Fuel Tank Replacement

[projectnut]

As some of you may already know several years ago, I built a Cad Trac articulated end loader for landscaping projects around the house. It's been used on and off for close to 20 years. This summer we've noticed a smell of gas in the garage every time we pass by it. A close inspection revealed fuel leaking at the port to the fuel pump and several cracks in the bottom of the tank.

I ordered a replacement tank and what I thought would be the necessary hardware to install it early in June. When it arrived, it was obvious the mounting tabs were damaged. It took several days for the vendor to acknowledge the problem, and several more days before I got it repaired. Installation should have been the easy part, but not this time. I had to order additional AN fittings and fuel line to adapt it to the existing fuel pump. After several attempts to attach the line to the pump I finally gave up on the stainless shielded fuel line and started searching out the proper OD rubber line. I say proper OD in that the line had to fit tight inside the AN fittings and the outside of the existing fuel pump inlet tube. After several tries, I found the right stuff at a local commercial mower repair shop.

I got the mounting plate and standoffs. made, but once again the project got put off to the side. It took a couple weeks before I could get back to complete the plumbing. Then the hot weather hit and things once again ground to a halt. The majority of the time was now being spent on adding a second zone to the AC system in the house and repairing the garage at the family cottage.

Finally, yesterday I was able to complete the (temporary) project by adding the fuel gauge and giving it a test run. I managed once again to extend an afternoon project into a 3-month marathon, and it still isn't finished. The first picture is the old tank. The others are the new tank in its temporary location. Eventually a heat shield will be added below the tank and the tank itself will be lowered.

 

[Dave Smith]

As some of you may already know several years ago, I built a Cad Trac articulated end loader for landscaping projects around the house. It's been used on and off for close to 20 years. This summer we've noticed a smell of gas in the garage every time we pass by it. A close inspection revealed fuel leaking at the port to the fuel pump and several cracks in the bottom of the tank.

I ordered a replacement tank and what I thought would be the necessary hardware to install it early in June. When it arrived, it was obvious the mounting tabs were damaged. It took several days for the vendor to acknowledge the problem, and several more days before I got it repaired. Installation should have been the easy part, but not this time. I had to order additional AN fittings and fuel line to adapt it to the existing fuel pump. After several attempts to attach the line to the pump I finally gave up on the stainless shielded fuel line and started searching out the proper OD rubber line. I say proper OD in that the line had to fit tight inside the AN fittings and the outside of the existing fuel pump inlet tube. After several tries, I found the right stuff at a local commercial mower repair shop.

I got the mounting plate and standoffs. made, but once again the project got put off to the side. It took a couple weeks before I could get back to complete the plumbing. Then the hot weather hit and things once again ground to a halt. The majority of the time was now being spent on adding a second zone to the AC system in the house and repairing the garage at the family cottage.

Finally, yesterday I was able to complete the (temporary) project by adding the fuel gauge and giving it a test run. I managed once again to extend an afternoon project into a 3-month marathon, and it still isn't finished. The first picture is the old tank. The others are the new tank in its temporary location. Eventually a heat shield will be added below the tank and the tank itself will be lowered.

I like homemade articulated tractors and I have two of them---I didn't make them but couldn't pass them up for my collection of neat homemade items. you should have kept your fuel line system simple the old fashioned way. good to see your loader and it looks like it will do the job.
Dave

 

[RJSakowski]

It's funny in a weird sort of way how those quick fixes tend to turn into drawn out affairs.

 

[C-Bag]

It's funny in a weird sort of way how those quick fixes tend to turn into drawn out affairs.

I often wonder if that's because of our extended ability because of the machines to do better repairs? In the past because I had no alternative I'd bodge it together and be done with it for a while. Sometimes years or decades but it was always in the back of my mind like an itch.