Author Topic: Direct tank replacement SX-4? (Read 13607 times)

85AmCfreak · « **on:** July 08, 2012, 12:03:38 AM »

Hey I am looking for a direct tank replacement for the sx-4. My original is in pretty bad shape.

vangremlin · « **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2012, 08:54:05 AM »

I don't know if there are any, other than from a Kammback, which would be even harder to find.

midtownboarder · « **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2012, 04:38:22 PM »

one from a spirit will work, that's what i used in mine...

85AmCfreak · « **Reply #3 on:** July 08, 2012, 08:06:51 PM »

Are they available new??

midtownboarder · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2012, 12:31:19 PM »

doubt it, i searched car-part.com and found a jy with one...

vangremlin · « **Reply #5 on:** July 10, 2012, 12:41:52 PM »

I was not able to find any new ones available. There is an old style radiatior shop near me that has repaired gas tanks, cleaned them, and put in liners for me. You might want to look around and see if there is a similar shop in your area.

rollguy · « **Reply #6 on:** July 11, 2012, 12:29:04 AM »

That means I should save the tank from my beat up SX4 when I scrap it (I WILL remove every possibly usable part first).

midtownboarder · « **Reply #7 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:05:07 PM »

Quote from: vangremlin on July 10, 2012, 12:41:52 PM

I was not able to find any new ones available. There is an old style radiatior shop near me that has repaired gas tanks, cleaned them, and put in liners for me. You might want to look around and see if there is a similar shop in your area.

i asked a radiator shop if they had any solvents that would work to clean out the inside of my old tank as good as possible, and they laughed at me

...i thought it was a fair question, but the guy kept insisting i was an idiot and it wouldn't do me any good...i still have my old tank, and washed and dried it out as best i could, and am still determined to see about cleaning it out and coating the inside with something...

Prafeston · « **Reply #8 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:12:18 PM »

I haven't watched this video yet, but I know a lot of Motorcycle guys have this issues so I typed in "Motorcycle Tank Cleaning" and found this video.

http://youtu.be/-WuU1F2VLoI

Prafeston · « **Reply #9 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:16:31 PM »

Started watching it...looks like you are supposed to fill the entire tank with this Metal Rescue stuff...could be pricey if you have to fill like a 18 gallon tank!!!

The Metal Rescue is 24 bucks a gallon.

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 11, 2012, 06:17:11 PM »

Solvents alone do nothing. they cannot. for that matter gasoline is a solvent. as is water. iirc my dad tried a kit for a tank unsuccessfully. wasn't around for his trial or what was used. just my upper imo knowledge as i play chemist at night. i know some coatings for interior tanks are supposed to work. i do not know the compounds chemicals or compatibility with gas. gas and oil eats through silicone and epoxy. so just my mininum wage knowledge speaking.

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 11, 2012, 07:24:55 PM »

Quote from: casper on July 11, 2012, 06:52:56 PM

fuel tank repair isnt that bad. put in a few gallons of water, and a dozen or so handfulls of pea gravel. shake the ever living crap out of it. rinse it out real good. (i had to do this with my tank in my spirit drag car) if you have pin holes to weld on a fuel tank, you can run a hose off a regulator from an argon tank into it. the argon displaces ANY gas fumes and it wont blow. i have hear that routing car exhaust in works also but never done that one.

Sounds like what we do to refurbish a stainless steel drum at work we however put it on a roller. This is pertinant becacse if it is saveable than the internal rust debris gets knocked off. But to stop it again from internally rusting I would like to here about as the op

midtownboarder · « **Reply #12 on:** July 11, 2012, 07:58:01 PM »

Quote from: mudkicker715 on July 11, 2012, 06:17:11 PM

Solvents alone do nothing. they cannot. for that matter gasoline is a solvent. as is water.

true, i was more just hoping for something that would clean it good enough to get rid of any rust flakes/dust...i don't know what's out there as far as coatings go, but there has to be something that will work...i had also thought about using a soda blaster to clean it out, and then coat it...

recomer · « **Reply #13 on:** July 11, 2012, 08:11:59 PM »

Possible this what you're looking for?

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/American_Motors/Eagle/Spectra/Fuel_Tank/1983/DL_SX4/4_Cyl_2-dot-5L/SPIAMC1.html?intcmpid=Product+Listings+Best+Seller

Amazon has it too..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C7RZ2C/ref=asc_df_B000C7RZ2C2089955?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-93-95-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B000C7RZ2C

And so does JC Whitney

http://www.jcwhitney.com/spectra-fuel-tank/p2022711.jcwx?filterid=d17210y1983g913j1

Prafeston · « **Reply #14 on:** July 11, 2012, 08:13:27 PM »

Good find if that is it! Pretty cheap too.

