66 CJ5 Rebuild

The tank Looks good, thanks again for the tour of your jeep Sat.
Keep us informed on the tank progress.
I picked un the steering box from a-fisherman Sunday.
Now the work begins.
Regards
Terry

 

@canuk...what steering box did you grab?
What axle were you looking for on the front end?

Now for some aluminum welding. It's been a while since I welded this stuff and I was excited to give it a go. I took some time to prep the material prior to welding. I used a 90 degree air grinder with a 2 inch 3M scotch bright pad. I prepped all the edges and then used isopropyl alcohol (at least 91%) for removing any unwanted oils and contaminants. Here is the first tack weld


So here is the tank ready to weld. I cut a 1 5/8" hole in the middle for the sending unit as advised by the instructions. This will also serve as a vent hole while I weld the tank.


Good to know I can still weld aluminum.


Now for the installation. In hind sight I would have made this tank about 2" shorter in length. It is 24" long and clears the spring hanger bolts by 1/2"
I also realized that after welding the 2" diameter filler tube on the aft right side of the tank, it would be more difficult to remove the tank from below with the tub on. After much deliberation, I realized that I will have to remove both leaf springs in order to remove the tank, which, is fine by me.


I'm planning on using at least 3 bolts per side for mounting the tank to the frame. I was also thinking about using 1/4" thick rubber in between the tank mount and the frame...Any thoughts about that? I will add a steel plate for this location and drill holes with nuts welded on. The bolts will be accessible from below.


Here is a pic of the rear mount. I used a piece of angle iron welded to the frame. I still have to weld on all the 3/8" NPT bungs, sending unit flange, and the filler tube.

 

Lookin good.

One thing, if you are going to rubber isolate the mount, then be sure to provide a ground connection back to the tank. Your fuel gauge will thank you later.

Also, think about using a drilled bolt, castellated nut, and cotter pin for the spring hanger next to the tank-------a spring bolt backing off can cause a lot of problems for an alum tank.

 

Jonah:
I picked up a ford reverse rotation power steering box, but unfortunatly
i found my frame twisted and racked, so now i need to find another frame
or maybe get this one fixed,pass the word would you please.
Thanks
Best regards
Terry

 

Jonah:
The dana 30 narrow track is the front diff I am also looking for.
Terry

 

@ Mike S...Thanks for the input. I will definitely use a ground for the tank and some sort of method for securing the spring hanger bolts.

@Canuk...I will keep an eye out for an axle and frame.

 

I realized that there was less room between the spring hanger mounts and the fuel tank. I decided to create more space between the two by shortening the spring hanger bolts and machining the spring hangers. I used a 1" end mill to cut 1/8" from the side of the spring hangers where the nuts will be located.


I grabbed some shorter grade 8 bolts along with some locking nuts. The nuts are recessed in the mount by 1/8" and this allows enough clearance between the tank and mounts.


Here is a pic of the spring hangers next to the fuel tank. It doesn't look like there is room, but there is about 1/8" clearance even when articulating the hanger forward and aft.


Now I need to drill six 1/2" holes to mount the tank to the frame.

 

hey pielut
i would think with all the flexing and jostling about a jeep does when offroad that space between the shackle bolt and the tank might not be enough. i would think about cutting out a section to allow more space so as to prevent a catastrophe on you're first trip offroad. your welding is top notch and the fix would only be a small setback.

 

I second that, it sure is tight.
Could you maybe put an insert in the shackle and thread it maybe,
this way you can eliminate the nut giving your more clearance.
You would have to put a sleeve in the shackle to keep it from being crushed by tightning the bolt.
Just a thought,might be easer than cutting into that beautiful tank.
What do you think of the lincoln 140 mig welder?

Best regards
Terry

 

Skeely, I did think about the movements of the springs and spring hangers, especially around the tank. The movements of the spring hanger shouldn't interfere with the tank. The upper bolt on the spring hanger is a fixed pivot point that only allows movement forward and aft. The only way for the bolt to be a concern is if the spring hangers move side-to-side. The side-to-side movement is halted by its design. The springs have a lot of flex and movement, but both of the spring hanger mounts keep the springs aligned with the frame.

 

I would think the correct fix is to cut one end off the tank and shorten it.

 

@ Canuk...I haven't used the Lincoln 140 MIG, but I looked at the specs and I think that would be a good starter welder. Looks like you will be limited to 3/16" with a shielding gas (bottle) or 5/16" with flux core wire (no bottle). It is a 120 volt machine, so you can plug it into any outlet (I would use an outlet with at least a 30 amp breaker). This machine has a 20% duty cycle, which means that you can weld at 90 amps for 2 minutes continuously. Duty cycle is the number of minutes out of a 10-minute period a welder can operate. This welder should handle all of your body and light fabrication needs. But, like I said buy the biggest one you can afford.

@ Patrick...the shackles are now 1/4" thick after machining 1/8" off.
I'm still debating my next plan of action.

@willys59cj5...If I decide to create more space I will shorten the tank, just hurts me to do so

 

Do you think the mig 180 or the lincoln 180 would be better,
i would like your opinion.
Thanks
Terry

 

Im not a fabricator but I like the build so far and thought I would drop in my .02. If you are going to need more room, instead of cutting say 2" off the hole side of the tank, couldn't you just recess a shackle size rectangle thats about 1/2" larger around into the side? That way you would only be loosing a small volume of fuel capacity. Looking really good.

 

@ 72CJ5...Looks like I will be cutting the tank after all, not worth the trouble if it hits after the Jeep is all done. I did think about cutting the tank similar to what you are recommending. I think the cleanest way to do this involves cutting 2" from one side and making a new end cap to weld on.

@ Canuk...The Lincoln 180 runs off of 220 power, so you will have a better duty cycle (30% at 130 amps...3 minutes of continuous welding at 130 amps).
This machine will weld thicker metal as well. If you can find a good used one this would be better than the 140, but it all comes down to $$

 

OK, why not just dimple the tank with a BFH, thereby creating some clearance? It's hard to tell not being there in person.

 

@Long&Low...I need more room than a dimple, a BFH would be a good trail fix. It won't be hard to cut the tank and re-weld it.
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Very nice welds. Can you trim the square corners off next to the springs and make the rear corners beveled? Would involve both sides, but probably less weld inches.