Good News bad news

edvanland · September 28, 2006, 12:33:53 PM

Well just returned from a two week trip to Lake Powell, what a ball, after the bus sat in the garage for a while it seemed like I had a heater core leak. Then it seemed more like a power steering hose leak. Well just spent 4 hours under the bus, yes blocked and all that safety stuff. I then proceded to power wash all the crud and sand off the under side. Still could not find where it was leaking. Did determ it was not the heater core. Also could not find a leak in the power steering. Well now I did what every bus nut does when they are stumped. I sat in the garage, had a cold one, and then noticed that loe and behold fuel was leaking out of the bus. It was in the drive on an angle. I think that will be the easyest to fix, I will lose that bet. Now back to the book to find out how to take the tank out. Yes it is 3/4 full, but I do have a diesel pick up with a extra 50 gal tank so I have a place to put the fuel. I have also talked to the company which built my extra radiator and they do repair tanks. Any ideas on how best to remove the tank? It is a 1973 MCI 7.
Had enough fun for the day so I will put the bus back in the garage, clean up the mess and start on it again tomorrow, hopefully with some very good sugestions from the very knowladgeable people on this board.
Thanks
ED
MCI 7 in Arizona

H3Jim · September 28, 2006, 02:24:23 PM

Is the whole tank rotten? or is it just a hole in an other wise sound tank? Many years ago I fixed a hole in a gas tank by plugging it with epoxy. It held well, and for as long as my nephew had his car. The only requirement was to make sure the hole was clean and dry first. Better than a weld, no heat required.

buswarrior · September 28, 2006, 02:38:04 PM

Hello Ed.

Fairly straightforward, remove body panel, remove lines, remove tank strap on top, and then the fun....

I don't know if the MC7 has the plate bolted on the bottom for an aux tank fitting....

For my MC8, the tank would not slide out, because the plate bolted to the bottom sits in a recess, and there is absolutely no room to hoist the end enough before it hits the frame to get the "hook" to let go underneath.

You have to get a long piece of thin plywood and drive it way underneath, maybe a couple of feet, and then yank that tank out with the family car/pick-up, defensive line from local school, etc.

Once out, you will be able to survey the condition. As you will find, it is imperative that the patches do not increase the tank height by any appreciable amount, or it won't go back in!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

Bosshosssport96 · September 28, 2006, 02:41:26 PM

If the tank is in good shape,and its just a small hole of sorts,I know a person who had such a case. What he did was clean up around the hole (make sure no diesel is still coming out) and in the hole,take a metal screw put JB Weld on it and around the hole and screw it in.His temporary fix was done 10 years ago,and it still doing fine........Frank

edvanland · September 28, 2006, 03:49:57 PM

Thanks all. Don't know the condition of the tank yet. I had all the fun I could stand today. Tomorrow is another day. I will buy a new electric fuel pump so I can pump the fuel out of the tank. When I am done with the pump then I will use it to replace the primer pump in the back as it doesn't work very well. I will look at the book and take the advise of the people who have answered. Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well, because I have a feeling I will be saying a lot of words to the betterment of man kind. I will be sure I have some cool ones handy and luckly I have it in my garage with plenty of space to work. Out of the sun as it is hot here in Arizona and also when I get flusterated I can just shut the garage and walk away.
Thanks all
ED
MCI 7 in Arizona

skihor · September 28, 2006, 05:02:59 PM

I've used Marine-Tex (epoxy)with great results before. Cures under water even. I patched a car fuel tank in the mountains once while the fuel was running out. Held for years.
Don & Sheila

DrivingMissLazy · September 28, 2006, 05:43:56 PM

My experience with fuel tanks is that generally when there is one small leak, the rest of the bottom is generally pretty thin also. I think some judicious poking with a screwdriver or similar instrument might be appropriate before making a final decision as to what to do.
Richard

ChuckMC8 · September 28, 2006, 06:12:16 PM

I had to look hard to find this old thread on the BNO board. After reading and posting on the boards for 4+ years, most subjects have come over for discussion, its just remembering enough info to find them. I posted this reply to someone having fuel tank woes on MCI in 2004. The archives are great! Heres the link to the whole thread if you'd like to read the other posts as well:
http://www.busnut.com/bbs/messages/233/6111.html
Funny that 2 years later Ewen (buswarrior) and I both post again on this same subject......HTH Chuck