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 11, 2012, 08:20:17 PM »

Quote from: midtownboarder on July 11, 2012, 07:58:01 PM

Quote from: mudkicker715 on July 11, 2012, 06:17:11 PM
Solvents alone do nothing. they cannot. for that matter gasoline is a solvent. as is water.

true, i was more just hoping for something that would clean it good enough to get rid of any rust flakes/dust...i don't know what's out there as far as coatings go, but there has to be something that will work...i had also thought about using a soda blaster to clean it out, and then coat it...

a mild dilute acid will work. however itwill eat your weak metal. leacing bigger holes.

short story tell me what the parts stores have for epoxycoating and the chems. maybe .one ouf my associaetes at work has an answer. do not hold your breath. i deal with electronic grade chems.ana am offl till the weekend

vangremlin · « **Reply #16 on:** July 11, 2012, 09:34:36 PM »

I think when I had my tank repaired they boiled it like they would a radiator. They also had to weld shut the hole in the tank from where they drained it at the junkyard.

Eastwood also has a gas tank sealer

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-gas-tank-sealer-kits-for-cars.html

midtownboarder · « **Reply #17 on:** July 11, 2012, 09:49:24 PM »

Quote from: mudkicker715 on July 11, 2012, 08:20:17 PM

a mild dilute acid will work. however itwill eat your weak metal. leacing bigger holes.

short story tell me what the parts stores have for epoxycoating and the chems. maybe .one ouf my associaetes at work has an answer. do not hold your breath. i deal with electronic grade chems.ana am offl till the weekend

hm...fortunately the tank is solid, no soft spots or holes, so that might work...i'll look into coatings a bit more and see what my options might be, that eastwood kit looks like it would be worth a try...

mudkicker715 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 11, 2012, 10:12:51 PM »

I tried to come across as a retard. keep in mind acid eats. caustic eats. i am only telling you to say a solvent is useless. you need one of those miracles in a can. or make somthing work. Sorry

vangremlin · « **Reply #19 on:** July 11, 2012, 10:58:38 PM »

Quote from: recomer on July 11, 2012, 08:11:59 PM

Possible this what you're looking for?

http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/sku/American_Motors/Eagle/Spectra/Fuel_Tank/1983/DL_SX4/4_Cyl_2-dot-5L/SPIAMC1.html?intcmpid=Product+Listings+Best+Seller

Amazon has it too..

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000C7RZ2C/ref=asc_df_B000C7RZ2C2089955?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=pg-93-95-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B000C7RZ2C

And so does JC Whitney

http://www.jcwhitney.com/spectra-fuel-tank/p2022711.jcwx?filterid=d17210y1983g913j1

I'm pretty sure those won't fit the small body Eagles, even though the item listed on JC Whitney says it will. The SX/4 and Kammback tanks have the sending unit on the front of the tank, not on the top. Of course the pictures they show may be incorrect, but I've never heard of new tanks being available for the small Eagles.

TheWraith · « **Reply #20 on:** July 12, 2012, 07:39:09 AM »

Several years back I bought a '70 Chevrolet pickup truck. The fuel tank had heavy scaly rust in it. Took it to a radiator shop that first cleaned the inside, then coated it with some sort of liner. I don't know how he did it or what he used, but it worked. My brother has the truck now and many years later the tank is still as good as day one. That liner is holding strong. Impressive.

My point is that it is do-able...assuming the chemicals he used aren't illegal now days. Suggest you call around to different radiator shops. Maybe you'll get lucky and find a knowledgeable shop like I did.

