1940 gas tank help

F

fesser

Junior Member
I spent the better part of this afternoon forcing (for lack of a better word) an aftermarket gas tank into my 40 coupe. When I bought the car it came with a new, aftermarket gas tank, in the box, in the back seat. The original was pulled many years ago and the aftermarket tank was likely bought 8-15 years ago.

So after fighting this thing all afternoon and finally getting it in place, I thought I had it made. That is until I tried to connect the fuel line to the fitting on the tank. I can't get it to thread into the tank no matter what I try. Can someone please tell me what threads are supposed to be in the tank fitting? Is it a standard compression fitting?

For what its worth, I did try to search on here for my answer but I either get too many responses to a broad search or no responses to a specific search. I am a newbie to this forum (and early v8 Fords) but not to the automobile hobby.

Thanks.
Frank
 
You need the correct 1/4 inch fuel line Ford one. It has a different thread to normal and they are available from Drakes, Carpenters etc.
 
If you are using the original fuel line into the tank it's possible the tank was made for using a 1/4" inverted flare fitting. Some of the repo tanks use the inverted flare type fitting. If you have replaced the line and are using the 1/4" inverted flare and that is the one not working, then you need to remove the flare nut and use an original nut and ferrule.
 
Thanks everyone.
I am assuming that the metal line in the car has the correct fitting but who knows. I have seen the Ford nut and ferrule on the aftermarket websites. Do I need to cut mine off and put on a new one?
Also, I have seen the tank mounting hardware shown with one spring and another with three springs. Right now mine is bolted in with no springs. Which is the best way to go?
 
For what it's worth.......I put a Drake stainless steel tank in my '40 coupe a couple of years ago.......total time was about 2 hours, working slowly.........original tank came right out and the Drake tank went back in easily....all done in one bay of my shop, on my back......
 
A lot of repro tanks seem to be problematic. Some have a sender bung that won't fit an OEM sending unit. Those are a real bummer. Sometimes you can do a specific Google search and a Ford Barn thread will come up. Jalopy Journal threads (the HAMB) come up too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top