Fuel Tank gas line bolt stuck...

[SSV8GT]

Hey Y'all,
I'm really new at this forum stuff, so let me know if I'm doing this right, OK?... I need to know if the fuel tank gas line bolt turns clockwise or counter clockwise to remove. I can't seem to break it loose and the bolt is starting to round out. It looks like there's some thred lock on it. Please tell me how to remove this, so I can replace it. This is the bolt that is on the bottom of the tank that connects the fuel line. Thanks for any advise, God Bless, Sal.

[Anonymous D]

Rotate it counter-clockwise, looking at it from the underside of the car. Best to spray it with some rust-buster, WD40, or similar, for any assistance that can provide with rust on the threads.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

A little bit of nomenclature here, for folks to help you out. First, that is a compression fitting the tube goes in to. There is a ball shaped sleeve that goes over the line and the nut compresses the sleeve againt the union reducer fitting that goes in to the tank. Both the nut and the union have 17mm hex flats on them. As was stated, use a good penetrant on the nut and fitting, allow ample time for the penetrant to work, as that area is prone to rust welding. If you do happen to destroy the line OGTS has replacement lines in their on-line catalog. Patience here is the way to go, as other methods of breaking loose the fittings is not advisable. If you cannot use a 17mm wrench on the nut or union, then vice-grips is the only way to go, but, only after using the rust penetrant. HTH.

[Lindsay]

As mentioned, keep applying penetrating solvent, many times! Many of us had good results with PB Blaster. Blaster Chemical Companies, Inc. - Home On my GT I had to carefully use vice grips to remove nut.

At the time was not aware of reproduction metal fuel line replacement, so bent 5/16" metal tubing to fit. Used 5/16" brass compression fitting with no leaks. Replacement OPGTS part is worth $19.00.

Opel GT Source:
P/N 9049 Fuel line & fitting for GT gas tank; metal fuel line (approx. $19.00).
P/N 9007 Reproduction Boot for fuel line to body at gas tank ($9.00).

[markandson]

Too much force applied when trying to remove the fitting may also cause you to rip the entire fitting right out of the tank. The area around the fitting at the tank is also prone to rust. If it rips, the only solution is to remove the tank and weld a patch on. Good luck.

[opelgtguy]

Wayneto (a long time ago) recommended this to me - taking a deep socket and grinding two parallel flats at the end, to allow the use of an adjustable wrench to turn it. The socket allows you to gently straighten the copper line and have it extend through the end where the ratchet would normally be inserted. The flats don't have to be of any particular size - just parallel to each other - due to the use of the adjustable wrench.
Clear as mud ? I can dig through the toolbox and post a pic if necessary.
HTH,
Rick

[West Coast GT]

OpelGTGuy,
Wow - that is a great suggestion to grind parallel flats on a socket. I've got to remember that one.

[SSV8GT]

OpelGTGuy,
Sounds like a great idea, a picture will really help a "Dumb Designer" like me dude. I'm not any kind of a mechanic, so I need all the visual help I can get... Thanks, God Bless, Sal, SSV8GT.

[SSV8GT]

Hey Markandson,
Thanks for the info, I took the tank to my radiator repair friend and he will clean it out for me. I'm just leaving the tank fitting on it, should be cool, Blessings, Sal.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

I've never had a problem puttng a 17mm box end wrench on my fittings, maybe I'm lucky. I just slipped it over the line and onto the fitting. But what was suggested is similar to a spark plug socket with a hex or flats on the outside of the socket. In a pinch, I'm gonna guess a pair of vice-grips on a 17mm socket would work too, maybe.

[SSV8GT]

Hey Lindsay,
The fuel lines I removed from under the body was a clear thin plastic line connected to some rubber hose to the tank. At the front, from the clear hose was a piece of rubber hose to a piece of metal fuel line then a small piece of rubber hose to the carb. At the rear from the clear hose was a small piece of rubber hose that was connected to a metal fuel line to the tank. That seems like a lot of patching to me. Can I just run a rubber hose from the metal line at the tank all the way to the carb? Seems like that makes more sence to me... of course I am a "Dumb Designer" and not a mechanic. Please help, Thanks, Sal.

[SSV8GT]

namba209,
The nut on the tank is a 14mm... I gave up on it and took it to my radiator friend to clean it out, He said that I could just leave the nut on it and the cleaning will flush out all the rust and junk. Thanks for the info dude, Blessings Sal.

[SSV8GT]

Anonymous D,
Thanks for the info, I'm leaving the bolt on it. I'm having it cleaned out by my radiator friend. Blessings, Sal.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Sal, what you suggested will work just fine. One suggestion would be to put a clear filter just after the tank to gather up the gunk that may come out. Also, look inside the tank through the float plate panel, to where the fitting is and see if the sock is still in there, if it is remove it to save headaches later on when it disintegrates and plugs up the fuel line.

[SSV8GT]

namba209,
Thanks man, I did have a fuel filter between the carb and the line. There is a "Sock" thing in the tank. It will probably come off when they clean it out, otherwise I will remove it. Do I just rip it off? How does it come off? Hey dude, BTW I love your cartoon guy, is it a troll/chicken dude drinking hot coffee?... :O) I am a Designer/Illustrator/Cartoonist and I really appreciate stuff like that, God Bless, Sal.

[nobody]

This is going to sound odd but it's absolutely true. In plumbing you get into some odd places for compression fittings and they make a special wrench just for it. It's called a hootie wrench and grasps the nut from the side with a 1 foot tee handle. The grasping head is on a pivot to tighten or loosen in confined spaces and works on the same principle as a stud puller, the more force you use the tighter it grabs. It's the weopon of choice for doing compression fittings on a faucet behind a big sink and for those hard to reach fittings on a car. Similar to a crows foot but self adjusting. A small bit of info, the clamps used to attach a sink to a countertop are called hootie clamps and just as hard to get too.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Sal, the tank sock is just taken out any way you can, just be sure to get all of it out if it's still there. The characature is something Margaret found somewhere, she said it looks just like me in the morning.

[Lindsay]

namba209,
Thanks man, I did have a fuel filter between the carb and the line. There is a "Sock" thing in the tank. It will probably come off when they clean it out, otherwise I will remove it. Do I just rip it off? How does it come off? <snip>, Sal.

http://www.opelgt.com/forums/attachm...1&d=1183533029

[Lindsay]

Hey Lindsay,
The fuel lines I removed from under the body was a clear thin plastic line connected to some rubber hose to the tank. At the front, from the clear hose was a piece of rubber hose to a piece of metal fuel line then a small piece of rubber hose to the carb. At the rear from the clear hose was a small piece of rubber hose that was connected to a metal fuel line to the tank. That seems like a lot of patching to me. Can I just run a rubber hose from the metal line at the tank all the way to the carb? Seems like that makes more sence to me... of course I am a "Dumb Designer" and not a mechanic. Please help, Thanks, Sal.

Easiest to buy 25 ft. of 5/16" I.D. fuel line hose. Then, you will have extra fuel hose to replace gas tank vent hoses, etc.

[opelgtguy]

OpelGTGuy,
Sounds like a great idea, a picture will really help a "Dumb Designer" like me dude. I'm not any kind of a mechanic, so I need all the visual help I can get... Thanks, God Bless, Sal, SSV8GT.

Hi Sal:
Pix attached - I hope they explain it clearly. The wire in the third pic is there as a visual aid, representing the copper fuel line running down from the underside of the fuel tank and out the square drive hole in the socket itself.
HTH,
Rick