Hi all,

I found a 240 that has "little to no rust" that is within my price range. The owner says that it runs and drives but that there is rust in the gas tank, so it would need to be cleaned out. How serious is something like this? Is it something that I could do on a Saturday and not have to worry about it for another few years, or is it going to bother me frequently?

Thanks!

Filipe

Dropping the fuel tank is a fairly easy job. If I remember correctly there is a drain plug on the S30 fuel tanks. There are kits available that will clean out the rust and coat the inside of the tank to prevent future rust. You could also swap in a clean tank from a donor Z, I'm sure there are members with replacement tanks available.

Good luck on your purchase!

_________________
Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

I have actually never been able to drop a 240Z tank by my own effort. I don't consider myself to be a Wuss, but the ones I've tried to tackle had rusted support bands (bolts refused to turn without snapping off) and there were 5 hoses on one tank and 6 on the next one I tried. Two of the hoses connected to the TOP of the tank, which was pretty inaccessible from under the car, and there was no 'hatch' above the tank to access them from that way, either. The hoses were old and worn on the two parts cars I worked on, and they crumbled when I tried to twist them off the tank. Had I been trying to preserve the cars instead of parting them out, I would have been in a real pickle replacing those hoses.

All in all, I scrapped two useable tanks because I couldn't get them out of the car alone. AND I got a load of rust flakes in my eyes both times.

**This should not be a reason NOT to buy a Z, tho.**

"Qualified mechanics" in shops with tools can swap out tanks kwickly for not a lot of money. Rusty tanks will foul fuel lines and fuel pumps, but cleaning those out is less of a hassle than dropping that stupid tank has been for me. The seller probably just doesn't want to deal with the trouble of dropping his own tank and flushing the fuel line himself, maybe.

I simply don't recommend trying it yourself ~ take it to a 'real' mechanic and pay him to take a rust bath. That way if the hoses break apart, he's the one who has to replace them, not you.

Just my experience ~ your mileage may vary. Surely there are Z guyz in here who have dropped their 240 tanks without catastrophic thermonuclear results.

Frank

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1970 240Z

Gee Frank, I apologize if I misled Filipe. The S130 has an access panel in the hatch area which allows you to easily remove the hoses from the top. I should know, I removed my tank 3 times in one summer a few years ago. I'm still looking for a replacement tank...

_________________
Phil
1981 280zxt - Now in the care my son!
2014 370Z Sports Touring Roadster

See, this is why I love this place. You guys are awesome. Thanks so much.

Frank, what are the chances that a shop would actually want to take on a 240?? I feel like they would look at her and get scared (because of age and potentially damaging the hoses, then being liable) !

There are Z shops which do that sort of stuff for a living and it wouldn't be anything for them to do another one. The Z31 was much improved over the S30 in many ways. I guess they listened to their mechanics' stories and complaints and redesigned the car with eZier maintenance in mind.

We sure know Phil had little or no problems replacing his tank a couple years ago ~ did it single handedly at home because of a very unusual fuel system phenomenon which caused the tank to collapse .

Bryan Little and John Taddonio and AirJockie and Phrog (I think) have all dropped their S30 tanks for different reasons, and each experience varied.

It helps a lot when everything is clean and unrusted under there!

Frank

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1970 240Z

Gotcha!

Thanks again for the clarification, I'll keep it in mind when i go check it out.

When there's a will.... there's a way!

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Justin
1986 Z31 NA 2+0

YUP! And gravity rules, anyway, so the tank actually WANTS to come out for you if you "let" it.

Some other members surely have had better experiences with this Tank/Gravity formula than I've had?


Frank

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1970 240Z

Speaking from personal experience:

240Z gas tank removal is EASY. Yes, most straps are rusted and the hoses are rotted, but it can be done by yourself if necessary. Two people is highly recommended.

Finding a clean 240 gas tank today is nearly impossible. They are long time NLA from Nissan and a 280 tank will not fit. If you find a tank that is not perforated with rust (meaning HOLES, not surface rust), it can be saved.

First, disconnect the battery. Then drain the tank from the drain plug in the center. Be aware that if the tank has been sitting, the former gas that comes out will be dirty and SMELLY. Do this OUTDOORS and have a fire extigusher nearby.

If the "J" bolts are badly rusted, and most likely they are, spray them liberally with PB Blaster or another such product a few days beforehand. If you can't free the nut on the J bolt enough to remove it from it's bracket, you may be forced to cut the bolt. DO NOT cut the strap! Unfotunately 240Z "J" bolts are no longer available as well, but can be found used if you look hard enough. If not, you will have to fabricate a similar bolt to use.

Remove the electrical connections from the sending unit. Just above the sending unit are the supply and return hose connections. Loosen the clamps and GENTLY pull the hoses off. The tube fittings attached to the tank are VERY FRAGILE so be careful not to pull on them, only the hoses, otherwise you can snap them off.

There are three more emission hoses attached to the tank, one on top, one at the rear and one on the driver side. Put a jack under the tank (with appropriate padding) and once the support straps are free SLOWLY lower the tank until you have access to the hose clamps so you can release them. ** AT THIS TIME, you must also disconnect the fuel filler hose! Remove the right rear wheel. There is an access panel screwed into the wheel well. Remove the panel which will give you access to the clamp that holds the filler hose to the tank. This may be frozen as well, so be prepared to do battle with it. The filler hose itself is probably hard by this time, so take your time with it. (New filler hosed are still available from Nissan for about $100). Once all the hoses are free, lower the tank to the ground.

Reinstall in reverse order of above. You should install a new sending unit and "O" ring as well. Still available from Nissan for about $50.

HERE ARE YOUR OPTIONS FOR REFURBISHING THE TANK:
1) After it airs out for a few days, take it to you local radiator shop to be boiled out and pressure tested. If there is a minor leak, they can repair that. If it passes, just paint up the exterior with POR15 and you are good to go.
2) There is a franchise company called "Gas Tank ReNu" with locations across the country. You can ship your tank to these folks and they will cut it in half at the seam and seal-coat it at high temperature, then weld it back together. It costs about $600 but the tank is guaranteed for life.
3) Many companies such as Eastwood sell a product that you can "slush around" inside the tank to coat over rust. I've heard good and bad things about this, but from what I undertand, if you don't properly prepare the tank, the coating can come free and clog your entire fuel system. Not good.

That's it. If you need a tank, check ebay or the Z network. If you need J bolts, check with some ZCARNUTS out there, including me.

BY THE WAY, an early 260Z tank WILL fit in a 240Z, the only difference being the size of the return line fitting on the tank.

FWIW....

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John Taddonio
1970 240Z
1977 530Z
1984 300ZXT
zcarnut@hotmail.com
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