Volvo - boxy, but good

There are straps that hold a gas tank up on a '93 240, right? I can't find any replacements available online... been searching for an hour.

hotrodlarry wrote: There are straps that hold a gas tank up on a '93 240, right? I can't find any replacements available online... been searching for an hour.

240? The tank has five or six ( depending on year) bolts that go through the pinchweld in the middle of the tank that bolt it directly to the frame rails. Thats why they rust out.

740 uses straps.

Ahhhh.... that explains it. My neighbor just picked up a 240 that needs a lil bit of work and we have to get into the tank/sending unit area. This makes it easier

can you access the sending unit from inside the car? Unlike most american cars.. a lot of europeans have access hatches inside the car that allow you to get at the sender

Yes, the sending unit has a panel in the trunk. The problem is there's rust hole on the top of the tank, so we gotta drop it. No sense putting a new pump in a crappy old tank.

very good point.

hotrodlarry wrote: Yes, the sending unit has a panel in the trunk. The problem is there's rust hole on the top of the tank, so we gotta drop it. No sense putting a new pump in a crappy old tank.

I'll bet I could draw you a picture of where the rust holes are...

Streetwiseguy, as a fellow, but new Volvo guy, care to let me know where these rust prone spots are?

In reply to BobOfTheFuture:

The mounting of the tank, being bolted up to the frame rails, means you collect a layer of dust and dirt and salt between the tank and the frame rails. When you unbolt the tank and drop it, you will find rust holes on the top half of the tank on both ends, above the mounting pads.

ouch.. can you get good tanks to replace them with?

If you have a decent rad shop around, they can usually be repaired. Kinda depends on how many pinholes you create when you wire brush all the stuff off, but I've fixed lots. The tanks are still available from Volvo, and I kinda think Spectra makes one too- they were roughly the same tank from 73 to 93, although the filler neck design changed in about 79. Most of the tanks you find in the wrecker will have similar damage, likely.

If you are smart enough to not blow yourself up...and its not my fault if you take internet advice...they can be soldered or brazed. After washing the tank out well enough that you can't smell gas, and doing it in the open air, and making sure you take the tank sender out so the pressure has somewhere to go when you didn't wash it well enough, and having a fire extinguisher and friend nearby but not close enough to be damaged by the resulting conflagration from you not washing it well enough, its just a matter of cleaning it up and using a bit of judicious torch work. I usually spray them down with a couple of layers of undercoating in the rust prone areas before I bolt the tank back in.