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Grade of steel for gas tank?


aussiecowboy

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Plain steel is no good. It will end up rusting inside and outside.

They used to make auxilary petrol tanks for 4 x 4's, boats etc. out of Terne Plate which is sort of like galvanised sheet but has a high lead content in the coating which stops the gas attacking the steel and it is easy to soldier. In fact most of the gas tanks in older cars are made from it.

I'm not sure if BHP is still making terne Plate but nowdays it is easier to make tanks out of stainless steel. 1.2mm, (or .9 but I think it is a bit light) 304 grade SS is what to make it out of. Easy to weld and/or soldier using Phosphoric acid for flux.

I dont know if your tank is the same as a Chev but this Company sell Chev tanks if it is.

www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=37/category_id=63/mode=prod/prd37.htm

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Hi David, thanks for the reply. I was afraid that might be the case, I am confident I could shape the tank from steel but I have never worked with stainless so I'm not so confident. Unfortunately the tank looks nothing like the chevy tank in your link. What about using mild steel and then sealing the inside with a dedicated tank sealing product and then paint the outside? I took the tank to my local aluminium and stainless fabrication places place but neither could replicate the curves, it would have to be all flat plate and angles. I will look into terne plate, can this be heated with an oxy to bend it?

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Doesn't seem to be available anyway, so I'm back to rolling stainless.....

My understanding is that it has in the past been favoured by undertakers in Sydney (NSW) for lining coffins.

If you use stainless you need to enquire for a malleable grade. You could use a free-flowing silver brazing alloy, but it will require a much higher temperature than soft solder: In general you may use dilute nitric acid to remove the flux.

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Correct about the terne plate, but some early gas tanks were made of galvanized steel. I don't know why you couldn't make one of galvanized or have it made by a sheet metal shop or duct shop. You would have to solder the joints.

It is highly likely that you could find a suitable tank in your local junk yard. The dimensions are not critical as long as it fits.

If the filler neck or fuel line needs to be relocated, that can be soldered by a radiator shop or sheet metal shop.

Or, measure the tank and search the net for one that is close, and buy a new one. There are hundreds of different size tanks used on late model cars, and others made as "universal fit" replacements.

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It's been in the frame for several years as the car is still under restoration and has never had any fuel in it. I don't see any reason that it wouldn't hold up for a long time as many small gas cans were made from galvanized steel.The tinsmith claimed to have made several tanks previously with no problems. He did warn of welding the seams due to rusting so he rolled ans soldered them.

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