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MG MGA - Foreign object

Found in my gas tank in between the two baffles. Only way in must have been at production time. Object is very hard plastic pipe.

Art Pearse

I wonder if someone was trying to siphon gas and broke it off. Hardened over time?
L Wheeler

I agree with L Wheeler. There just wasn't that much plastic tubing used when these were manufactured.
Mike Parker

The thing was trapped between the two baffles, ie in the centre of the tank.If you were siphoning the tube would only enter the outer part of the tank. And why leave it in the tank afterwards?
Art Pearse

It fell in, on a dark and stormy night, in the sleet and snow, as the thief tried to steal gas from a car that only had a half-litre to start with. Then it wriggled it's way past the baffles and died, to be immortalized and turned to stone by the gods of antiplasticisers.

FRM
FR Millmore

Plastic pipe fairy!
Neil McGurk

What a fantastically clean tank inside...is this the original?
Gary Lock

The tank looks to be in perfect condition, so why did you cut a hole in it? surely not just in the hope that you would find a petrified piece of plastic pipe?
( sounds like something i have written for a newspaper headline!)
colyn
colyn firth

I like FRM's theory. My other theory is a disgruntled British worker at the tank factory getting back at his boss. Colyn, I knew something was in there, because it made a clanking sound when moving the tank. As far as I could see by flashlight it was a copper tube bent like a pretzel. My dilemma was cutting it out or leaving "well" alone. The tank has had no gas for at least 15 years so it was safe to cut it. It is now welded up again with some fresh 18g sheet. The inside is not all that clean. There is surface rust in places. What is the best way to get rid of that? I am thinking CLR (basically citric acid mix) followed by flush, dry and then trat with oil/Varsol mix to coat the metal wil an oil film til it receives gas in the future. The tank came from a fellow in Texas as my original was completely perforated.
Art Pearse

This thread was discussed between 04/08/2009 and 05/08/2009

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