1957 Thunderbird gas tank filler tube removal

[Birdman57]

How difficult is it to pull filler tube out of gas tank and do you need to replace with a new one when replacing the tank ?

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[CSPIDY]

it's all about condition, if it needs replaced you will see it. it is simply clamped with a rubber hose should be an easy removal. you may want to plan on replacing the rubber hose.

 

[valhalla 4771]

it's all about condition, if it needs replaced you will see it. it is simply clamped with a rubber hose should be an easy removal. you may want to plan on replacing the rubber hose.

Do you mean the rubber O ring that goes on the end of the filler tube? Do I just push the tube into the inlet connection until it seats firmly?
I don’t recall a rubber tube anywhere around this connection. And when replacing the tank and tube, which should I install first?

 

[tbirdbill]

If you are talking about the 1957 gas tank, there is a rubber o-ring that fits in a groove in the pipe going into the tank. That ring is most likely bad and you will have gas leaking if it is not there. To replace, you should make sure the surrounding pipe is clean and smooth and the pipe going in also. I put the o-ring in the groove in the filler tube, then wrap a number of rounds of thin (1/4 inch) masking tape just outboard of the ring to keep it from coming off when you slide it into the surrounding pipe. The smaller masking tape will not show when finished. A small amount of petroleum jelly on the o-ring helps. Just my technique.

 

[valhalla 4771]

Ok, thanks. Is there a preferred sequence to reinstalling the tank and filler tube? Tank first and then filler tube or visa versa?

 

[tbirdbill]

I believe it would be must easier to put the tank in first without the tube in place. You might try putting the tube in while the tank is out but I would pull the tube back out before installing the tank.

 

[calbears]

I must be doing something wrong in installing a filler tube and o-ring into the gas tank. I found a couple of old posts in the forum indicating how easy this is but did not find it to be so.

I removed the tank and filler tube which was easy. I bought a new tank which was fairly easy to install but installing the filler tube is/was almost impossible. The only suggestion I found on the forum was to use masking tape to wrap above the o-ring so that the o-ring would not work its way up as the filler tube is inserted into the tank opening. That helped. However, the amount of strength/force needed to get the o-ring to completely insert is beyond comprehension.

I’ve done it twice now and it took me a couple of hours each time with all the strength I could muster, over and over. I’ve used silicone spray, petroleum jelly (as suggested by Thunderbird HQ), and grease (as suggested by a very mechanically inclined neighbor). The grease seemed to work the best but it was negligible. The first time I installed the filler tube I eventually saw that the o-ring was working itself out, hence the need to do it again. The second time I used the tape as mentioned above. I’m not positive the o-ring is completely seated but believe it is. The tape that I used is visible but at this point I don’t want to try and cut the visible part away because I don’t want anything to go wrong so that I would have to try to do the installation again. This is either the worst engineering of a car part ever or I am unaware of the secret to install it easily.

On the first time installation I even tried installing the filler tube with the tank out of the car. It was nearly as difficult to get the o-ring to insert and then while installing the two parts as a single unit, the filler tube fell off. I have also tried buying a second o-ring just to see if it would make a difference. I have loosened the gas tank to move into different angles in hope of easier insertion. Nothing seemed to help but brute strength which was questionably even enough.

I hope to never do this again, but if so, any thoughts would be appreciated.