Fuel Tank Adventure | The Longhorn Engineer

The previous owner of the DJ jeep mentioned that water kept getting into the fuel tank. This will be fun to get working. A flat blade screwdriver and a hammer tapping on the fuel sender locking ring and we can get a look inside.

This fuel sender looks like it was on the Titanic.

That is a lot of rust inside the tank :(

The tank dropped out with the removable of 6 bolts and tons of dirt and rust.

I took the fuel tank straps off and pulled the tank off the skid… The skid has traces of old gas and varnish on it… Not a good sign for the integrity of the tank.

Filling the tank with water confirms my fears. The tank leaks.

I could try repairing the tank by removing all the rust and applying a liner but I think I am going to change to a CJ-5 Jeep Tank. Some searching online shows this won’t be a direct swap but it I should be able to make it work.

I ordered the following:

MTS Company 0051 Fuel Tank
- Fits the 1978-1986 CJ Jeeps
- This is a plastic tank that fits CJ-5 and CJ-7 Jeeps
Omix-Ada 17724.09 Fuel Pickup and Sender
- OE Reference: 5357373K
Crown Automotive J5357023 Fuel Tank Skid
- My original skid does not fit the CJ-5/7 plastic tanks
Spectra Premium ST60 Fuel Tank Straps

Tank assembled with the new sending unit, tank straps, and skid. I added some 1/16″ thick rubber between where the metal contacted the plastic tank.

The skid needed some trimming and holes drilled to make it fit the DJ frame and cross members. The tank and straps did not need to be modified.

One of the problems with this tank is that it moves the sending unit. Not a problem for the wiring and fuel hoses but the access panel for the sender doesn’t line up anymore. Not a problem for a angle grinder though.

I cut the access panel large enough to access the new location of the sending unit and then riveted in some aluminum strips so I could screw down an aluminum plate to cover the hole.

Still need to see why the fuel gauge doesn’t work but the sender works and the tank hooks up to the stock filler hoses for this 1979 DJ.

Here is how the fuel lines are routed up to the engine. The fuel comes from the tank in a 5/16″ line into a clear fuel filter. This goes into the intake side of the mechanical fuel pump. From the fuel pump it goes into another metal fuel filter. This fuel filter has a bypass line that has a restrictor inside. Bypass line is 1/4″ diameter and the smaller of the two barbs on the fuel filter. This goes back to the fuel tank. The other outlet of the fuel filter is 5/16″ and goes to the carburetor. The bypass line keeps fuel pressure down when the bowl float valve closes and allows the fuel pump to keep fuel moving in the lines to prevent vapor locking… in theory at least :)

Now lets see if the new fuel sender works with the old crusty fuel gauge.