85AmCfreak · « **Reply #21 on:** July 12, 2012, 08:16:25 AM »

I actually went to a local radiator shop and asked about boiling the gas tank. The owner told me that they no longer boil the tanks because it causes the tank to rust more quickly. Apparently by boiling the tank you are destroying the galvanized coating on the inside of the tank. As for the autopartswarehouse, Jc whitney and amazon tanks recomer mentioned, unfortunately they seem to be for the larger eagles. Considering they are 22 gallons and the spirt/ sx-4 tank is 21. The radiator shop used a pebble method to clean my tank. It does Looks great. But he told me that if I was going to keep the car, that I should start sourcing a tank sooner than later.

shaggimo · « **Reply #22 on:** July 12, 2012, 09:26:16 AM »

You just may have to take the time and make one from a cherokee tank......Probably cause less headaches, you can have a brand new one, and not have to worry about it for years to come

.

midtownboarder · « **Reply #23 on:** July 12, 2012, 11:41:01 AM »

Quote from: mudkicker715 on July 11, 2012, 10:12:51 PM

I tried to come across as a retard. keep in mind acid eats. caustic eats. i am only telling you to say a solvent is useless. you need one of those miracles in a can. or make somthing work. Sorry

i've used diluted muriatic acid to clean heater cores out before, so i guess that's more what i was thinking...

68AMXGOPAC · « **Reply #24 on:** July 12, 2012, 11:46:31 AM »

Ok, just commenting on this in perspective. I do motorcycle tanks, so obviously less expensive.

I use Rusteco ( expensive allmost $300 for a 5 gallon bucket )
I use that to dissolve and treat the rust, it also pretty much cleans it too, and is non toxic.
The pebble ( or what have you ) method works for loose scale.
I made a simple tank tumbler up for the cycle tanks, and use ball bearings, nuts, bolts, rocks, even broken up old car windshield glass, it all works.But in your case you would have to shake it around by hand, so I wouldn't put a whole lot of liquid in it , at 8+ lbs. a gallon.After that -
I rinse and rinse and rinse and then get it dry , and the NAPA sells the POR brand stuff to coat it with.
Coat it ASAP , bare metal will oxidize ( though not seen by the naked eye ) in a very short time.
Car exhaust makes condensation inside the tank.......

I have seen places listed that will do this,but it may be location specific,I am in NY.
Good luck .

Draekon · « **Reply #25 on:** July 12, 2012, 01:19:34 PM »

Small eagles have the fuel gauge sending unit and fuel pickup mounted on the front of the tank. Those pictures show the hole on the top of the tank. Looks like it might be a big eagle tank, even though they list it for an sx4.

Oops, didnt see that this was already mentioned.

recomer · « **Reply #26 on:** July 12, 2012, 01:53:04 PM »

Quote from: Draekon on July 12, 2012, 01:19:34 PM

Small eagles have the fuel gauge sending unit and fuel pickup mounted on the front of the tank. Those pictures show the hole on the top of the tank. Looks like it might be a big eagle tank, even though they list it for an sx4.

Oops, didnt see that this was already mentioned.

I just emailed the maker of those tanks (Spectra). Will see what they say.

lapoltba · « **Reply #27 on:** July 12, 2012, 02:06:23 PM »

Quote

I just emailed the maker of those tanks (Spectra). Will see what they say.

Funny you say that.... I just did the same exact thing.

carnuck · « **Reply #28 on:** July 12, 2012, 02:16:36 PM »

I already know that tank won't work (a customer ordered one from another employee after I told him it was wrong and then tried to return it)

recomer · « **Reply #29 on:** July 13, 2012, 08:56:52 AM »

I sent an e-mail to Spectra Premium Industries Inc (the maker of those fuel tanks) and included drawings from TSM of the different fuel tanks.

Their reply was "Thanks for the valuable information, I will foward it to the fuel department for review. For now Spectra Premium Industries only supply the tank with the sender unit hole on top."

shaggimo · « **Reply #30 on:** July 13, 2012, 09:10:12 AM »

Interesting......Maybe if there's enough demand they'll actually reproduce tanks and senders? That would be sweet, I'd buy one just for personal inventory, lol.

vangremlin · « **Reply #31 on:** July 13, 2012, 09:23:31 AM »

Quote from: shaggimo on July 13, 2012, 09:10:12 AM

Interesting......Maybe if there's enough demand they'll actually reproduce tanks and senders? That would be sweet, I'd buy one just for personal inventory, lol.

New sending units are available for SX/4's and Kammbacks. I can't remember if the normal AMC vendors have them or if I got mine from a specialty vendor but they are out there, cost about $130 4 years ago.

shaggimo · « **Reply #32 on:** July 13, 2012, 09:25:44 AM »

Good to know Van,

.

carnuck · « **Reply #33 on:** July 13, 2012, 02:16:50 PM »

Someone mentioned a Mustang tank being close some time back.

Author Topic: Direct tank replacement SX-4? (Read 13607 times)

Prafeston

Prafeston

Prafeston

68AMXGOPAC