Gas tank replacement and newbie questions.
 

Hi. This is my first post on this forum and I've come looking for some advice. I've recently been offered a "ten year old" red Mazda Protege with 240k miles by a neighbor for free, as they heard I was looking for a winter beater to save my 1990 Miata from the horrors of New Hampshire snow and salt.

They want to get rid of it because it needs a new gas tank, it has a hole or something that will make it fail state inspection. Someone told them that a new gas tank would be $700, which sounds fishy to me. I'm wondering how hard it would be to score a used tank from a junkyard and then install it myself.

I have good mechanical skills, I've done some pretty involved projects on my Miata including a clutch replacement, shock installation, roll bar installation and top replacement.

So, specifically what I'd like to know is the following:
-Do junkyards even sell used gas tanks, or is this a no-no?
-Can a pull a used tank out of a junker myself in the span of a few hours with portable hand tools?
-Are there any common snags I should watch out for?
-Anything in particular I should check in the car itself?

I did a search for "gas tank" and didn't find any relevant information.

Any advice would be greatly apreciated.

TMK, the gas tanks brand new are that much. you would certianly be able to get one at a junk yard. for like $50 im suspecting. maybe get one for free. I know cat converters they are not allowed to resell in state of md, think gastanks are same way. Somthing that has to do with emmissions. might be same way in ur state. Easily replaceable gas tanks in the protege too.

Thanks for the info. I probably won't get the car until this weekend. Hell, the only times I've seen it is when my neighbor drives by. I've never ridden in it or anything, but hey, the price was right. I'll start calling around to the yards in these parts and see what I can come up with.

Thanks again.

I dunno, my Miata has already done that to me. It already pulls daily transport, cruising, and autocross duty. But who knows? I'll see soon enough.

The gas tank is pretty easy, I swapped mine in about 30 minutes with hand tools. I paid $50 for one complete with the pump and all at the junkyard.

Luckily I live in the south and nothing rusts so it was pretty easy.

Just pull the seat bottom out, unplug the fuel pump, start the car and let it die, unhook the fuel lines, get under the car and unhook the filler hose, the two or three smaller hoses, then take the two bolts off the straps and the tank will slide out.

Hes right. I originally bought my GT as a beater so I wouldn't have to subject the RX-7 ('86 GXL) to salt covered roads in the winter. Now I'm selling the RX-7 and using that money to fix up the protege. Its an addictive little bugger :)

Oh and as you said... "It already pulls daily transport, cruising, and autocross duty." The GT is doing all of that now :)

Can't one just weld or somehow seal a leaking gas tank instead of replacing it ? I am pretty sure that this could be done. I am asking because I might have a leak that needs fixing. No way am I gonna pay $500 for a new one. If sealing it does not work, I am off to a local junk yard:)

Hmm, I'd be careful when welding around a gas tank... I don't know ;)

It's obvious that it'll be taken out and emptied. Too young to die:D

*phew* :p

I think that sometimes shops that wanted to do it quickly actually used to fill the tank up all the way and then weld it while it's still on the car... it's the gasoline vapor that pops, not the liquid. However I wouldn't really care to find out how effective that is:eek: :cool:

any type of gas tank repair must be done by a certified shop, if any welding is to be done, it must be removed and emptied, cleaned etc. then it must be re-sealed from the inside.

i didn't get the info first hand, but it sure makes sense. Either way, a new/used tank would be the least hassle and most peace of mind.

Maybe I could pull the tank out, wrap it up in something, throw it the Miata and bring it down to a shop I know welds tanks. It might be a better choice than wasting time pulling one out of a junker, only to find out its rusted just as bad in some hard to see spot.

I emailed a local junkyard last night and they said that they are in fact allowed to sell gas tanks, so I'm all set on that front.

Countdown to Protege pickup: 4 days

are our gas tanks that small that they'd fit in a miata? lol, i mean, sure, 14.5 gallons, but how much do they way right off of the car? just curious
peace

If worse comes to worse I could just wrap it up and strap it to my trunk rack. I wouldn't think it'd weigh more than 25lbs empty. I mean, its only sheet metal.

They are really light empty, but it isn't going to fit in the trunk of your car. Not all the way anyhow.