145 fueltank removal
 

I'm just getting to taking out the fuel tank, in my 1970 145, as part of derusting the underside. A search in "the books" reveals no info at all. In the Haynes 240 book, it's covered in detail. Is there anything to watch out for, or is it simply unbolting an disconnecting?

My 142 was straightforward. Held in with self tappers so give them a good wire brush underneath and squirt with penetrating oil and give the head a good clean out so the screwdriver engages fully. Sorry if telling you the obvious but mine were 50 year old screws so made sure I took the time to get them out in one piece.

Agree with those self-tappers, de-rusting thoroughly and penetrating oil saves an awful lot of chiselling the head off if the blighter refuses to come. However from when I last did the job, care and lots of that oil is very necessary to unscrew the fuel feed pipe without damaging it: if like the Amazon which I did, the pipe simply fractures a few inches down from the tank so you have a far bigger job to do.

P

" fractures a few inches down from the tank"
This is why there is often a rubber joining hose between the pipe from the tank and to pipe to the front. If the tank nut doesn't come loose easily, wrap a bit of coloth round it and soak with Plus Gas for a few days, you might as well cut the pipe a few inches out from the tank and do the same thing. By all means tackle the nut after the tank is out.

Not sure if the 142 is similar to the 145, but the clamp on the rubber hose was a bit rusty at the tank end but on the pipe filler cap side was like new so I just took the good one off and left the rubber flexible hose connected to the tank.

Thanks, all of you. I've just been freeing off the handbrake mechanism, at the hubs, lots of fluid needed there; car had been parked in barn for 20 yrs with handbrake on. . .

Excellent, saving one. What condition is she in?

Good bits an bad, overcomeable bits. It's that blue/grey one from Hampshire, a few months back. Interior good, lovely spotlessish red carpet, rest good, tho front seats need recovering. Engine sounds good, started right up when got it home an fiddled about with emery paper, carb cleaner, an ticks over fine. However, the engine is going to be warmed up a bit, twin HIF6's etc.
Underneath is really good, for year. . . hole at end of o/s/r sill, behind wheel bins, thats it. Owner had spent some time spraying EVERYTHING underneath with black stuff, and even, so help him god, the engine bay. There is surface rust where underseal has cracked, so i'll scrub off gererally, rust converter, re-apply black stuff.

Alas, while it was in barn, something scraped down the nearside, all along, so beat of beating out, fill/smooth over paint. All brakes an bushes will be replaced, an overdrive fitted, wheels blast/paint, nice new 195's (thanks for advice, Classicswede) on.
It's going to be daily driver in summer months, current 240 Torslanda in winter. An has-anyone-got-a-nearside-rear-door-pretty-please?

Just discovered a nasty. The towbar has a steady bar running under fuel tank. A previous owner had whacked a rock or gone into deep ruts, an the steady bar was pushed up, displacing the tank upwards, popping quite a few of those self tappers an distorting tank mount metal area. shucks. Tank also has a weep. Is there any reliable goo one can apply, to seal? I've seen what folks ask for good fuel tanks, the wretches.

The Further Tales. . . . if people interested, i could start a thread entitled The 145 restoration?,

I got tank out, so easy, not like 240's with that long, solid filler pipe an STOOPID rubber grommit thing at filler cap end. Oh yes, the fuel feed line union would not come undone, so hacksawed the pipe, which was badly corroded anyway. Self tappers were fine, i did clean out heads as advised. The rear interior has come out, too, in prep for welding. I found, generally, that the 140 interior is much better put together and of better materials, than 240. The rear bench backrest sprung locating bolt/hingepin is way easier to release. However, the Haynes book makes no mention of seat removal at all, fully covered in 240 book.