NAS110 gas tank bolt questions help

[El Pinchi]

Hey Chris,

Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: San Diego, CA USA
Posts: 289
Registry
Fuel tank bolt questions
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris snell View Post
Finally got this project finished a couple of weekends back. It took quite awhile and there were some setbacks along the way. It started as a project to install a Dixon-Bate tow jaw. I quickly realized that I would have to drop the tank to install the jaw, so I figured that I might as well install a new fuel tank skid while I was at it. Since I was dropping the tank, I also might as well install a new fuel pump, too.

The fuel tank skid came from Stephen Peters (safarirover). It is a great product and a good value. It is made from aluminum; I took mine to the power coaters and had it coated semi-gloss black to match the tire carrier. They did a nice job.

The first complication came when I removed the hex cap screws that hold the skid in place. They were rusty and I had neglected to hose them down with Liquid Wrench in the days leading up to the repair. When I put a wrench on one of them, the head twisted off the body of the bolt. I tried a bolt extractor, only to have that break off in there as well. I ended up grinding the entire square reinforcing plate (including broken bolt) and welding on a new plate that I cut from a piece of steel bar. Once that was welded on, I drilled and tapped it, then painted it to match the crossmember and I was back in business.

Problems continued when I tried to disconnect the fuel lines. The feed line came off without a hitch but the return line had apparently been cross-threaded by the last person to work on them. The threads stripped out and I was left with this mess:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/defende...7624474481858/

After a futile search for a new set of SS fuel lines, I decided to take the "Ron-good" method. I cut the hose and line and used a short piece of flared hard line, along with some fuel-grade tubing and SS hose clamps, and spliced the line.

On a side note, if you are doing this project, you can disconnect the fuel vapor vent line (with the green connector) by bending a section of a wire coat hanger into a "U" and pressing the ends into the fitting. It comes right apart; no special tool needed.

The D-B jaw was also a pain in the ass. A few months back, I estimated the length of the bolts needed to mount the jaw and ordered some from McMaster. Once the fuel tank was out, however, I realized that I had ordered them too long. I re-measured and re-ordered, only to realize that I had neglected to factor in the thickness of my Expeditionware backing plate. Crap. I carefully measured for a third time--the proper length is 100mm, for those that are doing this project--and placed yet another McMaster order and was finally able to install my tow jaw.

For the reinstallation of the skid plate, I sourced some type 316 stainless steel hex cap screws and washers and used a liberal application of anti-seize on these.

Still, the problems continued. Everything was put back together but the truck wouldn't start. I could hear the fuel pump but it wasn't getting fuel. Another de-assembly and re-assembly later, it was determined that the fuel lines were reversed at the fuel pump. Fuck. Lesson learned: don't do these things late at night.

The finished product looks awesome and it was worth the sweat equity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/defende...7624474481858/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/defende...7624474481858/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/defende...7624474481858/
Hey Chris, I need to replace the gas tank on my NAS 110. Got all the parts from Zack at RN. Regarding the bolts that break off are they these in my pics? Any other ones I have to be careful with? I plan to PB blast them for about a week and tap them often too. Do you recall the party number for the as bilts from mcmasters? Do you know if anyone makes an alloy skid for the Nas 110? Thanks for your help, Eddie
Attached Thumbnails

 

[Uncle Douglas]

Big difference between doing this on a NAS 90 and a NAS 110. On a 110 the skid is often/usually stuck to the tank with and tar like adhesive pad that is/was meant to act as a cushion between the 2. The 110 tank skid is held by 4 studs, remove the fill hose,the evap recovery hoses (next to the fill) and breather that goes up to the filler cap, unplug the sending unit on left side, remove the 4 nuts and washers holding the tank and skid up and lower down. The filler neck needs to be fished out over the rh frame rail so you want the left/drivers side of the tank to drop lower. Once about 1/2 way down you can access the fuel line connection on top of the tank. The pump has a round rubber covered plug that needs to be uncoupled. If your truck has a rear sway bar you need to drop it from the frame brackets to allow the tank to drop.

Sometimes (depends on the length of the bolts used), the two bolts through the chassis that attach the forward legs of your rear bumper need to be removed

dropping 1 with fuel in it sucks as it sloshes around and makes it a bit more of a wrestling match.

