out with the old

[gusbratz]

got the old bed off and the new dump bed fabed up. also got the old leaf springs off and the new ones put on. Next project will be brazeing up the holes in the gas tank and re-installing it. it was thrown in the back of the truck when i bought it. plowed all winter with that little jerry can.

[gusbratz]

nothing like playing driveway mechanic in the mud.

[Kevin Tighe]

Brazing fuel tank

40 years ago I blew up my fathers Jeep CJ5 fuel tank trying to braze some pin holes. I have been afraid to try it again ever since. Now I have a M37 tank that needs fixing. How is this done safely and correctly?

[Matthew Ziegler]

gas tanks

I knew an old machinist, guy could do anything, who used to run a hose from the exhaust of a running car to the inlet of whatever tank he was fixing truck, tractor motorcycle whatever, once he was sure the exhaust had displaced or neutralized the fumes, he would braze or silver solder away. It's a cool technique but I wouldn't recomment trying it, take it to your local radiatior shop they can solder them. much much safer

[gusbratz]

boy i have sure done a bunch of them by just filling them with water a few times and rinsing them out. never had a problem. this one has sat empty in the bed of this truck for so many years it dosen't even smell like gas anymore. that is a neat trick with exaust... i have used argon before to put a blanket on big lube oil tanks i welded on with them full.

[Paddyofurniture]

When I was in the military I watch some one weld a gas tank. Even being washed out a number of times there was still enough fumes to make a good bang. Next the tank was fill with water and welded filled with water.

Paddy

PS gusbratz on the bed you took off your M37 how was the pan on the tool compartment? I am looking for one.

[gusbratz]

i will look tommorrow, i think it was ok, the bed was rusting at the seams. i may cut the sides off and use them as sides on the dump bed.

[gusbratz]

by pan you mean bottom right? or is there a removable droor that i am missing?

[Matthew Ziegler]

tool compartment

Paddy, i have one of those compartments, it needs a little work but it's not rotted out by any means

[Charles Talbert]

boy i have sure done a bunch of them by just filling them with water a few times and rinsing them out. never had a problem. this one has sat empty in the bed of this truck for so many years it dosen't even smell like gas anymore. that is a neat trick with exaust... i have used argon before to put a blanket on big lube oil tanks i welded on with them full.

I used to know a gent that did stuff like that too. He worked in a junk yard for years. You may not be surprised that he is no longer with us, pressed his luck just a tad too far one day.

[MoparFreak69]

40 years ago I blew up my fathers Jeep CJ5 fuel tank trying to braze some pin holes. I have been afraid to try it again ever since. Now I have a M37 tank that needs fixing. How is this done safely and correctly?

Take it to a radiator shop and have them boil it out. They have a solvent bath that can remove any traces of fuel from inside the tank and make it safe to braze/solder on afterwards. Water alone cannot remove all the residue/varnish/deposits of fuel that will remain in a tank for a long long time.

[gusbratz]

thanks for the advice but i allready gas welded up all the holes. With no explosions....

[gusbratz]

on another note, i had to put in a n.o.s sending unit in the fuel tank since the original was AWOL. now that it is in i still have no fuel level. i pulled the inst. cluster and found i have 24v supplied the the driver side prong on the back of the fuel meter and when i attach a grounding wire to the passenger side prong (expecting to see a full tank signal) i get no movement on the meter. are these serviceable? looks to be hermetically sealed. maybe i should try reversing the plugs on the back?

[Charles Talbert]

on another note, i had to put in a n.o.s sending unit in the fuel tank since the original was AWOL. now that it is in i still have no fuel level. i pulled the inst. cluster and found i have 24v supplied the the driver side prong on the back of the fuel meter and when i attach a grounding wire to the passenger side prong (expecting to see a full tank signal) i get no movement on the meter. are these serviceable? looks to be hermetically sealed. maybe i should try reversing the plugs on the back?

The gauge is grounded through the case. 24 volts goes to 1 terminal from wire #27 that feeds through the ignition switch and the signal lead from the tank sending unit goes to the other terminal in order to get a reading. The sending unit must also be grounded to the chassis via one of the mounting screws.

Not smart to open up any military gauge, they have a radioactive substance on the needle and lettering so they glow in the dark. They are said to be safe to handle as long as the case and the glass are in tact.

[gusbratz]

That is interesting about the glow in the dark stuff...wire tag 27 is hot and conected to the right plug on the meter (as view from the back) 28 goes to the sending unit in the tank and should be variable to ground depending on tank level. there is no light bulb in the meter so why would the meter need to be grounded through the case? i thought the grounding to the sensor in the tank made the needle move. what am i missing here?