Replacemnet fuel tank for 73 brave - Is tank sediment affecting carburetor?

[mnoyes]

73brave    318  holley4    had problems with running rough after replacing two fuel filters, james v. and coach500 helped tons on that issue, i did as both of them said and also put iin a new set of plugs for good measure....was running great so i thought, went camping 60 miles away on the way home she started running very very rough so i got off the highway limped it to my mechanic(20 miles or so), when i pulled in he took one look at my little gem and asked if the PO had replaced the tank before i bought it...little did i know we have the same mech....known as best dodge man around. he said im sucking rust n junk out of the tank and he wont work on it until replaced, so i need a new tank....also said i should go back to carter 2bbl since holley4 is very sensitive to junk, any thoughts on that?  do i need the bigger carb?  i dont pull anything. sorry for the long post but want u to know what im up against.        is there such thing as a plstic replacement tank?        coach500 n james v. read alot of your posts n you guys really know your stuff so please respond and add any thoughts/suggestions you have, i take them all seriously     thanks in advance   mnoyes    kazoo mi

[ibdilbert01]

I just had this very same issue a few months back.  Ended up dropping the tank and washing it out "really" well with a power washer.  The bottom was full of rust sludge...   I'm going to try to keep the tank full to prevent future rust, but if I keep battling it, I'll have one made at a fab shop.   So far I've had no more issues. 

also said i should go back to carter 2bbl since holley4 is very sensitive to junk

Nothing wrong with the Holley, besides your filters keep the junk out!   You'll loose performance going back to the 2bbl, but you'll gain MPGs.
 

[Froggy1936]

If the tank is a rare one And not rusted thru . Another possibility is the professional cleaning and plastic coating the inside (though with e85 plastic is not a good idea) But its an option !

[73dodgeTitan]

My tanks were full of rust too. We dropped them, power washed and did the full por-15 treatment.  Great shape now!


http://www.por15.com/FUEL-TANK-REPAIR-KIT_p_62.html

[Oz]

Message search - > POR 15 for more info on refurbishing rusty tanks.

A couple of topics there you'd be interested in.

[James E Vining]

I remember back in the 80's Possibly early 90's I was into Dirt Bikes and had a 75 Honda CR 125 Elsinore, a 79 CR 250, Yamaha XT 500 and latter a 82 Kawasaki KZ1000R (Eddie Lawson Signature Bike), The first 2 had been sitting a long time not running and had old gas (well actually it had Gum and Goo and rust) in the tank, SInce I was 15 back when I had the first 3 bikes I did misc. odd jobs for the Local Motorcycle mechanic in trade for parts, and learning how to work on them properly, I do not remember what he used but we had washed out the tanks with some type of a caustic substance ( or acid Substance) and then he had me put something it the tank seal it and swirl it around ( it was some type of sealer/conditioner)
I am not sure if it is the por 15 or not but I bet if they had this stuff back then they probably have much superior stuff now.
I mentioned these bikes even though it has nothing to do with Winne's due to the fact I could not just replace the tanks and ones I could were extremely expensive, The KZ tank alone would of cost over $500.


On a Separate Note, I have heard that Due to the EPA/Government requiring more and more gasoline to contain Ethanol it is causing all sorts of fuel problems with older vehicles and tanks due to dislodging rust and Items normally that would stay attached to the tank and causing it to be sucked into the fuel pickups.
Due to this i am expecting to see a great increase in fuel related problems since you cannot buy gasoline anymore without some % of ethanol in it, I believe it was just winter time they used to add 10% Ethanol to gasoline but now i believe they run 10% all the time and some stations actually have a 15% Ethanol blend

[Stripe]

POR-15 is def the most economical way to go..

[MotorPro]

How can rust get in your carb if you have 2 gas filters? Did you open up the old filters to see if they were plugged with rust?  Make sure what the problem is before you rip out a gas tank.If they really are being plugged with rust Por 15 works great.

[mrmuse]

Just a thought here.  I bought a plastic tank from a Trooper for my 4x4 Montero.  Then sold the Montero.  Still have the plastic tank.
What size and shape are you looking for?  I can measure and take photos if needed.
Free is the word here, if you would pay shipping..

mrmuse

[James E Vining]

How can rust get in your carb if you have 2 gas filters? Did you open up the old filters to see if they were plugged with rust?  Make sure what the problem is before you rip out a gas tank.If they really are being plugged with rust Por 15 works great.

Probably didn't get rust and gunk into the carb this time I assume what probably happened was it plugged up the filter and didn't allow fuel to get to carb, Of course I am just assuming here as I am not in the area OP is nor have I seen his Vehicle but I do know the symptoms of a plugged fuel filter.

On a separate note I looked at the link for POR 15 and I must say that is a great deal for the amount of items included in that kit very nice Kit indeed.

[mrmuse]

Actually mine is a: 1976 Winnebago, Custom D27, Dodge M500, 440-3, 27'.  And I tracked that down here in the forum using the "search" feature. 

Here is a link to info on yours:

http://media.gowinnebago.com/models/globalElements/brochure/previous-models/1973/winnebago/73-Brave-bro.pdf

Our forum here, and that link to gowinnebago.com will give you a lot of info.

My plastic tank is 26x16x12 and DOES NOT LEAK.  Funny thing is yesterday I had a mechanic buddy put on cap, rotor, plugs, and new wires.  He also pulled the top half of carb off and found the same problem as yours.  RUST.  2nd time in six months.  So we are going to drain the tanks Main & Aux with an external elec. fuel pump, flush them, blow them out, install new filters, and go from there.

I'm including a couple pix of the tank.  BTW:  I'm around 60 miles north of you just off
m66.

Gregg

[mnoyes]

well after much searching for REPLACEMENT TANK , i gave up and went for the flush and fill method, i spoke with the PO and tank was recoated about 8yrs ago so i dropped it and powerwashed it, then tore apart the carb again and gave all that a good cleaning also replaced fuel filters again, i will need to replace a few things in the carb i need a new jet for the accel pump and the little ball inside...can someone tell me what that little ball does inside a holley accel pump?   but the mh (DROOPY, her new name) is running wonderfull now....MRMUSE thanks for the tank try, im  going to give this a try first....thanks to all for your help......MATT

[mnoyes]

p.s.    the old gas inside the tank was RED.....the coating is a maroon color....wasnt alot of crap but some in the bottom of tank......could coating be breaking down so soon?....how long does  it last?    was not pur-15 coating not sure of the kind used....

[mrmuse]

No problem, think I'm going to mount the plastic tank for the spare 1800 watt generator. 
Keep us posted and if you need anything, just holler.

Gregg

[Dr. Righteous]

What you are going to find "gumming" things up is not rust, but varnish from decades of old fuel sitting up in the tanks turning to gum.  When  you add fresh fuel to a tank with thick varnish, the varnish starts to liquify into a gummy sludge clog filters, makes the needle valve stick, and other nasty things. 
IT looks just like thick rust; but is not.





For mine I took a radical route to fix this.  I cut to big holes in the top of my tank and hand scraped the varnish out with a metal putty knife.  Then I finished the rest up with a a wire wheel.  Cleaned it all out and then coated the interior with RED which is a gas tank sealant. 
The fuel sender was shot of course so I got a "universal" aftermarket one and a gauge to match it from JEGS.