I am contemplating either removing and cleaning or replacing the gas tank on my brother's 74 Duster. The Duster sat outside for at least a year before my brother bought it, and it has been sitting in my garage for about three or four years now. I know there is bad gas and other crud in the tank. Is it worth it to remove and rehabilitate the original tank or is it more cost effective in the long run to just install a new tank? Any issues to watch out for with a new tank? Any known vendors of superior quality?

Thanks or the input.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

New correct tanks come from Spectra Premium, a Canadian outfit. You can buy them (and the tank straps) via RockAuto, which means you can drop the price with one of those 5% discount codes that's always around.

Tank refurb would consist of removal, disassembly (sender, etc.), boil-out, repair of any holes, and sealing with a good grade of alcohol-proof fuel tank sealer. I can easily imagine it being equally or less expensive and much faster and easier to just swap new.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks Dan. I am leaning strongly towards just getting a new tank. I was only hesitant because I didn't know if there were any decent reproduction tanks available. Now that I know that there are and they aren't made in China, I will probably just go for a new tank.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Interesting. eBay seller tomsclassic has what appears to be the Spectra Premium gas tank for a 74 Duster for sale for much less than Rockauto. See HERE. $145 with shipping on eBay vs. $162.79 plus shipping on Rockauto. The eBay auction is the same part number as Rockauto lists. Hmmmmm.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I don't see indication in that auction that the tank is a Spectra item. Do you?

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Go to Summit and they have quality re-line kits for sixty bucks and less, it is a five to six hour process and 24 hour wait before you may re-install

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1971 Plymouth Duster

It doesn't specifically say "tank manufactured by Spectra Premium, but it is the same part number that Spectra Premium uses (CR11E). I know a part number is arbitrary and not conclusive evidence of anything, so I asked the seller who manufactures the tank being sold on eBay. I'll report back what I learn.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I say you clean your old tank. New stuff these days is just junk. Compare any old piece off your car to a new reproduction and 90% of the time the new part is a piece of crap compared to the original one. It may look all nice and shiny but it's made from cheap labor with cheap materials. I would bet an old tank that hasn't been abused would outlast a new one, but that's just my opinion.

Get under the vehicle and remove the sending unit for a good indication of the tank's condition.
Sometimes the sender comes out with only minor discoloration & wear showing that the inside of the tank is likely servicable with a "quick cleaning".
Other times, the sender look like crap, like rusty-crusty... see that and it's time for a different tank.
DD

Uh-huh. See here.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Thanks for the input. I haven't dropped the tank yet. That hopefully will happen this winter when i get back to doing some serious work on this Duster. I suspect the tank is full of crud because the motor was running smoothly until I ran it at 2500 RPM for about 20 minutes during an attempt to clean out the internals of the motor. After the extended high RPM run, the motor idled poorly and would die. Either the carb crapped out or some crud go sucked into the fuel line.

I will investigate the restoration route further when the time comes. Meanwhile, I am still waiting to hear back from the eBay seller of the new tank.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

First response from the seller (in toto):

"This is our store brand tank."



I sent them a second message asking:

"But what company physically manufactures the tank? Do you? You use the same part number as Spectra Premium. Is this a Spectra Premium tank or do you just use the same part number?"

We will see what the next response is.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Also: "Where (country) is this tank manufactured?".

(So we already know it's not a Spectra tank…)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Got my answer from the eBay seller:

"This is not a Spectra Premium tank, but we do carry the Spectra tanks as well. These tanks are made overseas and go through similar quality control and manufacturing processes. We do offer the same 3 year warranty on these tanks as well. The major difference between the tanks is the finish, the Spectra tank has a zinc alloy finish (Niterne) and these tanks are painted. If you have any more questions please do not hesitate to ask."

(1) "These tanks are made overseas" sounds like a euphemism for "These tanks are made in China."
(2) "The major difference between the tanks is the finish, the Spectra tank has a zinc alloy finish (Niterne) and these tanks are painted." Sounds like the more expensive Spectra Premium tank has the correct finish to withstand corrosive fuel while the cheap "store brand" painted tanks do not.

Scratch the eBay tank. If I get a new one, I am going with a Spectra Premium unit from Rockauto.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Riiiiiight. "Overseas".
Bulk wrap.
Right, and I'm so sure that's the only difference. Everything else is "up" to finest made-in-China quality standards!
"I got one: How do you sleep at night?"

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.