I'll be of some help on this one- I had the second tank
also.......Here's how to get the main tank out....undo the strap over the tank
that you can see..seems like it has 4 bolts with 9/16 head. Undo the fuel lines and the
big vent there by the lines. Now here's the kicker if you haven't figured it
out already-You have to get under the bus ( using the proper saftey proceedures,of course) and there's a cover, about 7 feet
long that goes from the front tank to the aux tank. Gotta get that off, and
the bolts are awful to get loose. They have kind of a carraige bolt style
head in the bays. What I finally did was to take a new 3/8 drill and in the
bays, just drill thru the head. Of course, I'm by my bad self, so there
wasn't any way to hold the top.
After that cover's off, you'll see three copper pipes that connect the 2
tanks. There's 8 - 5/16" (1/2" head ) bolts that bolts the pipe flange to the bottom of the
tank.
Don't try to slide the hoses off. They wont come and they are steel braided.
I lost my right thumbnail on that one with a screwdriver. Ouch.
Just unbolt it. If you're not gonna use the aux tank ( i didn't) go ahead
and unbolt the hose manifold from the bottom of it also.
Then, your main tank will slide out.
If you do as I did and take it to the rad shop for repair, consider if
you're not using the aux tank, have them weld plate over the holes in the bottom of the main tank. (Where the lines that go to the aux tank connect). Wish I had. I had to make a plate and
gasket to cover it, doesn't leak, but Could. Better to have it welded before
the tank is pressure tested, then you know.Funny, the MCI manual doesn't
cover this. Was a hell of a struggle for me till I called Luke and spoke to
his shop foreman. Then he had to ask around. I couldn't figure what was
holding the thing in.......

buswarrior · September 29, 2006, 02:30:49 PM

Hey Ed!!

There is a drain plug in the front bottom of the tank!!!

Take off the body panel, the bolts are in the inside top corners, and the bottom rests with pins in holes in an MC8.

The plug is right there.

Just need a couple of suitable pails, and somewhere to pour out one, while the other is filling.

Chuck, an amazing memory, as usual!!
And good for all those internet folks, MAK and BNO, for having archives!

happy coaching!
buswarrior

edvanland · September 29, 2006, 04:05:51 PM

Well removed the fuel door panel, easy part, disconnected the fuel lines, removed the top bracket, found the drain plug at the bottom, then sat back and looked. Doesn't have a hook up for any auxillary tank, so looks like a simple removal, yea right. Bought a fuel pump to transfer the 100 gallons in the tank and then will replace my worn out primer electric fuel pump with the new one. Down about 4 inches above the bottom of the tank is a recessed bolt head. I thought this might be a through bolt holding the tank to the back of the compartment, wrong, when I loosed the bolt fuel came out so quick retightened it.
I will now put this on hold till Sunday as a long bike ride on my Harley is due Saturday. Got to do first things first.
Thanks again to all who have responded.
Will keep you posted.
ED
MCI 7

TomC · October 01, 2006, 09:44:01 AM

Personally- if part of the tank is rusted out, how long before the rest of the tank will be rusted out? I would get a new tank made. Standard steel will work if properly painted on the outside to prevent rusting. Stainless is good, but, look at all the big trucks. Almost all use aluminum- which would be my choice for a new tank. Good Luck, TomC

buswarrior · October 01, 2006, 10:13:23 PM

Usually, just some trouble with the bottom in an MCI of the 7/8/9 vintage.

MCI used aluminum. Today, they use some sort of plastic/fibre/whatever on the new stuff.

The tank is sitting on a thin piece of hardboard to keep the compartment bottom from wearing a hole through it. Trouble is, the board gets moist, and stays that way...

A sandblast, pressurize to find the bubbles, and a patch, works. Sometimes, when the bottom is swiss cheese, it works best to have the bottom cut off and replaced. The sides and top will be fine.

A whole new tank will cost a lot.... Go for it, if you have the cash!!!

When patching, you have to be VERY careful not to enlarge the up and down measurement or it won't go back in. Areas patched need to be beat in...er.. recessed.... during the patch job.

Best to find someone who knows, or appreciates where you have to return this thing to...

happy coaching!
buswarrior