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One more LS1 on the street.


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Speaking of the Camaro tank...I am still just partway through my LS1 build and after welding up a fairly substantial setup for the stock Camaro tank, I abandoned it because of the lack of room for exhaust pipes or mufflers. Now I have this http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=121/category_id=69/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd121.htm

and it appears to be a much better fit. I'll be welding up mounts this week and will post pics when I get er in. Lots of room, and uses a factory style in-tank pump. I hope it works out well so that I can contribute something useful back to this forum.

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Speaking of the Camaro tank...I am still just partway through my LS1 build and after welding up a fairly substantial setup for the stock Camaro tank, I abandoned it because of the lack of room for exhaust pipes or mufflers. Now I have this http://www.tanksinc.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=121/category_id=69/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd121.htm

and it appears to be a much better fit. I'll be welding up mounts this week and will post pics when I get er in. Lots of room, and uses a factory style in-tank pump. I hope it works out well so that I can contribute something useful back to this forum.

 

Looked real hard at tanks for this swap. I believe you will run into many of the same issues whether you use the Camaro/Firebird tank or the custom tank in your link. Theres really no easy way with the exhaust around the tank. This is due to where the pipes need to be routed under the center of the car and around the rear suspension. The Camaro tank offers one other little advantage. It tapers from front to back and as such tucks up under the rear valance much neater than other tanks.

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Larry,

 

Which straps did you use to hang the F body tank? It almost looks as if you used the stock Datsun straps?!

 

Joe

 

New straps were fabricated from 1 1/4 " wide x 1/8" flat stock. We used the original anchor slots in the rear body inner panel and modified the length to fit to the new front floor mount area and tank contour. Take an original strap and overlay the anchor area with some masking tape. Trim to the edges and transfer to the flatstock. Works pretty nicely and not difficult to do.

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What year(s) camaro tank is this? (I've seen a few posts where there are slight differences and I'd like to be sure)

 

Also, did you remove the rear spare tire well for installation of this tank? Would love to hear more... I'm about to do the same and have been anguishing over details like this... Thanks for your help and AMAZING job!

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What year(s) camaro tank is this? (I've seen a few posts where there are slight differences and I'd like to be sure)

 

Also, did you remove the rear spare tire well for installation of this tank? Would love to hear more... I'm about to do the same and have been anguishing over details like this... Thanks for your help and AMAZING job!

 

Indeed, the spare tire well had to go. Used a steel sawzall to cut around. Then use sheet steel to patch in. I got this far on putting in the T/A tank before deciding to use a new tank. I spent a bunch of time removing the original tank strap mounting plates from the T/A, one spot weld at a time. Then I welded them onto the bottom of the spare tire hole plate. Turned out really heavy, but sturdy. I'm hoping the new tank helps out the exhaust issue. I'm looking into oval cross-section pipe for the part that goes under the rear suspension. BTW, I won't be teaching welding school anytime soon :roll:

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pretty sure 2000-2002 had this plastic tank...it was steel before that.

 

Correct, I had 3 donors and that was the case. Would have loved to mount that tank but I didn't want to give up the spare. Now that the car is up and running....I have no spare to run around with cause I have the Wilwoods all the way around...go figure!:roll:

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kjones viewpost.gif

What year(s) camaro tank is this? (I've seen a few posts where there are slight differences and I'd like to be sure)

 

Also, did you remove the rear spare tire well for installation of this tank? Would love to hear more... I'm about to do the same and have been anguishing over details like this... Thanks for your help and AMAZING job!

 

Indeed, the spare tire well had to go. Used a steel sawzall to cut around. Then use sheet steel to patch in. I got this far on putting in the T/A tank before deciding to use a new tank. I spent a bunch of time removing the original tank strap mounting plates from the T/A, one spot weld at a time. Then I welded them onto the bottom of the spare tire hole plate. Turned out really heavy, but sturdy. I'm hoping the new tank helps out the exhaust issue. I'm looking into oval cross-section pipe for the part that goes under the rear suspension. BTW, I won't be teaching welding school anytime soon :roll:22 Hours Ago 06:42 PM

 

 

 

 

 

 

We thought about using the Camaro/Firebird upper floor reinforcements for mounting the tank into the Z but it just doesn't fit into the Z floor with out major work. The Camaro brackets also hang down way to far near the rear axle assy. We drilled out the spare tire well spot welds to neatly remove it from the floor pan. Flipped it over on a piece of 20 guage sheetmetal and traced the pattern and cut out the metal for the new floor panel. We then fabricated 2 pieces of 16 guage into hat channels that fit neatly into the locating slots in the top of the tank. We the cleaned all the areas that were to be welded to . This included the crossmember above the axle , the lower portion of the trunk floor and the rear body reinforcement at the floor pan. Straps were then formed around the tank so as to have the correct shape to hold things in place . A reinforcing plate was made and welded into the hat channel for the strap retaing bolt nuts. Things were dry fit (Tank, rails & straps ) and all rail locations marked with the floor panel removed. Once everything was in place the floor panel was put in place and scribed . All new reinforcements and panels were then plug welded in place . Similar to the way the factory would spot weld these together . All pieces were tacked in place . Test fit one more time and then final welded in place . I have pics of some of the work. Will post them as soon as I can get to the other computer they are stored in.

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Fuel filler neck was a combination of the original rubber fuel neck and the Camaro filler neck. The Camaro neck is 1 1/2" metal tubing. Just like exhaust pipe. We used the upper portion of the Camaro neck for the fill cap and housing. We then cut off the remainder of the Camaro neck and made up a length of new pipe to the tank inlet. We then used the original short length of fuel neck hose from the Camaro to connect to the tank. Now the tricky part . This new metal fill pipe was trial fit in place without the Datsun neck. Once the proper angles and turns were put into the new neck ,it was inserted into the rubber Datsun neck so the filler neck was isolated from the interior compartment. The upper part of the Camaro neck will slide into the original Datsun filler and a hose clamp used to secure in place. You may need to raise the filler location in the pocket to clear the fuel filler cap.

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