 

[Overlander]

Doug covered it all and I've done it several times. hardest part is balancing the tank on a jack going back up. I've always done it alone. if you have someone else to help hold and balance the tank, it really is not a hard job.

dropping the sway bar is a must.

 

[El Pinchi]

Big difference between doing this on a NAS 90 and a NAS 110. On a 110 the skid is often/usually stuck to the tank with and tar like adhesive pad that is/was meant to act as a cushion between the 2. The 110 tank skid is held by 4 studs, remove the fill hose,the evap recovery hoses (next to the fill) and breather that goes up to the filler cap, unplug the sending unit on left side, remove the 4 nuts and washers holding the tank and skid up and lower down. The filler neck needs to be fished out over the rh frame rail so you want the left/drivers side of the tank to drop lower. Once about 1/2 way down you can access the fuel line connection on top of the tank. The pump has a round rubber covered plug that needs to be uncoupled. If your truck has a rear sway bar you need to drop it from the frame brackets to allow the tank to drop.

Sometimes (depends on the length of the bolts used), the two bolts through the chassis that attach the forward legs of your rear bumper need to be removed

dropping 1 with fuel in it sucks as it sloshes around and makes it a bit more of a wrestling match.

Thanks Doug and Mark this is good inf. My biggest fear are the bolts that everyone talks about breaking off. are they the big ones in the picture with the flanges/washers on them? Looks like there are only two right? I just started to tap them and apply PB. Blaster and will continue this for about a week. Someone mention in another thread about applying POR 15 to the tank to prevent corrosion.

Will I need to prep or clean the inside of the tank?
Pump or sender need any special priming or testing before actually installing them?
Sorry about all the question but I want to try this on my own. The indy rover shop I normally used quoted me $1900. They wanted $500 alone for the tank whereas Zack got me ALL the parts including shipping for under $450. Its a proline tank.

Thanks guys

 

[Uncle Douglas]

The bolts that break off are on 90's.

Don't put anything inside the tank. definitely paint or even rattlecan bedline it to further protect it.

The pictures above are all outside the frame rails. The fuel tank is between the two frame rails. The 4 nuts holding the tank in are very apparent.
PB Blaster and wd40 aren't very good. We use Kroil exclusively. Far better penetrant

If you break one of the front ones on a 110, replacement is easy. The rear two, not so much

 

[Uncle Douglas]

Sounds like you arent that familiar with working on these trucks. Suggest you start by downloading the service manual for a 110 off the web and print out the applicable pages.

 

[Overlander]

by the way, whenever I do a new tank, I always break open the drain bolt then put it back on. It is extremely useful. I highly recommend you make sure it never rusts shut. that day may come where someone will fill your tank with petrol. It never happened to me, but if it did, I would be prepared. it's also handy for draining the tank before dropping it for any maintenance reason.

I was the one that would POR15 and then bedline the tank on the outside before installing. The rust on the top of the tank forms on the middle waste seam where water can sit. I fill the seam with the bedliner so that there is no water trap.

 

[javelinadave]

I have a plastic Td5 tank on my 110. It has no drain hole but when I dropped the tank on the AlCan trip I just removed the filler hose and syphoned the fuel into a few gas cans before dropping it. If the bolts from the skid plate come free it isn't a bad job.

 

[BarryO]

The first complication came when I removed the hex cap screws that hold the skid in place. They were rusty and I had neglected to hose them down with Liquid Wrench in the days leading up to the repair. When I put a wrench on one of them, the head twisted off the body of the bolt. I tried a bolt extractor, only to have that break off in there as well.

LOL, did the same thing when I dropped the tank on my 90 several years ago. In my case, the issue was dirt and grit getting on the almost-inaccessible threads sticking through the other side. if you don't get those somehow cleaned off, when you go to unscrew the bolts, the bits of grit gets drawn into the threads that are screwed into the panel, effectively wedging the bolt in place.

When you break the Easy-Out, you then have to deal with a piece of hardened steel that drill bits won't touch. I used a carbide bit on a Dremel to grind that out. Then drilled out the remainder of the bolt with left-handed drill bits, stepping up in size until the fragment came loose.