It's never easy. The new sender came yesterday, so I picked up some new fuel hose and crawled under the truck and modified the wiring (the new sender requires a 12V feed) and then went to screw the sender in place, they were both using the universal sender bolt pattern so that was at least simple. While trying to drain out a little more fuel to make the tank easier to install something was rattling around, so the sender came back out so I could look inside the tank which is when I noticed that the baffle in the tank had broken it's welds and fallen to the bottom of the tank. This is a stainless tank built by Chris Case, and it's very nice, but was one of his earlier tanks and one of the first diesel tanks he'd built. Regardless I'm left figuring out how I want to fix it. I don't want the baffle just laying inside the tank and it's obvious that it was doing it's job by the fact it broke loose, though from what I could see it may benefit from some modification to reduce some of the stress.
Right now I'm thinking a "C" shaped cut along the top where the baffle goes so I can peel it back slightly and get the baffle out and probably weld on some brackets to the bottom and side of the baffle. I can plug weld those from the bottom and sides then re-weld the top closed, welding the top of the baffle to the tank as I do. It minimizes welds below the fuel line and should be strong enough if I get the brackets right. Otherwise the option is to cut the end off the tank, weld the baffle back inside and re-install the end, which is how it was built originally but that's a lot more welding of an important joint, and I'm not that confident in my welding skills.
First I have to figure out how to clean this tank out enough to cut and weld on it.
Right now I'm thinking a "C" shaped cut along the top where the baffle goes so I can peel it back slightly and get the baffle out and probably weld on some brackets to the bottom and side of the baffle. I can plug weld those from the bottom and sides then re-weld the top closed, welding the top of the baffle to the tank as I do. It minimizes welds below the fuel line and should be strong enough if I get the brackets right. Otherwise the option is to cut the end off the tank, weld the baffle back inside and re-install the end, which is how it was built originally but that's a lot more welding of an important joint, and I'm not that confident in my welding skills.
First I have to figure out how to clean this tank out enough to cut and weld on it.
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