Vegabee fuel(and wiring)
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2012 10:11 pm
Gas tank is in
Well,I wanted a new fuel tank,not a cell but a factory galv. tank that is readily available.After browsing different models it dawned on me that a 55'-57' Chevy tank has the inlet on the driver side which fills by the tail light.If that tank is rotated 180 the inlet faces the pass side in the vicinity of the Vega inlet pipe from the quarter panel.So I got a Spectra tank that has a built in fuel trough and in tank pump with round corners.
The inlet and outlet areas.
Also wanted the tank centered so that meant cutting the tire tub
Saving as much sheet metal as I can just went around the tub,trimmed at the bottom of the quarter panel and angle cut between the two.
Using some 16 gauge galv. put a 90 bend long way to make a shelf for the larger sheet to sit on
Cleaned the area put a little weld through primer on there and tacked in
Got a card board template going for the large sheet
Put a 1 inch drop bend at 45 deg to give strength and get the sheet down to the shelf sheet.traced and cut the sheet and tacked
With the floor sheet in,extra pieces at rear areas.A rod template for a moon like filler.
Welded all the way around the top of the main floor sheet.Set back another area with a small sheet to clear the sending unit and welded it up.
One final piece to cap the bottom of the cut tub
Welded all the way around and stitch welded to the left under the bracing to the inside quarter panel.Made a brace sheet with a 90 on it and welded it on top.since there is no reason to open this area any more will screw down some plywood to to the brace and around the edges ans cover with carpet.
Get that tank up and back as far as possible to clear the pan hard bar.
Good clearance on each side.Enough for mufflers?Dynomax VTs?Sure is
Purchased a set of 57' Chevy tank straps but had to trim the length and re drill them.Made slotted strap tabs
Fitted the straps,tacked and welded on the tabs
drilled and tapped the front tube and cut and re drilled the straps.
fits good
Turning to the filler piping.First cut out the rest of the old tank brackets for clearance
Picked up an arm full of pipe to get started
Cleaned up the original cap/filler pipe.Best bet is an adapter to bring down the pipe size on the tank.
Had to cut and shorten the Vega filler to raise some as to get as much slant as possible to the tank and to clear the exhaust.
A muffler shop carefully expanded the pipe to slip over the cut piece.This is thin stuff!
Galv. pipe,as well as gal. sheet,is soldered together from the factory so that's what I did also.When I used some aluminized,I ground that off,tinned and soldered it.
Actually welded the adapter to a curved pipe though and found the correct install angles and tacked it together.Then carefully soldered it to the tank inlet
Hey the inlet is that close now to the filler.Could not get by with a straight fuel hose no matter hoe hard I tried so this is a Gates 45 Deg.
Care full cutting,that's a $30 hose
Alright.
Well,I wanted a new fuel tank,not a cell but a factory galv. tank that is readily available.After browsing different models it dawned on me that a 55'-57' Chevy tank has the inlet on the driver side which fills by the tail light.If that tank is rotated 180 the inlet faces the pass side in the vicinity of the Vega inlet pipe from the quarter panel.So I got a Spectra tank that has a built in fuel trough and in tank pump with round corners.
The inlet and outlet areas.
Also wanted the tank centered so that meant cutting the tire tub
Saving as much sheet metal as I can just went around the tub,trimmed at the bottom of the quarter panel and angle cut between the two.
Using some 16 gauge galv. put a 90 bend long way to make a shelf for the larger sheet to sit on
Cleaned the area put a little weld through primer on there and tacked in
Got a card board template going for the large sheet
Put a 1 inch drop bend at 45 deg to give strength and get the sheet down to the shelf sheet.traced and cut the sheet and tacked
With the floor sheet in,extra pieces at rear areas.A rod template for a moon like filler.
Welded all the way around the top of the main floor sheet.Set back another area with a small sheet to clear the sending unit and welded it up.
One final piece to cap the bottom of the cut tub
Welded all the way around and stitch welded to the left under the bracing to the inside quarter panel.Made a brace sheet with a 90 on it and welded it on top.since there is no reason to open this area any more will screw down some plywood to to the brace and around the edges ans cover with carpet.
Get that tank up and back as far as possible to clear the pan hard bar.
Good clearance on each side.Enough for mufflers?Dynomax VTs?Sure is
Purchased a set of 57' Chevy tank straps but had to trim the length and re drill them.Made slotted strap tabs
Fitted the straps,tacked and welded on the tabs
drilled and tapped the front tube and cut and re drilled the straps.
fits good
Turning to the filler piping.First cut out the rest of the old tank brackets for clearance
Picked up an arm full of pipe to get started
Cleaned up the original cap/filler pipe.Best bet is an adapter to bring down the pipe size on the tank.
Had to cut and shorten the Vega filler to raise some as to get as much slant as possible to the tank and to clear the exhaust.
A muffler shop carefully expanded the pipe to slip over the cut piece.This is thin stuff!
Galv. pipe,as well as gal. sheet,is soldered together from the factory so that's what I did also.When I used some aluminized,I ground that off,tinned and soldered it.
Actually welded the adapter to a curved pipe though and found the correct install angles and tacked it together.Then carefully soldered it to the tank inlet
Hey the inlet is that close now to the filler.Could not get by with a straight fuel hose no matter hoe hard I tried so this is a Gates 45 Deg.
Care full cutting,that's a $30 hose
Alright.