully this thread might help someone else as it seems with our wagons your going to be looking at fixing the tank you have if you need repair since replacements dont seem to exist...thanks for reading my thread! wagonrodder
    sender,
    20210818_153254[2998].jpg 20210818_123747[3000].jpg Screenshot_20210820-173608[2997].png
     
    101Volts and 60Mercman like this.
  8. OldFox

    OldFox Curmudgeon

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    There are 2 flashers......one for the 4 ways and one for the turn signals. The 4 ways confirm the circuits are good and you can hear it blink. Replace the other one and hopefully solve your problem. It's usually under the dash to the right of the steering column.
     
  9. Wagonrodder

    Wagonrodder Well-Known Member

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    Thanks oldfox for the great advice...I did try a replacement old school thermal turn flasher as well as a modern electronic one with no luck...then things took a huge turn for the worse as i will explain in a new thread i will start called "68 mercury electrical woes" should get that posted this evening....again thank you for the advice! Terry (wagonrodder)
     

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