MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR3 - Fuel tank removal?

I'm trying to remove my fuel tank, and can't see how I can remove it without breaking, cutting, or bending something. I have removed the straps and disconnected all fittings. The filler neck with collar and lower flange of filler cap is still installed. There isn't enough clearance to tilt the tank either to the front or back. The filler neck and attached parts keep it from tilting under the lip at both the boot side and cockpit side of the rear deck.

I could probably cut the collar in order to remove the filler cap flange, but then I would have to buy a new one. This isn't a major expense, but it seems to me that reinstallation will be just as difficult.

Does anyone have any hints or suggestions on how to remove the tank? How did the factory get it in there in the first place? I must be missing something.

Thanks,
Chet

Chet

The chromed filler car on the TR2, TR3 and early TR3As was easy to unscrew fron the top, but the threaded part was (is) almost impossible to remove. You couuld try loosening the hose clamps and slide your rubber hose down to try to give you maximum clearance. I cut the rubber hose to get it off and bought a new one for my restoration. Then I cut the new one about 1/2" shorter than the original and fitted it back.

The later TR3As had a different design for the chromed cap where it is all much easier to remove and put back again.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A

http://www.britishcarforum.com/ubbthreads/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1919/ppuser/4127
Don Elliott

The job will make you sweat, but it's nice to have it done. Check the integrity of the sheetmetal under the tank when it's out. I had to make a patch last time I had mine out to make it strong enough to hold up 15 gallons or so bouncing around there. I agree about cutting the hose off and shortening the new one a bit, it will save you a lot of grief.

Hey Don, tell TriHerald over at that board that he has an OK project. Those dingalings don't see the beauty under that surface rust.
Tom

Hi Chet,

Don is right about the procedure of removing the tank: best to cut through the rubber collar. A word of advice here: when cutting, try to avoid any debris falling into the tank. So, don’t use a hacksaw (gives a lot of small pieces of rubber), but use a sharp cutting knife.

First, I put a rag with a length of rope attached to it, through filler neck down into the tank itself. After cutting and removing the rubber, I gently pulled out the rag and with the rag came some rubber particles.

When I reinstalled my tank I did exactly the same thing Don did: just cutting off a small ‘ring’ of rubber to make the process of fitting the new rubber a lot easier.
A few weeks after installing the collar, I learned about a silicon filler collar that’s more flexible and therefore easier to install... I can’t remember the seller.

Menno
M van Rij

Hmm. I worked at pushing in one side of the hose so that it buckled, allowing the tank and hose to come forward and out. Cutting sounds easier!
chris

Which way do you remove the tank after the fuel collar is removed? back thruugh the boot or do you have to remove by takeing the rear side trim and rear seat out? 60 TR3A. Thanks Jerry
GR BOUCHAL

This thread was discussed between 29/08/2006 and 21/07/2012

Triumph TR3 index