I dont know about where you live but around here you can take the tank to a radiator shop and they will clean it out and seal it . About 50 bucks.

55Birdman  Hickory NC

All the above are great suggestions.  No matter what you do, the key is to drain the old gas and then make sure you have a new fuel filter inline somewhere.  One of the fuel pumps has a glass bowl/screen on the bottom that'll catch some crud, but not everything.

Also depending on the amount of crud / varnish in the tank, you might need to have it chemically stripped to get it all out (atleast I did), so by the time I had it cleaned and coated, it was about the same cost of a new tank.   

However while my tank was being cleaned I strapped a 3 gallon gas can in the trunk with a bungee cord.  I drove the car like that for about 6 weeks.  Just couldn't go that far without stopping to refill!

The sending unit doesn't matter except for the gas gauge.  I'm on a tight budget as well, so I had a non-functional gauge for probably 3 years before I got a new one.  (only ran out of gas a few times) 

John: Lake Forest, IL



'57 Fairlane 500 - Looking better every day.

Getting rid of all the old gas is a must. It will damage your engine. If you don't want to buy a new tank right now, you can probably can get by without it. New tanks run about $210. Draining the tank and sloshing paint thinner around in the tank will get rid of most of the soluble crud. A filter will catch rust and other solids. In addition to the aluminum go kart tank to bypass the fuel pump, I also have an outboard motor boat tank that I put in the trunk of old cars or the back of old pickups so I can move the vehicles around after I have a fuel pump that works.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

Any Ace Hardware has a full selection of brass fittings, you can find the proper fitting with threads on one side and a hose barb on the other. This will aid you in hooking up temp fuel supply.

But..

the first thing i would do is disconnect the fuel line from the carb and crank the engine with the line in a glass bottle, so you can get a sample.Then if it is varnish , as it probably will be, send the tank to the local radiator shop and have it cleaned. I have cleaned hard lines with a rifle cleaning brush attached to bendable copped wire, with a little carb cleaner.

The fact that my engine needed rebuilding killed my budget for other things, so I am learning to adapt, back in the day a true mechanic could fix things, seems these days the "technicians" can just throw parts at a vehicle. (I work in a Dealership)

 I'm on a Lowwwww Budget

So in planning a budget, I'm looking at these new tanks and also looking at new sending units. (Maybe I won't need one, but looking just to see what the options are)

I'm used to sending units also including the fuel pick up tube etc...but the sending units I see for the this car seem only to be a fuel level sender for the fuel gauge.  Is that true?  Does the tank have a built in pick up tube? I can't tell from the photos of the 56 tanks.

Nate - Madison, Wisconsin

 

56 Ford Customline Sedan

 

nate, If you are really strapped for cash on your gas tank, the last two tanks I had cleaned out, checked, and sealed with an epoxy only cost me $80 each. The one tank the radiator man put a new pick up tube in, and the other tank, he checked my fuel sender, added a new gasket and replaced all the screws. One of the tanks has been in service for a couple of years with 0 problems. The other one is waiting for my convertible project.

No, he isn't even one of my car buddies, but he does a reliable business running a mom and pop style radiator repair shop. I would check with a shop in your area - you may be surprised as to what you find...

Dan

Daniel Jessup

Lancaster, California

aka "The Hot Rod Reverend"
check out the 1955 Ford Fairlane build at www.hotrodreverend.com

I have an aluminum go cart tank with a pet cock on it that I hang over the carb. You are going to have to drain the tank any way. Might as well do it right away. There is a drain plug in front of the tank on the passenger side. I have never seen a 56 Ford that didn't have a tank full of rusty crap. I buy tanks on eBay. I find them as cheap as anywhere there. They are made in Canada and are good. That saves a lot of headaches.

Kenneth

Fredricksburg, Texas

I've gone the other way too - hooking a rubber suction tube to the inlet of the fuel pump - and running out of a plastic gas can on the ground.

Assuming the fuel pump pumps.....

 
 Steve Metzger       Tucson, Arizona

Nate:

If you do as they say and hang a gas can from the hood, be sure to plug the outlet of the fuel pump.  If there is any liquid in the tank, and you get it started, and the fuel pump works, you'll have a heck of a mess.

John - "The Hoosier Hurricane"

Using a remote tank does a number of things. It ensures that the carb gets a good, clean, steady supply of fuel. It eliminates a failed fuel pump from the equation. From that point, if there are fuel problems you will know that it has to do with the carburetor.



After 5 years, what gas did remain may no longer be a liquid. I would remove the tank, clean it out as best I can, and make sure the supply lines are not clogged. Remove the line from the pump to the tank and ensure that it is clean - or buy or make a new line. Disconnect the line to the pump inlet and ensure that the line from the tank to the pump is not clogged. Install a filter just before the inlet of the fuel pump. A clear filter with a cleanable, reusable element will be great for this. I might even get a new or used, known-to-be-good fuel pump.



You might find that it is time to replace or reline the fuel tank and you might think about replacing all of the lines with new, as money allows.


Lawrenceville, GA